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11/29/11: Gauchos earn all-conference honors
 Four Saddleback volleyball players have earned all-conference honors for their play this season, led by freshman libero Michell Lisowski and sophomore setter Allison Horner, both of whom earned second-team all-Orange Empire Conference recognition.
Lisowski (pictured left), a freshman out of Henderson, Nevada, led the conference in defensive digs with 309, an average of 6.2 digs per game. She was the only player in the conference with over 300 digs. Lisowski posted 405 total digs on the season and also led the Gauchos with 25 service aces.
Horner (pictured right), a product of nearby Capistrano Valley High School, had 391 assists for the Gauchos this season. She also added 18 aces, 123 digs, and 38 blocks.
Saddleback also had two sophomores named to the Honorable Mention list in outside hitter Jessica Lopez (below, left) and middle blocker Stephanie Haffner (below, right). Lopez, a product of Dana Hills High School, posted 109 kills and 80 blocks for the Gauchos. Haffner, who prepped at Capistrano Valley High,
added 85 kills with 67 blocks.
 
After starting the season strong with a 3-1 record, the Gauchos slipped during conference play to end the year with a 5-17 overall record.
11/16/11: Volleyball season ends with loss to Rustlers
 Saddleback's 2011 women's volleyball season came to an end on Wednesday after the Gauchos fell to the visiting Golden West Rustlers in three straight sets, 25-15, 25-15, 25-19.
It was Sophomore Night and so there were plenty of family members in the crowd to root the Gauchos on. Each game was close early on before Golden West forced some Saddleback mistakes in the second half of each set to create the separation it needed to forge on and win each set.
In the first set, Saddleback held an early 8-7 lead. After the score was tied at 10-10, Golden West won five straight points and Saddleback would not be able to string two points together for the rest of the set. The second set was similar in that the Gauchos would run a string of four points together to get out to an 8-5 lead before Golden West answered with six points of its own to take an 11-8 lead and Saddleback would not be able to string together two points in dropping set No. 2 by the same 25-15 count. 
The Gauchos wouldn't give up and took another early 8-7 lead before Golden West again went on a 5-0 run to open up a cushion and that was just about all the separation the Rustlers would need to win set three and sweep the match.
Sophomore Danielle Van Liefde led Saddleback with eight kills while Michell Lisowski added 23 defensive digs. Sophomore Allyson Horner handed out 13 assists and sophomore Jessica Lopez ended her Saddleback career with three solo blocks.
11/4/11: Saddleback can't hold off Tigers
 It was the battle for sixth place in the conference standings and, although Saddleback had its sights set on revenge for an earlier loss to the Tigers in Riverside, it wouldn’t happen tonight.
Riverside jumped out quickly and raced to a 25-15 victory in the first set. Saddleback bounced back to even the match with a 25-19 victory in the second set, leading the entire way. The third set was tied at 11’s and then again at 15’s before Saddleback edged out to a 21-19 lead. Riverside tied the set at 21’s and went on to win 25-23. It appeared that Saddleback would take the fourth set as the Gauchos jumped out to an early 15-11 lead. But Riverside would win 14 of the next 18 points to win the set 25-19 and take the match, 3-1.
Saddleback’s Danielle Van Liefde and Jessica Lopez each had 13 kills with Crystal Richter stepping into the setter position to hand out 26 assists. Michell Lisowski added 21 defensive digs.
Saddleback will host Santa Ana College at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, November 7.
10/20/11: Volleyball snaps losing streak at Santa Ana
 The women’s volleyball team was determined to erase a nine-match losing streak on Wednesday when it traveled to Santa Ana College to take on the Dons. The Gauchos did just that, winning in three straight games and picking up its first Orange Empire Conference win of the season.
Saddleback had the misfortune of playing against some of the toughest competition in the state over the past month, and hadn’t won a match since beating Chaffey College on September 16, 3-1. The Gauchos erased a lot of bad memories by taking it out on Santa Ana, 25-15, 25-20 and 25-20.
Saddleback built up big leads in the first two games in cruising to its first shutout since opening day. The Gauchos built an early 15-8 lead in game one and a 14-7 lead in game two in taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the match. Santa Ana then showed some moxie in hanging tough with Saddleback in game three. The Gauchos would eventually go on a 17-6 run to take a 21-15 lead, thus spoiling the comeback push by Santa Ana.
Saddleback improved to 4-10 overall on the season with the win and 1-5 in Orange Empire Conference play. The Gauchos will play again on Friday at Golden West College at 6:00 PM.
10/14/11: Saddleback slips twice
The women's volleyball team dropped a pair of Orange Empire Conference matches during the week, falling to Riverside City College on the road on Wednesday and then getting beat by Irvine Valley College at home on Friday.
Danielle Van Liefde had nine kills with Bri Knox adding eight kills and Stephanie Haffner (pictured) chipping in with seven but the Gauchos couldn't catch the Tigers and fell 25-22, 26-24, 25-16. Saddleback led 24-20 in the second game before giving up six straight points to suffer the setback. Ally Horner had three service aces in the loss while Jessica Lopez posted five solo blocks.
The Gauchos returned home to host district-rival Irvine Valley on Friday. Saddleback had trouble generating any momentum and fell in three straight games, 25-15, 25-18, 25-15. No Gaucho had more than five kills. Van Liefde had a pair of service aces in the third game to help the Gauchos get out of single digits and Michell Lisowski had 15 defensive digs to keep several rallies alive.
Saddleback will play at Santa Ana at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday (Oct. 19) and at Golden West starting at 6:00 p.m. on Friday (Oct. 21).
10/7/11: Saddleback succumbs to Cypress
Saddleback didn’t have the “Eye of the Tiger” when it needed it on Friday, allowing Cypress to take the conference match, 3-1. Scores were 26-24, 19-25, 25-12, 25-22.
The Gauchos led 24-21 in the first game but couldn’t get the final point. After Saddleback was called for a lift on a block at the net which would have won the first game, the Gauchos appeared deflated and Cypress reeled off five straight points to win the first game, 26-24. Saddleback bounced back strong in the second game, leading by as many as eight points (24-16) and holding on for a 25-19 win.
The third game belonged to Cypress almost the entire way. After Saddleback cut its deficit to 10-8, the Chargers went on a roll to outscore the Gauchos 15-4 and post the 25-12 victory. The Chargers started off with a 7-1 lead in game four before Saddleback chipped away to finally take a 19-17 lead. Cypress scored five straight points to turn the tide and take a 22-19 advantage. Saddleback pulled close at 23-22 but wouldn’t get any closer as Cypress held on for the 25-22 win.
Michell Lisowski (pictured) had 31 defensive digs and three service aces for Saddleback. Danielle Van Liefde added 14 digs and led the team with nine kills. Stephanie Haffner added five blocks at the net.
Saddleback will travel to Riverside to face the Tigers on Wednesday, Oct. 12, and then return home on Friday, Oct. 14, to host Irvine Valley College in a 6:00 p.m. match.
10/05/11: Hornets sting Saddleback
 The Saddleback women's volleyball team jumped all over Fullerton early in its Orange Empire Conference match on Wednesday on the home court, but the Gauchos couldn't keep up the momentum and eventually let the match slip away in four games, 18-25, 27-25, 25-21, 25-14.
Saddleback (3-7, 0-2) seemed to easily handle the Hornets in the opening game, 25-18, and was up 24-20 in the second game, trying to put Fullerton (8-1, 2-0) away early. But the Hornets posted five straight points to take a 25-24 lead and then scored two straight after Saddleback knotted the score at 25’s.
Despite a woeful serving night by the Hornets, they were able to improve their blocking and attacking as the night wore on, eventually wearing Saddleback out.
Crystal Richter (pictured) and Danielle Van Liefde each had eight kills for the Gauchos while Ally Horner had 17 assists and 17 defensive digs. Michell Lisowski posted 34 defensive digs for the Gauchos.
Saddleback will be at home again on Friday, Oct. 7, hosting Cypress College at 6:00 p.m.
9/09/11: Volleyball match at Grossmont postponed
Tonight's volleyball match at Grossmont College has been postponed and a make-up date has not yet been determined. The Grossmont College campus has cancelled all of its athletic games and practices for today, Friday, September 9, according to a statement by the athletic department.
9/07/11: Gauchos fall to Olympians in four games
 The visiting San Diego Mesa College Olympians came back from a loss in the first game to win the next three games and walk away from the Saddleback College gym with a 3-1 victory Wednesday night in Mission Viejo. After Saddleback (1-1) won the first game 25-20, the Olympians bounced back in close games with long rallies to win 25-21, 25-18, 25-23.
Saddleback was led by Danielle Van Liefde’s nine kills and Stephanie Haffner’s nine blocks (six solo blocks) with Michell Lisowski adding 16 defensive digs and Ally Horner dishing out 27 assists. Lisowski and Horner each added two service aces.
Saddleback will travel south to face Grossmont College on Friday.
8/31/11: Volleyball opens 2011 season with a victory
The 2011 volleyball season started off on a good note for the Saddleback Gauchos as they defeated visiting Southwestern College in three straight games on Wednesday afternoon, 25-11, 25-22, 25-19.
Freshman Bri Knox led the team with 10 kills on offense while freshman Michell Lisowski sparked the defense with 20 digs. Sophomore setter Ally Horner had 22 assists, seven digs, and a pair of service aces to help control the tempo of the match. Sophomore Stephanie Haffner added three solo blocks.
The Gauchos (1-0) will host San Diego Mesa College next Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 5:00 p.m. in the campus gym.
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