San Diego Mesa College fought off a tough road quarterfinal matchup in women’s volleyball on Dec. 5 versus Fresno, claiming a 3-1 victory with no shortage of offense.

The Olympians started off strong in the first set, establishing a quick lead as Fresno struggled with their serves and attacks. 

The Olympians’ front line of Mia Lundberg, Bella Town, and Ruby Ennis maintained constant pressure throughout. 

Fresno received a much-needed boost towards the end of the set from Karina Rodriguez and Haiden Davis. However, this breakthrough came a little too late. 

The end of the first set saw Mesa win 25-21.

Fresno responded with a more potent second set, finding its offense and making better use of passes to provide better looks for its hitters. 

Fresno’s Rodriguez became a key contributor with several critical finishing touches off attacks down front with Iversen and Davis. 

The Olympians maintained a strong pace with strong hits from Lundberg and Isabella Barrios. 

Fresno controlled the pace with fewer mistakes. Having gained momentum in its corner, Fresno tied the match with a 25-19 victory to claim the second set.

The third set saw the Olympians take charge with one of its most comprehensive stretches of the evening. 

Fresno missed several scoring chances in attack, handing the Olympians opportunities to score. 

Lundberg continued to fire while Ruby Ennis ran their attack. 

Fresno made a late surge with Davis and Rodriguez leading for their side but were met with the Olympians’  consistency in stretching their lead as the Olympians took this one 25-19.

The fourth match was the closest and most dramatic of the evening. Points were traded back and forth with little advantage to either side. 

Fresno displayed strong block stands and smart moves by Iversen and Olivia Gleason to take a temporary lead. 

The Olympians evened things out with strong hits by Lundberg and Giselle Haugen. 

Fresno had a 23-22 lead before being evened out with sharp serves and kills towards the end of the match. The Olympians won 26-24.

“I’m proud of my team and how they performed today,” said Ennis, shouting out her team for their effort.

This win emphasized the Olympians balanced attack. Fresno showed glimpses of a strong attack with their plays in the second and fourth sets. However, inconsistencies in their games prevented them from maintaining this momentum.