LA JOLLA, Calif. - It was a five-set Big West Conference battle Tuesday night at RIMAC Arena that saw the UC San Diego women's volleyball team come up just short against UC Irvine.
Scores of the first-ever Blue and Gold Series rivalry event went 25-15, 14-25, 22-25, 25-18, and 15-11.
The Tritons, who had their three-match win streak halted, fell to 6-10 overall and 3-2 in conference play. UC Irvine won its third-consecutive match and improved to 11-4 on the season and 4-1 in the league. Both squads entered the match with identical 3-1 marks in the Big West.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
The Anteaters came out firing and hit .323 in the opening set with 11 kills and a single error in 31 attacks. After hitting .070 in that set, the Tritons returned the favor and then some by coming in at .370 in the second frame with 13 kills and three errors in 27 swings. However, neither team finished above .200 as UCI was at .199 (54-24-151) and UC San Diego recorded a .174 (53-26-155) on the night.
The Tritons hit .000 in the fifth and deciding set with six kills and six errors in 20 attack attempts.
UC Irvine held a 10-7 advantage in blocks while UC San Diego had a slight lead in digs, 64-61.
Freshman
Sabire Karacaova led the Tritons with 16 kills, a new season-best for the outside hitter. She also added 12 digs and two service aces. Senior opposite
Trinity Castaneda finished with 11 kills, while freshman middle
Emily McDaniel recorded nine kills and five blocks (one solo). Senior setter
Isabela Dobra notched her eighth double-double of the season with 39 assists and a match co-high 16 digs. Junior libero
Naya Dong also had 16 digs. Freshman outside
Zaria Henderson put down eight kills.
For the Anteaters, Joy Umeh posted a match-high 17 kills while Onye Ofoegbu added 12 and Marianna Bertolone had 11. Ofoegbu also contributed six blocks (one solo) and Ellen Veargason had five.
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HIGHLIGHT REEL
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QUOTABLES FROM HEAD COACH RICCI LUYTIES
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TRITON TIDBITS
• It was the fourth five-set match for the Tritons this season.
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Isabela Dobra had three service aces for the third time in her last four matches.
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Sabire Karacaova has posted a double-digit kill total in eight of 11Â matches played this season.
• Tonight's contest was the third of a four-match home stand.
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UP NEXT
UC San Diego hosts Big West leader Hawaii on Friday, Oct. 8Â at 7 p.m. The Rainbow Wahine are 7-5 overall, but hold a perfect 4-0 mark in conference matches. They have Big West victories over UC Riverside, UC Davis, Long Beach State, and Cal State Fullerton.
All home matches this season will be broadcast live by ESPN+ and fans will also be able to follow along with live stats. For coverage links and UC San Diego's complete 2021 schedule,
click here.
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About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.
