STEPHENVILLE, Texas - UC Riverside picked up win number one on the 2023 season on Friday morning with a 3-0 win over Texas Southern at the Dr. Pam Littleton Classic. 

HOW IT HAPPENED

• UC Riverside raced out to a commanding 16-4 lead to kick off the weekend, going on a 12-0 run in the set and hitting .357 in set one. Sophia Ewalefo and Sydnee Rowe combined for nine of the Highlanders' 14 kills in the opening frame. 
• UCR kicked it up a notch in set two with a .400 hitting percentage, generating 15 kills on 30 swings. The Highlanders enjoyed another strong start at 17-7 before following through for a 25-14 win. 
• Texas Southern proved itself more competitive in set three after falling behind 5-0, but the Highlanders kept their foot on the gas to see out the season's first win.
• Win number one on the season was truly a team effort from UCR, with five Highlanders registering at least five kills and four with at least five digs. 

HIGHLANDER HIGHLIGHTS

• Ewalefo made her first appearance since September 1 with a match-high 15 kills against the Tigers, while Rowe put up seven kills, three aces and four digs. 
• UCR's .320 hitting percentage was the Highlanders' first time hitting north of .300 since last year's four-set win at CSUN. On the other side of the net, UC Riverside held Texas Southern to just .053 hitting for the morning while racking up five blocks. 

UP NEXT

• UC Riverside returns to the Dr. Pam Littleton Classic on Friday afternoon with a 4:00 p.m. first serve against host Tarleton State on ESPN+.