Season-High Digs For Anteaters In Five-Set Loss At UC Davis
October 10, 2013 | Women's Volleyball
DAVIS, Calif. --- UC Irvine recorded a season-high 101 digs and pushed the Aggies to five sets but came away with a 25-21, 23-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-12 loss Thursday at UC Davis. The Anteaters drop to 9-9 on the year (0-4 Big West).
Arden Davis led all players with 28 digs, falling two shy of reaching the 30-dig plateau for the second time this year. Molly Yoder scooped up a season-best 17 digs while Aly Squires led all players with 17 kills to go along with 13 digs. Hannah Nabbout also reached double-figure digs with 11 while Shelley Anderson notched a double-double with 10 digs and 48 assists. Arielle Manz led UCI the team to a 15-11 block advantage with eight total blocks while Shannon Fleming added six and climbed to third in the career annals with 319 block assists.
A seven-point unanswered run by the Aggies in the first broke a 9-9 tie and put UCI behind 16-9 as the Anteaters was limited to a .135 hitting percentage. UCI battled to trim the lead to four at 22-18 on a kill from Fleming and then mounted a three-point run behind a kill and an ace from Pickrell to come to within three at 24-21. However, the Aggies would hold off the Anteaters as Devon Damelio put away an assist from Jenny Woolway to win the first set.
UCI used a three-point run to pull away from a 7-7 tie and take a 10-7 lead in the second on Pickrell's second ace of the match. However, the Aggies responded with three straight to catch the Anteaters at 10-10. At 12-12, UC Davis put together another three-point rally to take a 15-12 advantage but back-to-back kills from Squires and Marisa Bubica shaved the deficit to one (15-14). A pair of kills from Bubica sandwiched an attack error by Mary Schroeder as UCI reclaimed the lead at 19-17 but the battle continued as the Aggies caught UCI at 20 points apiece. Squires knocked down an assist from Anderson to give UCI set point and Squires then paired up with Manz to stop Valerie Brain at the net to tie the match.
The Anteaters took an early 10-7 lead in the third on consecutive kills from Squires and Pickrell but the Aggies responded with five unanswered points to lead 12-10. A kill from Damelio sparked a three-point run for UCD, which built a four-point advantage (16-12) and forced a UCI timeout. Bubica answered with a pair of kills and Manz and Bubica stuffed Kaylin Squyers to cut the lead to one at 18-17 as the Aggies used their first timeout. Squyers came out of the huddle with an attack error and the Anteater block came through again as Pickrell and Fleming denied Katie Quinn to give UCI a one-point edge at 19-18. The lead was short-lived as UC Davis tied the score at 19-19 and then at 20-20, reeled off four straight points to reach set point at 24-20. Fleming and Squires delivered on consecutive plays but following the Aggies' second timeout, Woolway connected with Schroeder for the winning point.
UCI used a 6-1 run to pull away from a tight 7-6 lead and open a 13-7 advantage in the fourth. The Anteaters continued to pressure the Aggies, hitting a match-high .268 percentage and extended the lead to seven at 16-9 as Pickrell found Manz for a kill. A pair of Aggie kills trimmed the lead to five (20-15) but UCI would force a fifth set after winning the frame on a kill from Bubica.
Neither team was able to build a comfortable lead in the fifth but at 8-8, a kill from Squyers was followed by an error by Bubica to give the Aggies a slim 10-8 edge. UCI used a timeout but the Aggies continued their momentum with two more points to open the lead to four (12-8). The Anteaters came to within two as Davis connected with Bubica but a block by Woolway and Lee gave the Aggies match point at 14-11. Davis found Bubica again but that would be all for the Anteaters as Damelio put away her team-high 16th kill to close out the contest.
UCI continues action on the road at Cal State Northridge Saturday at 7:00 p.m.
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