SANTA ANA - The Dons were able to force a fourth set but couldn't finish their rally as they lost to visiting Saddleback College 3-1 in an Orange Empire Conference match. The loss drops the Dons to 1-8 overall and 0-2 in conference while Saddleback improves to 4-6 and 1-1. The set scores were 25-13, 25-21, 19-25 and 25-18.

The first set opened with the Gauchos scoring the first two points before the Dons came back to grab an early 3-2 lead. The Dons would go on to break two ties to take leads of 4-3 on a Madison Logan kill and again at 5-4 on a Fernanda Ruiz kill.

After the set was tied 6-6, Saddleback went on a 4-0 run to reclaim the lead for good. The Dons would keep it close at 10-7 on a Chloe Anderson kill and again at 12-9 on a Ruiz kill, but the Gauchos would pull away late and win the set 25-13.

Saddleback opened the second set with the first point but the Dons would score four in a row, including a Filana Duvan service ace, to take a 4-1 lead. After Saddleback came back to force a tie at 8-8, the Gauchos reclaimed the lead at 10-8.

But the Dons would battle back and, using an Anderson kill and a Duvan service ace, tie the set at 12-12 before taking the lead at 13-12.  The two teams would play to four more ties up to 17-17 before the Gauchos broke the final tie with a 7-0 run to force set point. The Dons closed the gap to 24-21 with a 4-0 run before Saddleback won the set 24-21.

The third set opened with the teams trading the lead two times before the Dons used a 4-1 run, including three kills by Anderson, to grab a 7-5 lead. Starting with a Haylie Slater service ace at 10-7, the Dons went on a 5-1 run capped off by three-straight kills by Anderson to extend their lead to 15-8. The Dons continued to pull away before a late Gaucho run pulled Saddleback within five at 24-19. However, SAC was able to close the set out and force a fourth set with the 25-19 win.

The teams once again played close early on in the fourth set with ties of 3-3, 5-5 and 6-6 before Saddleback went on a 6-0 run to take a 12-6 lead. The Gauchos turned that lead into a 10-point lead at 18-8 before the Dons started chipping away late. The Dons were able to cut the Saddleback lead to just five at 21-16 before the Gauchos won the set, and the match, by a final of 25-18.