LONG BEACH, Calif. – UC Riverside Women's Volleyball capped its weekend at the Long Beach State Tournament with an impressive showing against Oregon, falling 3-1 to the Ducks at the Walter Pyramid.

UCR's weekend finale kicked off with a hot start on both sides of the net. Layla Hooks notched back-to-back block assists in a tight 5-4 set, while kills from Sophia Ewalefo and Andrea Brewer kept UC Riverside lingering behind. The Highlanders, albeit in a set one defeat, collectively hit .250 in a tone-setting impressive start. 

A warmed up squad fully kicked its offense into gear the following set. Ewalefo and Brewer got things going again with a pair of kills, also capitalizing on two Duck attack errors to push a 4-0 lead. UCR began to find points at the service line then as well, where smart substituting resulted in aces from Jessica Dean and Misu Nguyen. 

Makena Tong continued to let the aces fly with a pair of her own, making UCR the first to 15 in set two. The Highlanders went on to tie the match at one set apiece after showcasing a dominant .360 to .071 hitting advantage. 

UC Riverside got off to a 5-1 start in set three after Ewalefo put down three of the UCR's first four kills. Offense soon came from both sides of the net after Oregon crept back into the contest with a 16-15 advantage. UCR tightened the screws in a 19-19 ballgame on a Mia Delahoussaye ace, but the Ducks scored the 25-22 set win. 

UCR enjoyed its fourth consecutive hot start in set four after Andrea Brewer put down her seventh of nine kills. Kill number eight for the junior pin hitter tied the set at four. Oregon slowly pulled away as momentum began to shift, later putting the finishing touches on the match victory. 

The Highlanders return to the court on Thursday, September 18 with a 6:00 pm first serve at UNLV.