Make it 4-0 for the Irvine Valley women’s volleyball team.
The Lasers won their fourth straight match to start the season, beating San Diego City, 25-11, 25-14, 24-26, 25-9, in a nonconference match on Friday at home.
It wasn’t without a little bit of a struggle, however.
After cruising in the first two sets, Irvine Valley made 15 unforced errors in the third set and a spirited San Diego City squad took advantage to stay alive.
But the Lasers got back on track in the fourth set and put the match away.
Irvine Valley trailed right off the bat in the opening set, falling behind, 4-1. But the Lasers won eight of the next nine points to take control. Ahead, 11-7, Irvine Valley then went on a 9-1 run – capped by a kill on an overpass by sophomore middle blocker Sinead O’Neill and a San Diego City net – to go up, 20-8.
Later, an ace by freshman libero Becky Moodie set up set point and then a kill by sophomore outside hitter Lauren Bender ended the set.
Irvine Valley raced out to a 12-7 lead in the second set and then scored four points in a row to make it 16-7. The run included a block by sophomore outside hitter Allison Cook, an ace by Cook and a kill by Bender.
A kill by sophomore outside hitter Avae Masaniai gave IVC a 19-11 lead. Several San Diego City errors set up set point for the Lasers. And Cook put the set away with a kill.
San Diego City led for nearly all of the third set. The Knights took their biggest lead at 17-12 on a kill by Jasmine Wong.
Down, 23-21, Irvine Valley scored two points in a row, getting a kill from Masaniai and a tip winner by freshman middle blocker Alexis Radecki to tie the set at 23-23.
Irvine Valley had a set and match point after San Diego City was called for being out of rotation. But the Knights tied the score at 24-24 on a kill by Imani Griffin. And after an IVC hitting error, San Diego City won the set on an ace by Sasheen Turner.
While Irvine Valley might have made 15 unforced errors in the third set, the Lasers recorded just one error in the fourth and final set. IVC played its best volleyball of the match.
Irvine Valley went up, 14-3, on a kill by Bender and then 16-3 on another kill by Bender. A kill by Radecki gave Irvine Valley a 17-5 lead and a kill by Cook made it 19-6. Another kill by Cook put Irvine Valley ahead, 21-8.
Freshman setter Danielle Boyette’s ace got Irvine Valley with two points of the win and a kill by Cook set up match point at 24-9. Cook ended the set on the next point, going back to serve and recording an ace.
Cook had another stellar night with 16 kills and six digs. She hit .480 and led the Lasers in kills for the fourth straight match.
Bender had her best match as a Laser, finishing with 12 kills and five digs. She had just one hitting error in the contest and hit .688.
Masaniai finished with nine kills, Radecki had eight kills and a team-high four blocks. Moodie ended with 14 digs and four aces and Boyette contributed 40 assists, five digs and three aces.
Irvine Valley plays again next Wednesday at Rio Hondo in a 3 p.m. match.