Box Score CINCINNATI, Ohio. --- UC Irvine stung Xavier with a 25-23 win in the opening set but was unable to maintain the momentum, falling 3-1 (23-25, 25-15, 25-20, 25-14) to Xavier in the opening match at the Queen City Classic, co-hosted by Cincinnati and Xavier.
Senior Allison Lee led the team with 13 kills and added 11 digs for a double-double while Shelley Anderson also scooped up 11 digs to go along with 36 assists and four kills. Marisa Bubica put away 12 kills while Arden Davis totaled 14 digs.
The Anteaters came out firing in the first set, hitting .351 to take a 1-0 set lead. Aces from Cassidy Pickrell and Lee were followed by a kill from Anderson and a third ace by Victoria Dennis as UCI took a 13-8 advantage. Xavier rallied and used a four-point sprint to tie the score at 17 points apiece but Anderson went to Pickrell to stop the run and an attack error by Kristen Massa saw UCI go up to 19-17. The Musketeers tied the score twice and then took a 23-22 lead after Aubree Smith aced Dennis but following a timeout, Pickrell put away a kill and then paired up with Dani Geiger for a key block on Abbey Bessler to give the Anteaters set point. Anderson would connect with Lee for the deciding point.
It was all Xavier in the second set as the Musketeers sped out to a 9-4 lead and held UCI to a .161 hitting percentage. A three-point rally extended Xavier's lead to six (16-10) and would cruise to a 10-point win (25-15) to tie the match.
UCI kept pace with Xavier in the third frame until a kill from Massa and a pair of aces from Jesse Earl forced an Anteater timeout at 18-14. UCI sliced the lead to two at 20-18 on a kill from Arielle Manz but the Musketeers never relinquished the lead and would go on to take the set on a service error from Molly Yoder.
The Anteaters were unable to answer as Xavier put together its best set of the match in the fourth, hitting .406. Smith connected with Alex Blair on three plays for an early 4-0 lead and the Musketeers continued to apply the pressure as they eventually widened the margin to nine (19-10). UCI never threatened and would drop the final frame, 25-14.
UCI takes on Cincinnati Saturday at 9:00 a.m. and ends the tournament against Duquesne at 3:00 p.m.
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