Box Score YPSILANTI, Mich. --- Marisa Bubica knocked down a personal-high 25 kills and UC Irvine (7-4) snapped Eastern Michigan's four-match win streak with a 19-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-23 win Thursday at the Convocation Center.
The outside hitter had just five errors in 57 attempts for a .351 hitting percentage, the fifth time this season she has hit better than .300 in a match. Cassidy Pickrell put away 20 kills and added a double-double with 17 digs while Arden Davis tied for the match-best 20 digs. Emily Blair guided the offense with 40 assists, a personal-best for the freshman. Ella Rosenfeld led the team with three block assists to go along with seven kills and a .462 hitting percentage.
The blocking game figured early for the Eagles, whose defense at the net limited the Anteaters to a .171 hitting percentage in the first set. A solo block by Megan Crenshaw gave EMU a 15-11 lead and the Eagles then used a three-point rally to open the gap to seven points at 22-15. UCI was unable to overcome the deficit and Stacey Perinar, who led EMU with 17 kills, won the first set with a shot down the middle.
The Anteaters were on fire in the second frame, hitting a match-best .333 to even the contest. The Eagles were unable to stop a 7-2 run by the Anteaters with Blair crossing up the EMU blockers by spreading the offense between Bubica, Rosenfeld and Pickrell in the run. Pickrell blasted the ball on consecutive plays to give UCI a 17-10 lead and Bubica put away three of the team's final four points in the set.
Eastern Michigan took control early in the third, speeding out to a 10-6 lead on an unforced Anteater error. UCI answered with three straight points with a key kill from Aspen Potter slicing the lead to one at 10-9. However, the Eagles went on a 4-1 run to take a seemingly comfortable 18-12 advantage. However, the Anteaters remained undaunted and clawed at the gap and Blair dished the ball to Pickrell on Bubica on consecutive plays as UCI eventually tied the score at 22-22. After trading a pair of unforced errors, Rosenfeld came up with a kill to give UCI a 24-23 edge and forced an EMU timeout. The Eagles were unable to convert out of the break and the Anteaters grabbed the lead on a kill from Bubica.
The fourth set was fiercely contested and neither team could gain a significant foothold until two UCI errors by Pickrell and Potter would give the Eagles the opening at 18-16. However, EMU was unable to hold on to the lead and Pickrell and Potter delivered with back-to-back kills to tie the score at 19-19. Allison Lee continued UCI's momentum with a kill (20-19) but EMU answered and the score see-sawed. At 23-23, Rosenfeld figured again in the match, this time dishing the ball to Bubica for the put-away and the middle blocker logged her second assist of the match on the next play, this time finding Pickrell for the game–winning point.
UCI opens in the Golden Grizzlies Invitational tomorrow against Robert Morris at 4:30 p.m.
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