CLAREMONT, Calif. - A rally in the fourth set wasn't enough to send Oberlin College volleyball to a win on Saturday night as the Pomona-Pitzer Sagehens took the fivet-set tilt, 20-25, 27-25, 11-25, 25-22, 11-15.

A four-point run in the opening minutes of the first set was the difference maker for the Sagehens as they took a 6-2 lead early. From there, the two sides traded service for the remainder of set and Pomona-Pitzer held their advantage to take the lid-lifter

Down the stretch in the second, the Yeowomen captured a six-point advantage, 24-18, but the Sagehens managed to rally and knot the frame at 24-24. The two exchanged points at 25-25 and a timely kill by Ave Spencer forced set-point in the Oberlin's favor. An attack error from the Sagehens closed the set and knotted the match, 1-1.

The Sagehends used five service aces and a handful of defensive miscues by the Yeowomen to cruise to an 25-11 victory in the third. The Crimson and Gold responded by pushing in front 4-1 early in the fourth. 

An ace from Krista Langhans following a Pomona-Pitzer timeout gained the Yeowomen their largest lead of the stanza at 16-11, but the Sagehens didn't go quietly. The Sagehens deficit was trimmed back to one multiple times before Oberlin earned the 25-22 victory to force a fifth set.

Riding the momentum of their triumph in the fourth, the Yeowomen nabbed the first four points with a kill from Lexi Mitchell, en route to a 17-kill performance, two aces from senior assist-master Meredith Leung and an error from Pomona-Pitzer. 

The Sagehens roared back to rip off six-straight points and take control of bout. The Yeowomen ended the run at 6-5, but the Sagehens registered the next three points taking a 9-5 advantage. Kills from Mitchell and Spencer helped worked the set to 13-11 in Pomona-Pitzer's favor forcing the Sagehens skipper to burn a final timeout. 

Out of the break, a ball handling error called on the Yeowomen and a kill from the Sagehens Stephanie Sun closed the matchup on the Golden Coast. Mitchell's 17 kills marks her 12th double-digit performance of the year while lifting her season total to 234. The Fort Mill, South Carolina native also notched 11 digs in the loss. Spencer helped Mitchell steer the offense with 9 kills.

Leung led the Oberlin women with 22 assist, followed closely by Sara Chang who posted 18. Leung also hit a season-high on the service line with five aces against the Sagehens.

Defensively, it was a team effort with four Yeowomen posting double-figures. First-year Maura Gibbs led the effort with 12 digs, followed by Mitchell's 11 and Chang and Krista Langhans who tabbed 10 eachs. At the net, Dana Thomas led the charge with three blocks on Saturday night.

Oberlin volleyball returns Sunday afternoon for their final bout in the Golden State. The Yeowomen battle Chapman College at 2 p.m EDT.