Box Score IRVINE, Calif. – Opposite Harlee Kekauoha was brilliant in UCI's 3-0 victory over Cal State Fullerton (25-18, 25-22, 25-11) at Crawford Court Thursday.
Kekauoha was nearly perfect, posting a school record .923 hitting percentage on 12 kills with no errors in 13 attempts. Her hitting percentage tops Whiney Pavlik's old mark of .909 set against Missouri-Kansas City in 2005. It is the best mark in the Big West this season and is the third best in the nation this year in attempts between 10-14. The sophomore fired a career-high five aces, which is tied for eighth in the Anteater records. She also had nine digs.
Outside hitter Victoria Dennis led all players with 17 kills. Middle blocker Idara Akpakpa hit .500 with seven kills and a team-best three block assists. Setter Shelley Anderson had 45 set assists and seven digs, while libero Luna Tsujimoto totaled a match-high 13 digs and two aces in the win.
UCI, who goes to 8-14 overall and 3-5 in the Big West, hit .409 (48-12-88), which is the second best mark this season behind the team's .456 performance against San Francisco.
The Anteaters were hot from the service line, firing 10 aces, the third most by the team this season.
Cal State Fullerton (6-15, 1-6) was led by Madeline Schneider's 11 kills. Shimen Fayad had nine kills and Meagan Carlson added six. The Titans hit .180 (30-14-89) for the match.
UCI hit .357 (14-4-28) in the first set to Cal State Fullerton's .185 (9-4-27) and won 25-18. The Anteaters used a 7-3 run which was fueled by Harlee Kekauoha's two kills and two aces to take a 17-11 lead. Victoria Dennis, who led all players with six kills in the set, recorded the game winner.
The Titans held a19-18 lead in the second set, before UCI score the next three to take a 21-19 advantage. CSF battled back to knot the score at 21-21. Kills by Kekauoha and Shelley Anderson started a 4-1 run to end the set, with Dennis once again putting away the game winner, 25-22.
UCI took an early 6-1 lead in the third set which was capped by a Kekauoha and Idara Akpakpa block. The Anteaters cruised to a 25-11 victory.
UCI will host UC Riverside Saturday (Oct. 22) at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Events Center, in the annual Think Pink night for breast cancer awareness.
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