Owls Rally for Statement Win Over College of the Canyons

Citrus College Volleyball picked up a key conference victory Wednesday night, October 22, defeating College of the Canyons in four sets, 3–1 (20–25, 25–23, 25–20, 25–21).

With the win, the Owls improve to 12–9 overall and 4–3 in conference play, while the Cougars drop to 7–12 overall and 5–2 in conference.

After dropping the opening set, Citrus mounted a strong comeback to take the next three. The turning point came late in the second set—trailing 23–15, Naomi Dominguez sparked a dramatic rally with a 10-point serving run that lifted the Owls to a 25–23 win and evened the match at one set apiece.

Citrus carried that momentum into the third, trading points with the Cougars before pulling away thanks to Sammi Rivard's steady serving and clutch kills from Aaliyah Janae Freeman, Dominguez, and Emma Cristales. In the fourth and final set, the Owls maintained control throughout, keeping Canyons from mounting a full comeback and sealing the match in convincing fashion.

Sophia Martinez led all players with 17 kills, followed by Cristales with 14. Dominguez added nine kills, while Shaylen McFoy and Freeman chipped in eight apiece. Setter Lily Whitney dished out a game-high 27 assists, with Justine Gonzalez close behind at 25. Defensively, Cristales tallied a match-best 20 digs, Rivard added 16, and Martinez recorded 12. From the service line, Rivard and Dominguez each posted two aces, while Whitney, Gonzalez, Cristales, and Martinez each contributed one. Jasemine Smith also delivered four timely kills and two digs.

The Owls will now hit the road to face Antelope Valley College on Friday, October 24 at 6 p.m. in a conference rematch. Citrus previously defeated the Marauders in four sets at home on October 1.