SANTA ANA, Calif. – Santa Ana College volleyball got back to Orange Empire Conference play by hosting Saddleback College on Wednesday night. SAC was defeated 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-21) to fall to 4-11, 1-6 on the season.

The Dons found themselves down by a sizable margin in the first set until Ally Wardlow's tough serves led them on a 5-0 run to cut the lead to 21-17. But Saddleback's Ireland Ridill put away a kill on her next attempt to stop the bleeding. SAC continued to fight but dropped the set by a score of 25-19.

Saddleback relied on that momentum to gain control early in the second set, leading to a 2-0 (25-19, 25-14) advantage for the Gauchos.

In the third, Santa Ana used another big run to mount to comeback midway through the set. Myrandah Zepeda recorded three kills in a 9-0 span that put the Dons up 15-12. But the Dons couldn't sustain that energy, giving the Gauchos a chance to recoup with their own run to win the set 25-21.

Wardlow was on her game as she posted 17 digs, three service aces and even a kill. Zepeda and Ashly Hernandez were tops in the kill category for the Dons with six a piece while Elizabeth Marold added another five.

Santa Ana used the trio of Jordan Ninmer, Courtney Gomez and Taylor Hernandez to run their offense. The three combined for 19 assists on the night.

NEXT UP: The Dons will move on and focus on their next game on the road at Fullerton College on Friday. The OEC match is set to start at 6:00 p.m.