Double-Digit Kills From Rosas, Reza And Gresham Not Enough As UCR Loses To Albany, 3-2

Friday, September 12

Flagstaff, AZ

9:00 am

UC Riverside

2-5

Albany

2-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
UC Riverside	23	25	25	23	12	2
Albany	25	19	20	25	15	3

Photo by: Gabriel L. Acosta

Double-Digit Kills From Rosas, Reza And Gresham Not Enough As UCR Loses To Albany, 3-2

9/12/2014 9:42:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Flagstaff, AZ—The UC Riverside Volleyball Team (2-5) played Albany (2-5) to five sets Friday morning to open play at the Lumberjack Classic, but could not close it out as the Great Danes earned a 25-23, 19-25, 20-25, 25-23 and 15-12 victory.

The contest saw 31 tie scores and 17 lead changes throughout as both squads battled for momentum.

There were five tie scores through 6-6 early in set one until UCR took control and scored four of the next five points to take a three-point advantage. The Highlanders lead grew to as high as five points, 15-10, and they still led by four, 23-19, late in the frame.

That was when the Great Danes mounted a comeback, scoring six straight to retake the lead and earn the come-from-behind win, 25-23. UCR was held scoreless during that run, and could not stop an Albany attack late in the frame.

UC Riverside rebounded in the second set, though, to tie the match at 1-1 with a 25-19 victory. Midway through, UCR capitalized on four Great Danes errors and a solo block by Meg Graham to turn a 12-12 tie into a 17-12 lead.

The Highlanders maintained their advantage and never let Albany get closer than three the rest of the way, as a Fabiana Rosas kill gave UCR the 25-19 win.

UC Riverside and Albany battled two lead changes in the third set, but the blue and gold prevailed to go up 2-1 in the match.

Leading 18-15 late in the frame, the Highlanders allowed three straight points as the Great Danes tied things at 18. A counterattack proved to be the difference maker, as a Rosas kills ignited a 4-0 run to put UCR on top, 22-18.

Albany got two of those points back to close the gap to 22-20, but two Rosas kills and an Alex Gresham kill closed out the set as UC Riverside won 25-20.

The Great Danes took an 11-8 lead in the fourth set, but the Highlanders scored five unanswered points to go up 13-11. Rosas had two kills during the run, while Amanda Press added a service ace.

UC Riverside pushed its advantage out to five, 19-14, but Albany used a run of its own scoring seven of the next nine points to tie the set at 21. Following ties at 22 and 23, the Great Danes went up at set-point following a UCR attack error, and completed the win by a bad set from the Highlanders to tie the match at 2-2 with a 25-23 win.

Playing in their first fifth-set match of the season, the Highlanders exploded out of the gate taking a 4-1 lead on kills from Gresham and Cristina Maietta, and a pair of Great Dane errors. Albany made a counter run, scoring five of the next seven points to go up 6-5, but a kill from Bri Holmes squared the score at six.

Following two Albany points making it an 8-6 score, UCR called timeout, and regrouped to score three straight to retake the lead, 9-8. The Great Danes again countered, scoring three points of their own as the lead became 11-9.

The teams traded points with the Highlanders closing to one on two occasions, the last at 12-11, but Albany scored three of the last four points to go on for the victory, 15-12.

Rosas led UC Riverside with a career-high 15 kills and 15 digs, while Reza and Gresham both added 11 kills and six blocks apiece. Press added a career-high 17 digs as three other Highlanders players recorded double-figure digs.

Albany's Laini Laindecker had 16 kills to lead both squads.

The Highlanders continue action at the Lumberjack Classic Friday evening playing host Northern Arizona at 5:30 pm PT in Flagstaff, AZ.