The Golden West College Rustlers women's volleyball team pushed the Saddleback Bobcats to the limit but ultimately came up short in a five-set battle at home. Despite a gritty effort, the Rustlers lost 3-2, with set scores of 25-20, 15-25, 29-27, 17-25, and 15-17.

The match was a rollercoaster of momentum shifts, with both teams exchanging big plays and long rallies. Saddleback improved to 5-3 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while the Rustlers dropped to 3-6 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

Golden West opened the match with energy, claiming the first set 25-20 behind strong hitting and disciplined defense. However, the momentum shifted in the second set, where the Bobcats dominated with a .400 hitting percentage, winning 25-15 to even the match.

The third set was a marathon, with both teams refusing to back down. Golden West edged Saddleback 29-27, thanks to clutch kills from Ashlynd Larson and Hayden Johnston, but the Bobcats responded with a decisive 25-17 win in the fourth to force a tiebreaker.

In the final set, the Rustlers fought hard, but Saddleback closed it out 17-15 in a nail-biting finish, sealing the victory with timely kills from Lulu Utterback and Delaney Wilson.

Despite the loss, the Rustlers showed resilience and tenacity, highlighted by Larson's 15-kill performance and Johnston's stellar defense with four solo blocks. Zoellers orchestrated the offense with 40 assists and added three aces from the service line.