Box Score IRVINE, Calif. – Cal Poly out-dug UC Irvine 82-69 on their way to a 3-1 victory (25-18, 19-25, 25-21, 29-27) at the Bren Events Center.
The Mustangs (14-8, 7-4) had five players with double-digit digs, led by Katherine Brouker's match-high 26. Cal Poly out-hit UCI (.219-.204) and held a slight 8-7 lead in aces, but the Anteaters won the battle at the net, out-blocking Cal Poly 11-6.
UCI (10-15, 5-6) was led by Victoria Dennis who put way 16 kills and Loryn Carter with a career-high 14 kills. Libero Arden Davis had a season-best 17 digs, while Luna Tsujimoto led the Anteaters with 20 digs. Freshman Makayla Wolfe recorded a career-high eight kills to go with four total blocks. Setter Shelley Anderson added 38 set assists, 12 digs and three block assists. Harlee Kekauoha had six kills, nine digs and three aces.
Cal Poly's Adlee Van Winden had a match-high 20 kills and 10 digs. Taylor Gruenewald totaled 15 kills and Raeann Greisen had 13.
Cal Poly started with the first five points of the match until a block by Victoria Dennis and Makayla Wolfe gave the Anteaters their first point. UCI chipped away and a kill by Loryn Carter helped close the gap to 16-13. The Mustangs answered scoring the next two to extend the margin back to 18-13. Cal Poly would use a block, an ace, and a kill by Adlee Van Winden to secure the win 25-18.
UCI took the early 4-0 lead in the second set. A kill and ace by Harlee Kekauoha gave the Anteaters the 16-11 advantage then a solo block and kill by Dennis plus an ace by Shelley Anderson moved the scoreboard to 21-14. UCI ended the set with kills by Kekauoha and Danielle Geiger, 25-19. After hitting .132 in the first set the Anteater offense got going, hitting .353.
Dennis had a kill off the block in a long rally that included two great digs by Arden Davis and Erin Alonso to tie the set at 12-12. A solo block by Carter and an ace by Wolfe put UCI up 16-15. Cal Poly scored three in a row to move back in front 19-17. The Anteaters answered with the next two points, but the Mustangs would take six of the last eight points to win the set, 25-21.
In a tight fourth set, Cal Poly took control with a 4-0 run to lead 17-14. The 'Eaters fought back on a 5-2 run which was capped by a kill by Geiger to knot the score at 19-19. Teams traded points until a kill and block by Raeann Greisen gave Cal Poly the 29-27 win and match.
UCI returns to action Saturday (Nov. 5) hosting UC Santa Barbara at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Events Center.
