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Women's Volleyball:
UC Irvine Defeats Cal Poly to Finish Second in Big West
Nov. 22, 2008 IRVINE, Calif. --- Four Anteaters recorded double-digit kills to lead UC Irvine to a 3-1 (20-25, 25-16, 26-24, 28-26) victory over Cal Poly Saturday to conclude the regular season. UCI won 10 of its last 12 matches to finish second in the Big West at 12-4 (17-12 overall), the second time the Anteaters have been the league runners-up in head coach Charlie Brande's nine-year tenure. Kari Pestolesi led the team with 18 kills and 19 digs while Alexandra Filkins registered 16 kills and 18 digs, both career-bests for the junior. Shannan Homan put away 11 kills and Lauren Kellerman added 10. Taryn Robertson also put in a career-high with nine kills while dishing out 58 assists and libero Devon Sutherland picked up 17 digs, finishing fourth in the season records with 454 digs. UCI found itself behind early in the first set as Cal Poly built a 9-4 lead on consecutive kills by Dominique Olowolafe and Kylie Atherstone. The Anteaters battled to tie the score at 16-16 as Pestolesi put away a Filkins assist but the Mustangs responded with a three-point (19-16) run as Olowolafe and Atherstone delivering again on back-to-back kills. The lead extended to five as a Filkins attempt sailed wide (23-18) and Cal Poly would go on to take the set on a Pestolesi service error.
The Anteaters rebounded in the second set with a .333 hitting percentage while holding the Mustangs to .147. The Anteaters led 13-10 on an attack error by Ali Waller and Cal Poly would eventually close the gap to two (18-16) on a blocking error by Homan. However, UCI ran away with the set scoring the last seven points with Kellerman using the Mustang block to her advantage on the final two plays.
UCI jumped out to an 11-6 lead in the third set as a Robertson kill paired with a Cal Poly error prompted in a Mustang timeout. UCI led by as much as seven at 22-15 on a kill form Pestolesi but the Mustangs battled to go on an 8-1 run to knot the score at 23 points apiece. Following an Anteater timeout, the two teams traded points until Filkins dumped the ball on the second touch for set point. Fithian's attack error would give UCI a 2-1 set lead. The Mustangs jumped out early in the final set, taking an 11-6 lead as Waller and Houston paired up for the block on a UCI attempt. A three-point run brought the Anteaters to within one at 15-14 but Cal Poly held off UCI and looked to force a fifth set with a 23-20 lead. However, UCI rallied for three straight points off kills from Pestolesi and Kellerman to tie the score and Homan's put away on the slide would give the Anteaters the lead at 24-23. At 26-26, Robertson went to Filkins who landed a soft roller into the middle of the court for match point and then pounded the ball through the Mustang block for the win. |
