SANTA ANA - The Dons dropped an Orange Empire Conference match to visiting Cypress College despite playing the Chargers tight through the first two sets. The loss drops the Dons to 4-9 overall and 1-6 in conference while Cypress improves to 14-2 and 5-2.

In the first set, the Dons answered a 3-1 score with three-straight points on kills by Zaria Saunders, Chloe Anderson and Esther Arroyo to grab an early 4-3 lead. The Chargers would come back with a 5-0 run to reclaim the lead at 8-4 before building their lead up to 16-9.

The Dons battled back to pull within three at 18-15 on an Anderson kill before cutting the lead to just two at 19-17 on a Myriah Kunipo-Aguirre service ace. But that would be the closest the Dons would get for the remainder of the set as Cypress went on to the 25-18 win.

The second set opened with an Iliana Mendoza kill to give the Dons the first point before Cypress answered with a 6-1 run to claim a 6-2 lead. After the Chargers took a 9-5 lead, the Dons went on a 5-0 run with points scored on a Saunders kill, an Arroyo block, an Arroyo kill and then back-to-back kills by Anderson.

The two teams then played to ties of 11-11, 12-12 and 13-13 with Cypress breaking the final tie for good.  The Dons kept the set close all the way to the end, being as close as two points at 21-19 before the Chargers went on to the 25-21 win.