Riverside, CA—The UC Riverside Volleyball Team (8-5, 0-1) opened Big West play Tuesday evening in with a five-set battle against Long Beach State (4-10, 1-0), but it was the 49ers who eked out the 3-2 victory.
SET ONE (25-23, UCR)
Key Runs: Long Beach State led by as many as seven points with the last instance coming at 15-8. UC Riverside scored 12 of the next 17 points tying the game at 20-20. The 49ers retook the lead, 23-21, but the Highlanders scored the last four points thanks in part to two kills by the Big K'Ahuna to win the set 25-23.
SET TWO (26-24, LBSU)
Key Runs: Once again, the Highlanders trailed by as many as seven points, but they battled back to take a 23-21 lead. Long Beach State scored five of the last six points to take the second set, evening the match at one set apiece.
SET THREE (25-20, LBSU)
Key Runs: Tied at two, Long Beach State scored six of the next eight points to take a four-point lead which they would never relinquish.
SET FOUR (25-23, UCR)
Key Runs: Down by two, 12-10. UC Riverside scored six straight points to command of the set. Mickayla Sherman recorded five kills during the run.
SET FIVE (17-15, LBSU)
Key Runs: The 49ers turned a 12-10 deficit into a 14-12 lead thanks in part to a pair of kills by Megan Kruidhof. The Highlanders were able to tie the set on two occasions down the stretch, but Long Beach State scored the final two points of the set to pick up the victory.
GAME NOTES
Kaiulani Ahuna reached double figures in kills for the seventh time this season which leads the team. She also was credited with a season-high 16 digs, and her fourth kills-digs double-double.
Mickayla Sherman has three double-digit kills performances in her last four matches, and recorded a season-high 18 Tuesday evening.
Brooke Callahan recorded double digit kills in each of her first three matches this season, but didn't reach that figure again until she posted a season-high tying 14 against Long Beach State.
Nicole Rodriguez tied her career high with 23 digs.
The Highlanders committed a season-high 12 service errors. The 15 service errors committed by Long Beach State were a season-high for a UC Riverside opponent.