Box Score BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Northern Arizona took control late in the final set to edge UC Irvine, 3-2 (25-22, 24-26, 25-20, 21-25, 15-12) at the Roadrunner Classic hosted by CS Bakersfield at the Icardo Center.
UC Irvine (4-9) was led by senior Victoria Dennis with 19 kills and a career-high nine digs. Opposite Harlee Kekauoha recorded a double-double with 14 kills and a career-high 16 digs. Middle blocker Danielle Geiger hit .500 with 12 kills plus two block assists. Setter Shelley Anderson was one shy of her career-best with 60 set assists. She also added six kills, eight digs and three blocks. Other offensive support came from kills by outside hitter Loryn Carter (9) and middle blocker Idara Akpakpa (8). Libero Luna Tsujimoto had a match-high 21 digs.
Lauren Jacobsen put Northern Arizona on her back with a match-best 27 kills, team-best 14 digs and three aces. Addy Loftstedt totaled 11 kills, while Jensen Barton and Abby Akin each had seven kills with Akin rejecting a match-high seven blocks.
A quick 3-0 streak gave NAU an 18-15 lead. UCI got to 20-19 on a Danielle Geiger kill, but the Anteaters had back-to-back errors giving the Lumberjacks the 22-19 advantage. An ace by Lauren Jacobsen gave Northern Arizona the 25-22 win.
Two blocks and two kills helped Northern Arizona to a 17-13 lead in the second set. The Anteaters chipped away and tied the score 20-20 on a Loryn Carter kill, and again at 23-23 on a Lumberjack service error. Teams would trade points until consecutive kills by Victoria Dennis and Harlee Kekauoha won the set 26-24.
UCI would hold a 10-7 lead before NAU went on a 10-1 run which included four kills by Lauren Jacobsen and three Anteater errors to take control of the set 17-11. The Lumberjacks would win the set 25-20.
In the fourth set, Shelley Anderson had a kill to knot the score at 10 all. The Lumberjacks would then open a 15-11 lead on the strength of three more Jacobsen kills. UCI would rally on two kills each by Kekauoha and Geiger to move in front 19-18. Following a Lumberjack ace, the duo each notched another kill and Geiger had a block with Anderson to go up 22-20. Three straight kills by Geiger, Dennis and Anderson ended the set 25-21.
UCI used a NAU service error and two Dennis aces to take a 9-6 lead in the final set. Four of the next five points were UCI errors as NAU caught up 10-10. Two NAU kills and another UCI attack error gave the Lumberjacks a 13-10 advantage and they would go on to win 15-12 on two final Jacobsen kills.
After some rest, UCI will be back in action against the host Roadrunners at 6:30 p.m. tonight.
