RIVERSIDE, Calif. – UC Riverside (9-19, 5-13 Big West) finished the 2025 women's volleyball season on Saturday with a dramatic 3-2 defeat to CSUN (17-12, 10-8 Big West) at the SRC Arena. 

UCR was error-free through its first 18 attacks for the second straight match, starting Saturday's season finale with 22 clean attempts. The Highlanders were hitting .385 at the first stoppage while trailing 15-13. Andrea Brewer's six early led the way and set the tone for a career-high __. 

Brewer, who logged nine of UCR's 17 kills in set one, gave the Highlanders a 19-18 lead with her eighth kill. UC Riverside closed its first set victory with a 10-2 run. 

UCR took advantage of several attack errors early in set two and later went on a 4-1 run to get themselves back into the set. Makena Tong, who closed her career with her 10th double-double of the season, went down the line on the assist from Sophia Ewalefo to cut more into CSUN's lead. Ewalefo then went cross court to make it a just a three-point deficit at 18-15. 

The Highlanders closed set two on a 4-1 run while Brewer reached double-digit kills for the third straight match and eighth time this season. 

Layla Hooks served up an ace on the tail end of a 5-1 third set run for UCR, who led 11-8 after a Matador attack error. UC Riverside pulled further ahead but struggled to close the set. Tong regained serve on a dump over the net, and a service error later put UCR in a 23-22 lead. 

Brewer tied her career high with a powering cross court kill to set up set point before UCR solidified the 2-1 match lead. CSUN and UCR played to nine ties and three lead changes in a 26-24 third set. 

UCR erased a four-point deficit to go ahead 16-15 in set four on a block assist from Tong and Hooks, and Brewer (18 kills, 13 digs) and Sophia Ewalefo (23 kills, 13 digs) entered double-double territory to help the Highlanders keep momentum. Set four matched set three's back-and-forth with seven ties and four lead changes. 

The Highlanders tied the decisive set at six with Ewalefo's 21st kill of the match. UCR caught a break with a Matador service error down three, but couldn't recover as CSUN closed out the win. 

Jessica Dean logged 28 digs in her final collegiate match, recording 20 digs in a match for the eighth time this season. Ewalefo also reached the 20-kill plateau for the third time this year and second in her last three matches. 

UCR has completed its 2025 season.