NORTHRIDGE. Calif. – Facing CSUN for the second time in a month, the UC Riverside women's volleyball team fell to CSUN in straight sets Saturday night at the Matadome. Set scores were 25-18, 25-15, 25-18 in favor of the Matadors.

UCR is now 5-17 overall and 1-10 during conference play. CSUN improves to 10-13 overall, 5-6 in the Big West.

Freshman outside hitter Ashley Dittmann and junior opposite Alexi Vanlandingham paced the offense with eight kills apiece. Ayla Fresenius and Isabella Scarlett also chipped in offensively with four kills each.

Sophomore setter Dejah Dade led all players with 23 assists and two aces. The 23 helpers were good for her third-highest total during conference play, while her two aces were just one shy of a season-high.

Libero Renata Bath led the way on the defensive end with a match-best 13 digs. Dittmann and Dade each added seven digs of their own, while Scarlett had a match-leading two blocks.

Riverside showed life early on, as a pair of solid runs were capped off by Highlander aces. Bath's first ace of the day was the final point of a 4-0 run which gave UCR its first lead of the night at 7-6.

Later in the set, an ace from Dittman capped a 4-1 outburst, putting the Highlanders ahead 16-12 and forcing a Matador timeout. Unfortunately for the visitors, CSUN would come out of the short break with renewed purpose, snatching control of the game with six unanswered points. The Matadors went on to claim six of the last seven points in the set, taking it 25-18.

CSUN's momentum carried into the following game, where it opened things with a 7-1 advantage en route to a 25-15 win.

In the third and final set, UCR again showed some exciting flashes, this time taking a 10-8 lead following six consecutive points, its best run of the night. Kills by Dittmann and Jessica Blakeman were followed by back-to-back aces from Dade. Vanlandingham's sixth and seventh kills of the night helped the Highlanders remain ahead midway through the set.

However, CSUN would once again have an answer, as it ended the night on a 15-5 run, earning the match-clinching point off a kill by Seyvion Waggoner.

Riverside was held to a .059 hitting percentage on the night, while CSUN enjoyed a .326 clip of its own. The Highlanders edged the Matadors 4-3 in aces and 3-2 in blocks.

With six matches left in 2019, UCR will return home Tuesday for a 7:00 p.m. matchup with UC Irvine.