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 Setter Carson Lowden (above) spread the offense in the Aggies' 3-1 win over No. 23 UC Irvine, as Kayla Varney (15), Allison Whitson (14) and Katie Denny (10) each had double-figured kill totals. (Ping Chou) |
Oct. 30, 2009
DAVIS, Calif. - Junior outside hitter Kayla Varney posted a team-high 15 kills while sophomore middle blocker Katie Denny hit .412 to lead UC Davis to a 25-22, 18-25, 25-17, 25-22 upset of 23rd-ranked UC Irvine during a battle of the two Big West Conference women's volleyball teams at Upper Hickey Gym Friday night.
The Aggies, who improve to 17-7 for the season and 8-2 in league matches, takes over sole possession of first place in the Big West. The Anteaters fall to 17-5 overall and 7-3 in conference play.
Varney's output was part of a well-balanced UC Davis attack run by senior setter Carson Lowden. Freshman outside hitter Allison Whitson tallied 14 kills on 34 swings, Denny had 10 kills on 17 attempts, and sophomore Betsy Sedlak and junior Melanie Adams each amassed eight kills in the match. Denny also recorded three total blocks, while senior libero Avreeta Singh picked up 19 digs.
For UCI, junior Kari Pestolesi rang up a match-high 22 kills with two aces. Senior Taryn Robertson added 7-1-12 hitting to her setting chores, while junior UCLA transfer Julianne Piggott landed nine kills to supplement her five blocks. Pestolesi and Robertson put up the bulk of their offensive numbers in the Anteaters' second-set win. Pestolesi was 9-for-18 with no errors while Robertson was 4-for-5 in that frame.
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Neither team surrendered much ground early in the first set, splitting nine ties from 7-7 to 16-16 on the scoreboard. The Anteaters took a two-point lead on Pestolesi's tool and service ace, then an Aggie hitting error pushed the UCI lead to 20-17. UC Davis quickly recovered, boosted by Lowden's two key digs in a scrambling point at 20-19. Denny helped the Aggies shut the door on the opener, knocking down a one-set for the 23rd point, then stuffing a solo block to set up a 24-22 set point. The Anteaters committed a net violation on the next point to deliver the first win to their hosts.
However, UCI reclaimed the match momentum in the second set. Robertson had three early kills, then teamed up on a block with middle blocker Riley Cropper to give her team an 11-7 start. UC Davis managed to whittle away at the deficit, cutting it to 13-12 on an Adams/Sedlak block. But the Anteaters never surrendered the lead, scoring three straight points behind Lauren Souto's serving, padding the advantage to 16-12. Anteater junior Larissa Nordyke scored on a slide to ignite a strong UCI finish. Pestolesi put away three thunderous kills in the span of five points to set up 24-16, then added another (her ninth of the second set) to tie the match.
The third set carried a similar flavor to the first, with both teams locked in five straight ties to 14-14. Lowden then won a joust in the middle, Denny blocked a free ball as it crept over the net and Varney's shot down the line clipped the Anteater block to send UC Davis to a 17-14 edge. UCI never closed that gap to less than two points, as Sedlak posted a block assist and two kills in the final four points in finishing the win.
The Aggies carried the energy from a strong Set 3 finish into the fourth, as Varney and Adams each landed two kills in an 8-2 start. UC Davis never relinquished that lead the rest of the way despite a late score. Down 23-16, UC Irvine scored five straight to pull within two. Pestolesi managed to put an off-balance attempt inside the Aggie sideline at 24-22. On the next serve, Kayla Varney sent a cross-court shot that glanced off the UCI dig and flew into the Upper Hickey Gym bleachers, talling her sixth kill of the set and completing the Aggies' upset.
UC Davis posted 21 of its 63 total digs in that fourth set. Singh had seven, while Lowden and redshirt freshman Kaitlyn Plum nabbed four apiece to quell the Irvine attack.
The 8-2 conference record marks the first time the Aggies have led their conference this late in the season since 1996, when UC Davis won the Division II non-scholarship Northern California Athletic Conference.
UC Davis returns to action on Saturday against UC Riverside. Match time is 7 p.m. at Upper Hickey Gym.
UC Davis 3, No. UC Irvine 1
(25-22, 18-25, 25-17, 25-22)
UC IRVINE (kills-aces-blocks) - Kari Pestolesi 22-2-1, Julianne Piggott 9-1-5, Taryn Robertson 7-0-3, Riley Cropper 7-0-4, Alexandra Hauser 6-0-5, Larissa Nordyke 5-1-1, Alexandra Filkins 2-0-0, Courtney Moeller 1-0-0, Lauren Souto 0-0-0, Kristin Winkler 0-1-0, McCall Miller 0-0-0. Assist leader - Taryn Robertson 45. Digs leader - Kristin Winkler 17.
UC DAVIS (kills-aces-blocks) - Kayla Varney 15-0-0, Allison Whitson 14-0-1, Katie Denny 10-0-3, Melanie Adams 8-1-2, Betsy Sedlak 8-0-2, Carson Lowden 3-0-2, Kaitlyn Plum 0-0-0, Lindsay Dowd 0-0-0, Avreeta Singh 0-1-0. Assists leader - Carson Lowden 47. Digs leaders - Avreeta Singh 19, Carson Lowden 13, Kayla Varney 12, Kaitlyn Plum 10.
Attendance: 767.
