After coming back in the fourth set to tie the match, forcing a fifth set, the home women’s volleyball team came out flat and were down 0-5.

The home team’s head coach Le Valley Pattison wouldn’t let the hole get any bigger and called timeout.

“She told us to ‘relax,'” sophomore libero Brooke Russell said.

Sophomore outside hitter Nickeisha Williams looked relaxed when she put down a kill; then freshman defensive specialist Brooklyn Rubio came up to serve and nothing was going to stop the Warriors.

Rubio’s serving was spot-on as El Camino went on a 7-0 run to take the lead 7-5, then a timeout call for Fullerton.

The timeout was to no avail as No. 3 El Camino (25-2 overall) hosted the No. 14 Fullerton College Hornets (14-9 overall) and outlasted the visitors in a five-set thriller (25-19, 24-26, 22-25, 25-20, 15-8) on Tuesday.

“(Williams) took over the game,” Pattison said. “And (Russell) played her best game, she had a season-high with (31 digs).”

El Camino outdid Fullerton in almost every facet of the game:

• 62 kills to 55 kills, Williams led EC with 20 and Fullerton’s Alex Winfield had 17.
• 24 blocks to 14, sophomore middle blocker Jewel Yandall had nine total blocks for EC and Fullerton’s Kaylyn Johnson had five total.
• 85 digs to 77 digs, Russell led with 31 and Fullerton’s Mikki Sale had 23.
• 60 assists to 51 assists, freshman setter Nina Wyer had 56 and Fullerton’s Carly Bergen had 33.
• El Camino even had less total errors with 45 compared to Fullerton’s 52
• The one bright spot for FC was that it had eight aces, compared to EC’s five.

The Fullerton College Hornets were just the second team to take women’s volleyball to a fifth set, and on the back of some great play they were so close to taking the win on the road.

“Fullerton was so good,” Yandall said. “By far the best game we’ve played (all season), and the (most difficult) team we played.”

Yandall said the crowd was the serious advantage and focal point of the come-back win.

“Oh my god,” she said. “They were such a big help. When people say (home-crowds) are important, (they mean it). They gave us so much energy, I can’t thank them enough.”

The Warriors will host No. 11 Bakersfield College on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. in the South Gym.

“I’m ready to play them,” Russell said. “I’m sure they’ll be good competition, so I’m excited (about the match).”