UC Irvine
Cal Poly
UC Irvine Gets First Big West Win In Thrilling Fashion
October 10, 2014 | Women's Volleyball
IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine, looking for its first conference win, had five Anteaters reach double-figure kills in a 3-2 (23-25, 25-23, 25-14, 22-25, 15-9) victory over UC Santa Barbara Friday night at the Bren Center.
UCI (11-7, 1-3) posted a win in the conference ledger by recording a season-high 69 kills and 86 digs. Marisa Bubica led the offensive onslaught with 19 kills and committed just three errors in 43 swings for a .372 hitting percentage. Bubica also led the effort at the net with four total blocks, including a personal-best three solo stuffs. Allison Lee chipped in 13 kills and anchored the back row with a career-high 24 digs. Cassidy Pickrell also had a double-double with 13 kills and 15 digs while Arielle Manz hit .400 with 12 kills and three blocks. Ella Rosenfeld matched a season-high with 10 kills and also swung at a .400 clip, logging just two miscues in 20 attempts. Shelley Anderson orchestrated the offense with a career-high 60 assists while adding 10 digs and a pair of block assists and Arden Davis would key UCI's 86-76 advantage in digs with 20 scoops.
The Anteaters entered the evening with a 1-2 record in five-set matches and had a three-game losing streak to contend with. However, after being held to a .194 hitting percentage in the fourth set, UCI rebounded with a .350 clip and held the Gauchos to negative-.038 in the fifth. UCI opened the frame with a 4-1 run and following an extended rally that ultimately ended in a replay, Manz delivered a solo block on Elizabeth Meddaugh to give UCI a 6-3 lead. The Gauchos were unable to regroup, committing consecutive unforced errors as UCI stretched the lead to six at 9-3. UCSB shaved the lead to four (10-6) but Anderson and Rosenfeld stopped a Villanueva attack (11-6). A cross-court slam by Lee was dug out of play by UCSB (14-9) and Lee and Manz teamed up to stop Ali Barbeau as UCI improved to 2-2 in five-set matches.
The Gauchos held the edge in hitting early in the match, posting a .324 percentage in the first set and building an 10-7 advantage on a kill by Hoffman on the over-pass. Manz dropped a shot over the Gaucho block to close the gap to one at 10-9 and the two teams would trade points until UCI tied the score at 13-13. UCSB reclaimed the edge at 15-13 to prompt the media timeout but the Anteaters rallied out of a break with three straight to grab the 16-15 edge. The Gauchos called for their first timeout but the Anteaters maintained the pressure behind a line shot by Bubica as UCI inched out to a 17-15 edge. The see-saw battled continued and UCSB would tie the score on an ace by Ali Santi and then take the 21-20 lead on a cross court kill by Barbeau. UCI managed to stay within one (22-21) but UCSB reeled off back-to-back points to take a 24-21 lead. Pickrell forced the ball through the Gaucho block as UCI climbed back to within one (24-23) but Santi found Britton Taylor, who knocked down the assist to close out the frame.
The second set was filled a series of streaks in the early part of the frame. UCSB reeled off three straight points to open but the Anteaters answered with four consecutive (4-3). At 4-4, UCI put together another four-point run but the Gauchos jumped back into the set with a four-point run of their own, tying the score at 8-8. UCSB eased out to a 14-11 lead but Hannah Nabbout entered the match and kept the Gauchos off balance as UCI reeled off five unanswered points to take a 22-20 lead. UCSB caught UCI at 22-22 on an ace by Villanueva but an unforced error by Taylor gave UCI set point and Pickrell's serve caught Hoffman on her heels, leading to a Bubica kill as UCI tied the match.
Molly Yoder, who had seven digs for the Anteaters, was also tough from the service line in the third set and served for five points, giving UCI a 10-4 advantage. UCI widened the lead to six (14-8) on an ace by Pickrell and then seven (17-10) on a setting error by the Gauchos. Lee aced Barbeau and then dropped a two-handed attempt in the middle of the court (23-13) and the Anteaters would cruise to a 25-14 decision.
The two teams kept the fourth set even early but Rosenfeld would deliver a pair of key kills to give UCI a 10-7 lead. A hard-angle miss by Barbeau stretched the Anteater lead to four (14-10) but at 15-10, the momentum swung in UCSB's favor and the Gauchos followed a UCI service error with consecutive kills (15-13). UCI went to its offensive cog as Bubica crushed the ball cross-court halt the run but the Anteaters were unable to convert on two serves by Barbeau (16-15). The Gaucho block came into play as the duo of Grunt and Hoffman denied UCI on back-to-back plays to take a 19-18 lead. The Anteaters tied the score at 20-20 but UCSB rallied for three consecutive points (23-20) and Barbeau slammed a ball off the UCI hands to give the Gauchos set point at 24-21. Villaneuva's serve on the next play was sent wide but Barbeau punched the ball through the UCI defense to force the fifth frame.
The Anteaters host Cal Poly Saturday night at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Events Center.
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