Story by Sebastián Abdón Ibarra, Sports Information Student Assistant

REDLANDS, CA — The University of La Verne volleyball team swept the University of Redlands Bulldogs in straight sets on the road Friday night. It was a big game for the Leos as they look to build momentum into the offseason in preparation for another shot at playoffs next season.

Set Scores: 25-14, 25-11, 25-21

It was a total team effort that guided the Leos to victory as the entire team combined for an impressive .323 hitting percentage on the day.

Ayana Mier was the leading scorer in the game with 11 kills and a season-high kill percentage of .333. She also added a dig and two block assists to her line score. Mier now has 264 kills on the season, which puts her fourth in the SCIAC, and her 3.34 kills per rank her third.

Emily Heldenbrand and Jasmine Chandler both had big games as well. Heldenbrand had a great all-around game with six kills, a .312 hitting percentage, 12 assists, 17 digs, and a block assist.

Chandler had a career day for the Leos as she had six kills to tie her season-high while converting on 75 percent of her attempts. This game served as an exclamation mark in a season where she has shown major improvement from her freshman year. In four fewer games, she has improved in almost every important statistical category this season including blocks per set where she ranks fourth in the SCIAC with 0.98.

Jocelyn Portillo came in off the bench for just the second time this season and answered the call in a big way. She had seven kills with two digs and two blocks.

The Leopards play their final game of the season Saturday at home against Occidental University at 2:00 p.m.