Women’s volleyball defeated at home by conference rival Cal State Northridge

Leo Yue /HIGHLANDER

After a series of difficult road trip games in which the Highlanders dropped matches to UC Davis (11-7), Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (12-5) and UC Santa Barbara (15-1), the UC Riverside volleyball team hosted the Cal State Northridge team (6-10) on Oct. 10 in hopes of breaking out of a temporary slump. 

However, the Highlanders (5-11) will have to wait at least another game to break their five-game losing streak after Thursday’s match saw UCR shutout in three sets. This marks the fifth straight game in which the Highlanders have been shutout 3-0. 

The Highlanders came back strong in the second set after dropping the initial set 25-16. The Northridge Matadors trailed for most of the game, however, they slowly but forcefully fought back to diminish the lead single points at a time. It was just enough so they could trot away with the second set, 29-27. The momentum from the comeback proved useful for CSUN as the third and final set ended 25-19 in their favor.

The Highlanders didn’t have the most efficient offense, as they registered 25 errors with a relatively low hit rate of .114.

One of the bright spots for the Highlanders was junior outside hitter Ayla Fresenius, who provided eight digs on defense. Junior setter Morgan Kline also contributed with 20 assists. Freshman outside hitter Amarachi Osuji pitched in offensively and finished the match with 11 total kills. 

The Highlanders will look to turn the tide of their recent results as they travel to Manoa to face the University of Hawaii (13-3) on Oct. 18.