Box Score

IRVINE, Calif. – A trio of Anteaters recorded double-digit kills as UC Irvine swept UC Riverside 3-0 (25-16, 25-14, 26-24) in the annual Think Pink night at the Bren Events Center.

UCI wins its second in a row and goes to 9-14 overall and 4-5 in the Big West. UCR falls to 6-14 on the year and 1-6 in league play.

Outside hitter Victoria Dennis led all players with 14 kills and two aces followed by Haley DeSales with 11 kills and 16 digs and opposite Harlee Kekauoha with 10 kills and three aces. Setter Shelley Anderson totaled 42 set assists, eight digs and three block assists, while middle blocker Danielle Geiger posted nine kills and three blocks. Libero Luna Tsujimoto recorded a match-best 17 digs.

The Anteaters out-hit (.336-.128) and out-blocked (7-3) the Highlanders, while firing seven aces.

Brooke Callahan led UC Riverside with nine kills. Cristina Maietta had eight kills and 11 digs. Maddie Hubbell led the team in digs with 13.

In the first set, Victoria Dennis had two kills as UCI got off to a 3-0 start. Consecutive kills by Idara Akpakpa, Haley DeSales and Danielle Geiger extended the lead to 9-2. UCR went on a 7-2 run to creep within 13-10, but the Anteaters responded with a 5-1 spurt which included four kills by Harlee Kekauoha, 18-11. A block by Geiger and Dennis gave UCI the set 25-16.

The second set started much like the first with UCI jumping out to a 10-3 lead on the strength of two kills each by Dennis and Kekauoha. An ace by Geiger ended the game, 25-14.

UCR scored three straight and went up 11-8 in the third set. Three Highlander errors helped UCI inch to 15-16, but then UCR would rattle off the next three to open a 19-15 gap. UC Riverside held a 22-19 advantage before UCI would close out the match, out-scoring UCR 7-2 to win 26-24. Consecutive kills by Kekauoha, Shelly Anderson and DeSales put the Anteater back in front 24-23. After a Highlander kill, DeSales smacked a kill and Anderson and Geiger recorded a block for the final point.

UCI will hit the road next week heading to Long Beach State Friday (Oct. 28) and CSUN Saturday (Oct. 29).

 

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