RIVERSIDE, Calif. - UC Riverside and CSU Bakersfield played another tightly contested contest in their second meeting of the season on Thursday at the SRC Arena, as UCR dropped a 3-1 decision. 

The Highlanders fought off seven match points in Thursday's return game after battling back from six earlier in the year at the Icardo Center. 

Mylei Vargas-Deason led UCR with 14 kills on the night, adding 11 digs for her seventh double double on the season and fourth in her last seven matches. The senior also added two aces and a block assist. Vargas-Deason's 14 kills came on 52 attempts, the most by a Highlander in a four-set match this season surpassing her own total of 50 against UC Davis on October 25. 

Bakersfield raced out to a sizable lead in the first set, but UCR bit back with back-to-back kills from Vargas-Deason, followed by one from Ayanna Kimbrough and an ace from Jessica Dean. 

UCR went down 3-0 in set two, but quickly found its footing with a 15-13 edge at the media break. The Highlanders  hit .297 to Bakersfield's .293 in set two, but two more aces and three fewer service errors helped win a seesaw battle that tied the match at one set apiece. The Roadrunners took set three, but UCR responded with a 4-1 run in set four that forced Bakersfield to call for time after an ace from Kenzy Militar. 

UC Riverside put up nine service aces on the night, the fourth time reaching that mark in Big West play this season and the second time against Bakersfield. Thursday was also the sixth time this season UCR has recorded at least 10 block assists.

UCR is back in action on Saturday afternoon at the SRC Arena, hosting Cal Poly at 4:00 p.m. on ESPN+.