UCR’s volleyball team lost to Cal State Long Beach (8-15, 5-6) on Friday, Nov. 1, in their ninth straight loss of the season. The Highlanders are now 5-16 and 1-9 in Big West Conference play.
“We’re a young team, we’ve been watching a lot of film and working hard at practice. We’ve been working on the duration of our focus and playing at a high level longer,” Head Coach Michelle Patton Coleman said in an interview with The Highlander.
The Highlanders struggled from the start of the three set match. Trailing the first set 16-9, they rallied to bring the score to 22-17, but were unable to maintain the momentum and lost the first set 25-18. The 49ers went on to win the next two sets 25-18 and 25-16 consecutively.
Long Beach State secured the win with 50 kills, 57 points, three aces, four blocks and only 11 errors, while UCR’s women fought for 30 kills, 36 points, two aces and four blocks, committing 18 errors.
UCR freshman outside hitter Ashley Dittman had a standout game with eight kills, and sophomore libero Renata Bath had a season high of 14 digs.
The loss dropped the Highlanders to last place standing in the Big West. The team has only secured one victory since official conference play has begun.
However, Patton Coleman views the competition optimistically. “The conference is really good. There’s a lot of great volleyball here on the west and we get to play here, it’s a good thing,” she said.
UCR lost their 10th straight game against Cal State Northridge (10-13, 5-6) on Saturday, Nov. 2, 3-0.
Next, the Highlanders will continue the search for their second win of the season against UC Irvine. The Anteaters offer an opportunity for the Highlanders to move up in Big West rankings, as they are currently ranked eighth in the conference with a 4-16 overall record and 1-7 in the Big West. UCR lost their 10th straight game against Cal State Northridge on Saturday, Nov. 2, 3-0.
The Highlanders will play at home in Riverside on Tuesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. at the SRC Arena.
