Pasadena, CA – The Hope International women's volleyball team (5-4) fell to the Simpson Red Hawks 3-0 before winning 3-1 over host Cal Tech Beavers at the Braun Athletic Center on Saturday evening.

Game 1:
The Royals fought hard throughout the first set opening the game with a 3-0 lead against the Red Hawks with two kills from Cassidy Koffroth. The Royals kept the lead until the Red Hawks tied the set at 7-7. As the set continued the Red Hawks began slowly increasing the lead until a kill by Addie Mathias, set by Stacey Dawes, brought the set to 21-17 with the Red Hawks still in the lead. The Royals were not able to rally to a win and ended the first set with only 20 points to the Red Hawk's 25 for a 1-0 lead. In the second set, the Red Hawks attacked hard and took a 9-5 lead. Royals went on a small run with two great kills by Rachel Street and Addie Mathias bringing the second set to 10-7. Nonetheless, the Red Hawks would go on to win the set 25-14 bringing the game to 2-0.

The third set was neck and neck as the Red Hawks looked to finish the game with a 3-0 victory. But the Royals would not go down without an incredible fight! The Royals went on a 4-0 run bringing the lead to 11-6 and forcing the Red Hawks to call a timeout. The Red Hawks later answered back with their own 4-0 run forcing the Royals to call a timeout and stealing the lead to bring the score to 15-13. The Royals rallied bringing the game to a tie at 18-18 after a big kill by Judy Juhala set by Stacey Dawes. The Royals kept the game close until the very end with two more kills by Juhala bringing the game to 22-21(Red Hawks) and forcing the Red Hawks to call another timeout. Despite the Royal's aggressive effort in the third set they fell to The Red Hawks 25-22.  Addie Mathias led the Royals with 9 kills and Stacey Dawes led with 12 assists.  

Game 2:
The first set was incredibly close as the Royals faced the host Cal Tech Beavers in their second game at 5:00 PM on Saturday evening. The Royals and Beavers went back and forth keeping the game within one to two points until the Beavers went on a 4-0 run to bring the score from 10-10 to 10-14. Royals answered with their own 4-0 run led by a kill and ace from Cassidy Koffroth tying the score at 16-16 and forcing a timeout by the Beavers. The game was tied at 20-20 and again at 21-21 achieved through an incredible kill by Koffroth, assisted by Mathias. Koffroth's kill gave the Royals the momentum that helped them close the first set with a win 25-22.  In the second set, similar to the first, the score was close with the lead within reach for both teams. The game was tied at 12-12 when the Royals took a four-point lead, to bring the score to 16-12. They immediately rallied again producing a 5-0 run led by an attack from Rachel Street bringing the score to 21-13 and forcing another timeout from the Beavers. Beavers tried to rally but fell to the Royals 25-17 in the second set.

The Beavers bounced back in the third set keeping the set close and taking the lead late in the game at 17-20. The Royals called a timeout to regroup with the score at 21-23 with the Beavers in the lead. However, they could not swing the set and fell to the beavers 22-25 in the third putting the score at 2-1 Royals.

The Royals raced out to a 6-1 lead in the fourth set with kills by Kat Schwab and Street setting the tone. The Beavers answered with a rally to tie the set at 7-7. The Royals slowly began to increase the lead, with two back-to-back kills by Street and Koffroth giving the Royals a four point lead, at 20-16. The Beavers held the Royals at 20 points and came within one point of a tie at 20-19 forcing a timeout by the Royals. Out of the timeout the Royals rallied and to victory starting with a kill by Addie Mathias and led by three aces from Koffroth. The Royals won the fourth set 25-19 ending the game against the Beavers 3-1. Addie Mathias had a great game with 10 kills and 17 assists. Rachel Street had an incredible 11 kills and Stacey Dawes 17 assists.

The Royals continue action on the road as they head to Riverside, CA to take on La Sierra at 2:00 PM on Friday, September 13th.