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IRVINE, Calif. – The UC Irvine women's volleyball team got out to a quick start and never let up as it cruised to a 25-13, 25-15, 25-10 victory over UC Davis Friday evening at the Bren Events Center.
 
The Anteaters, who have now won five of their last six matches, improve to 8-7 overall and 2-1 in Big West play, while the Aggies drop to 8-7 (0-3 Big West).
 
COACH ASHLIE HAIN SAID
"I am proud of our consistent serve receive game. Our passers put us in an offensive rhythm we haven't had yet this year."
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
> The 'Eaters committed only five hitting errors on the night as they hit a season-best .500 (47-5-84).
> Senior Idara Akpakpa led the way with nine kills on nine attempts for a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage.
> Junior Makayla Wolfe also hit a season-best .643 (9-0-14).
> Freshman Abby Marjama tied her career-high with 15 kills, while setting a new best with a .520 clip (15-2-25).
> Senior Harlee Kekauoha finished with five kills, eight digs and five block assists.
> Sophomore Loryn Carter added eight kills and two aces.
> Senior Haley DeSales registered a match-high nine digs.
> Senior Ali Koumelis dished out 30 assists, while contributing five digs.
> UC Irvine held lopsided advantages in total kills (47-23), assists (42-21), digs (42-29), blocks (5-2) and hitting percentage (.500-to-.040).
 
TURNING POINTS
SET 1
> UC Irvine never trailed in the opening set as it pulled ahead 7-4 following back-to-back kills from Marjama.
> The Aggies chipped away and eventually knotted the score at 11-11.
> The Anteaters responded with a Carter kill which started an 8-0 run that gave them a 19-11 advantage.
> After a UC Davis side out, the 'Eaters continued to roll as a couple of double blocks by Akpakpa and Kekauoha sparked a 5-0 spurt.
> Marjama's fifth kill of the set would end it at 25-13.
> UC Irvine ended up scoring 14 of the final 16 points.
 
SET 2
> UC Irvine raced out to a 14-7 lead on a Kekauoha kill.
> UCD would close the gap to five before the 'Eaters used a 5-0 rally to open up a 21-11 advantage.
> Freshman Sophie Wood, Marjama and Carter had consecutive kills during that stretch.
> Carter's sixth kill of the set would close it out at 25-15.
 
SET 3
> The Anteaters led wire-to-wire after taking an early 3-0 lead.
> The Aggies sided out and the two teams traded points until UC Irvine went on a 9-2 run, capped by back-to-back kills from Wolfe, to pull ahead, 19-9.
> Wolfe added two more kills before Marjama put the final two balls away for the convincing 25-10 win.
 
NOTES
> UC Irvine's .500 hitting percentage is the best in the Big West so far this year.
> Marjama had her second-straight 15-kill match and has reached double digits in each of the last three outings.
> Marjama also tallied her Big West leading 30th ace of the season.
> DeSales was one dig shy of notching her 15th-straight double-figure dig match.
> UCI out-blocked its opponent for the seventh time this year.
 
UP NEXT
> UC Irvine will be back in action next weekend when it heads to Long Beach State (Oct. 5) and CSUN (Oct. 6).