Box Score RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- UC Irvine won its second straight match after handing UC Riverside a 25-19, 25-18, 25-10 loss Thursday at the SRC Arena. The Anteaters used a team hitting percentage of .408 to pull even at 13-13 on the season with the win and improved to 4-8 in Big West matches.
Aly Squires hit a season-best .357 with 11 kills and committing just one error in 28 attempts. Cassidy Pickrell knocked down 10 kills and hit .292 to go along with six digs and a team-high three aces. Arielle Manz continued to dominate at the net, leading all players with seven total blocks while serving two aces and scooping up five digs. Manz also hit .438, putting away eight of 16 attempts with one miscue. Shelley Anderson was also stellar on the offensive end, hitting .667 (6-0-9) and handed out 34 assists while Molly Yoder paced the team with eight digs.
UCI out-scored UC Riverside 5-1 to pull away from an 11-11 tie and take a 15-12 lead. The Anteaters extended the margin to four at 21-17 as Anderson put away an assist from Pickrell and the freshman setter would later find Squires for the kill to win the first set.
The Highlander took a 6-3 lead in the second but the Anteaters, sparked by consecutive aces from Manz, worked their way back into the set, tying the frame at 7-7. Anderson found Shannon Fleming and Marisa Bubica on consecutive plays to give the team 9-7 edge and a kill and a solo stuff from Manz, gave UCI a four-point lead at 14-10, as the Highlanders took their first timeout of the frame. Pickrell put up a pair of points with a kill and an ace and Bubica hit cross-court as UCI continued its rally to lead 17-11. The key for the Anteaters was a .600 hitting percentage as the team limited its errors to just two in the set.
UCI continued to put the pressure on the Highlanders, scoring the first three points before the Highlanders would get on the board. Pickrell aced Maddie Hubbell, Bubica followed with a kill and then paired up with Manz to stuff Dorsey, giving the Anteaters a 10-3 advantage. Back-to-back kills from Bubica and Squires extended UCI's lead to 10 (15-5) and the Anteaters cruised the rest of the way, sealing the sweep on the block by Manz and Squires.
UCI continues action Friday night at Cal State Fullerton with first serve at 7:00 p.m.
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