Anteaters Extend Big West Win Streak To Four In Sweep Of Aggies
October 18, 2014 | Women's Volleyball
IRVINE, Calif. – Cassidy Pickrell collected 15 kills and 16 digs for her eighth double-double in leading UC Irvine to a 28-26, 26-24, 25-16 sweep against UC Davis Friday night at the Bren Center.
Allison Lee, the reigning Big West Defensive Player of the Week, chipped in 14 kills and 14 digs while Shelley Anderson directed the UCI offense to a .290 hitting percentage. Arden Davis led a stout UCI defensive effort with 21 digs. As a team, UCI had 85 digs as part of an effort to limit the Aggies to a .174 hitting percentage.
UCI improved to 14-7 on the year and 4-3 in the Big West. It was the fourth consecutive conference win for the Anteaters, and third in a row via the sweep. The Aggies fell to 9-10, 4-2 in the Big West.
A back and forth first set featured 16 ties and neither team held a lead larger than three points. UC Davis looked in control when a Kaylin Squyres kill gave the Aggies a 21-18 lead, but the Anteaters knotted the score at 23-23 on a Squyres attack error. The team traded points with a kill by Marisa Bubica tying the score for the final time at 26-26. Bubica, who hit .500 with a team-high tying six kills in the set, collected the final four putaways to give the Anteaters the 28-26 advantage.
UCI hit a solid .318 in the first set with Anderson dishing out 17 assists. Pickrell had six kills and six digs while Davis scooped up seven digs.
The second set was all about UCI playing catch up and utilizing a late run to emerge victorious. The Anteaters trailed 14-11 on a UC Davis kill and then again at 19-16 and 21-18 on a UCI ball handling error. UC Davis took its biggest lead at 23-19 on another kill by Squyres, who led her side with 19 putaways. The Aggies reached set point at 24-21 when the Anteaters buckled down and scored five consecutive points to snatch the set, 26-24. UCI capitalized on a Lee kill, an Aggie attack error and an Arielle Manz slam to even the score at 24-all, then Pickrell provided the final two points, the last one on a tip over the UC Davis block.
UCI stormed out to early lead in set three and never looked back. Up 7-5, the Anteaters reeled off six straight points for an eight point advantage, prompting a UC Davis timeout. UCI maintained a five point edge at 17-12 on a kill by Lee, and extended the gap to 22-14 thanks to a combo block by Ella Rosenfeld and Anderson. Victoria Dennis collected match point to give UCI the 25-16 set win. The 'Eaters swung at a .302 clip in the third set and held the Aggies to their lowest effort of the night at .137.
UC Irvine hosts Orange County rival Cal State Fullerton Friday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m in the Bren Center.
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