October 31, 2013
Aggies 3 – Highlanders 0
Still looking for its first conference victory of the season, the UCR volleyball team traveled upstate to take on a 4-4 UC Davis squad this past Thursday. Despite a team-high 10 kills by Ashley Cox for the Highlanders, UCR was still swept by the Aggies with a score of 3-0.
UCR dug itself into a sizable hole early in the first set as the team gave up seven early points to Davis while earning only one. But thanks to a series of kills by UCR and a few errors by Davis, UCR would catch up to tie the set at 10 points apiece. This would prove to be as far as they would get in the first set, with UC Davis using a 15-5 run to win the beginning set, 25-15.
The second set was much of the same. UCR was still within striking distance in the middle of the game, at 11-10, but eventually gave up another huge rally to the Aggies and lost the second by a score of 25-15.
Davis would go on to take the final set rather easily with a score of 25-19 to earn the victory and hand UCR its ninth straight loss in the Big West Conference.
Three Aggies registered 12 kills each, while Cox was the only UCR player to have double-digit kills (10).
November 2, 2013
Matadors 3 – Highlanders 0
Ten games in and the UCR women’s volleyball team have yet to overcome an opponent in the Big West Conference. Saturday’s match proved to be one of most challenging for UCR as the team faced off against the 24th-ranked Cal State Northridge Matadors. Casey Hinger and Mihana Haina’s strong performances ultimately propelled the Matadors past the Highlanders with a 3-0 sweep.
The Highlanders put up a strong fight in the first set as both teams were tied 15-15 at one point. But a series of kills by Northridge moved them past UCR as the Matadors took a 25-19 victory in the first.
UCR was down 10-2 early in the second, but rallied to tie the score later in the set. Both teams once again were tied at 15 points apiece, but Northridge came up with the final rally for a 25-19 win.
Northridge would end up winning the final set fairly easily with a score of 25-17.
UCR hit a .245 attack percentage in this game — their best in 10 conference games — but could not come up with the victory. Cal State Northridge’s Hinger recorded 16 kills while teammate Haina added 14. UCR’s Annishia McKoy led the team with 10 kills in the game.
The Highlanders remain the only winless team in the conference and haven’t been able to win a set in five matches. UCR will look to turn things around on Nov. 9 against Cal State Fullerton.
