RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC Riverside welcomed UC Irvine to the SRC Arena for the second home match of the season but with different fortune, falling in straight sets to the Anteaters. 

UCR fell behind early after a jump start from Irvine, but capitalized on several consecutive attack errors from the Anteaters to come within 7-6 in set one before conceding the first frame to Irvine, 25-14. 

The Highlanders played a closer set in the second installment, playing in lockstep with Irvine with neither team taking more than a four-point lead until UCI pushed ahead for a 21-16 advantage. 

Mylei Vargas-Deason put down an emphatic kill from the left pin midway through the third set to ignite Highlander energy into the offense, and Coco Ikpe cleaned things up on the defensive end with her first solo block of the season as UCR tied the third set at 10-10 before UC Irvine finished off the match. 

Vargas-Deason came two digs shy of tying a season and career high, while Hunter Thomas led UCR in kills for the second time this season with eight against the Anteaters. Ikpe added five kills in addition to her first solo block of the year. 

Vargas-Deason now stands 12 digs shy of 300 for her UC Riverside career after recording 16 on Saturday night, her second straight 10-dig match and fifth overall this season. Her 16 digs and 35 attack attempts on Saturday are respectively the most by a Highlander this season in a three-set match. 

UCR will now hit the road for a four-match road trip, starting on Friday, October 7 at Cal Poly.