ALISO VIEJO, Calif. – The Soka Lions fought hard on Thursday night, March 13, but fell in straight sets (11-25, 11-25, 14-25) to a strong Arizona Christian squad. Despite the tough result, Soka showed resilience and flashes of strong play against a Firestorm team that controlled the tempo throughout the match.

Arizona Christian's efficient attack proved to be the difference, as they posted a .590 hitting percentage while limiting Soka to just eight total kills.

For the Lions, Aiden Chen led the way with four kills and added a block and an ace. Kenichi Price contributed two kills and an ace, while libero Kazuya Yaguchi anchored the defense with a team-high three digs. Daniel Yoshimura recorded four assists to facilitate the offense.

Soka showed fight in the third set, posting its highest point total of the match. With continued effort and growth, the Lions will look to bounce back in their next matchup.

Soka is back in action on the road against Cal Pac opponent Westcliff University on Saturday, March 22, at 6:00 p.m. The match will take place at Golden West College.