Box Score

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. --- The Anteaters halted a two-match losing streak and beat Cal Poly for the second time this season with a 3-1 (26-24, 21-25, 25-20, 25-15) decision Friday night at Mott Athletics Center.

Marisa Bubica returned to the starting lineup and led the Anteaters with 18 kills while hitting .341. Allison Lee tacked on a double-double with 11 kills and 15 digs to go along with three block assists and Cassidy Pickrell also totaled 11 kills while scooping up seven digs and firing an ace.  Ella Rosenfeld led UCI to a 10-4 block advantage with six total blocks and Shelley Anderson handed out 42 assists while recording six kills, eight digs and a pair of block assists.

Cal Poly opened the match with a 4-1 run but the Anteaters parried the Mustangs' start by out-scoring Cal Poly 5-2 to tie the match at 6-6 on an ace from Hannah Nabbout. At 9-9 UCI went on a 4-0 sprint to take a 13-9 lead. The Mustangs closed the deficit to two at 13-11 on a kill from Caihla Petiprin but the Anteaters countered with three consecutive kills from Bubica to take a five-point lead (16-11). However with UCI leading 19-15, the Mustangs stampeded back into the match with a four-point run to tie the score at 19-19. UCI scored on back-to-back plays (21-19) but Cal Poly responded with a 3-0 rally, capped by a kill from Taylor Nelson. Petiprin's unforced error gave UCI set point at 24-23 and at 24-24, Anderson knocked down the assist from Pickrell and the setter then ended the set by acing Raeann Greisen as UCI won 26-24.

After hitting .323 in the first set, the Anteaters struggled, managing just a .182 clip in the second. Cal Poly did not fare much better, hitting .167 but rode the arm of Raeann Greisen, who converted five of eight attempts with just one error for a .500 hitting percentage. The Anteaters built an early 7-4 lead but watched it quickly evaporate as the Mustangs answered with a 4-1 run to tie the set at 8-8. UCI punched back by reeling off three straight points, capitalizing on two Cal Poly errors. At 15-15, Nelson fed Taylor Gruenewald and Hannah Schleis on back-to-back plays and then fired an ace as Cal Poly took the 18-15 advantage. UCI hurt its own cause, committing three straight errors, leading to a 23-17 Mustang lead  but Cal Poly returned the favor with consecutive attack errors and the block by Ella Rosenfeld and Pickrell as UCI came to within two points (23-21). A service error by Lee gave Cal Poly set point and Gruenewalk and Schleis sent back an attempt by Bubica to tie the match at a set apiece.

The third set was evenly matched and midway through the match, the largest lead would be just three points following an ace by Molly Yoder (15-12). UCI committed two straight errors as Cal Poly stepped back into the set, trailing by just one at 15-14. The Anteaters distributed the ball and combined three straight kills with an attack error by Schleis to lead 20-15. The Mustangs took advantage of two UCI attack errors and received kills from Nelson and Casey Carroll to close the gap to one once again at 20-19. That would be as close as Cal Poly would come as Anderson and Bubica delivered with a pair of kills (23-19). Greisen's attack error gave UCI set point and Arden Davis aced Greisen as the Anteaters took a 2-1 set lead.

The fourth set was all UCI as the Anteaters committed just two errors in the set and hit .286 while holding Cal Poly to a negative .025 percentage. After taking a 9-6 lead on a kill from Anderson, the Anteaters out-scored the Mustangs 5-1, capping the run on the block by Rosenfeld and Anderson (14-7). UCI never looked back as Arielle Manz and Lee paired up to deny Schleis (20-12). Following a timeout, Nelson fed Schleis for Cal Poly's final point (20-15) as UCI scored the final five points of the match.

UCI travels to UC Santa Barbara Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.