Oct. 28, 2005

Box Score

RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Senior Jamie DeKiewiet delivered a match-high 22 kills and had three total blocks as UC Riverside held off a late Aggie comeback, defeating UC Davis, 30-15, 30-23, 29-31, 30-28 in non-conference women's volleyball action at the Physical Education Gym Friday evening.

The Aggies drop to 3-20 for the season. The Highlanders improve to 15-7 overall.

Sophomore setter Katelyn Astruc had UC Davis' best all-around match, serving up a career-high seven aces to go with four block assists and 15 digs. Junior outside hitter Rachel Keener led the Aggies offensively with 16 kills, including 12 in the third and fourth games. Freshman Chantal Paschetta also chipped in 10 kills and a .269 hitting average, while libero Nichole Brown posted a match-high 18 digs.

Junior outside hitter Amy Halperin recorded a double-double for UCR with 12 kills and 12 digs. Senior Valerie Bueno had 16 digs to pace the Riverside floor defense.

The Highlanders claimed a relatively unchallenged Game 1, opening up a 13-6 lead and never allowing UC Davis to within five points after that point. Angie Mitchell hit five kills on nine swings for UCR in the first game.

Game 2 was a closer affair, with both teams battling to five ties before the Highlanders began to pull away. DeKiewiet had three straight kills to lift her team from a 17-17 deadlock to a 21-17 lead. She later served up an ace to cap a brief serving run that pushed UCR up to a 27-20 advantage.

In the third game, Brown served up five straight points early in the frame to kick-start the Aggies to an early 6-1 lead. Riverside battled back behind the serving of setter Kym Murphy, tying the game at 7-7. The teams see-sawed their way through five more ties to a 13-13 score, then UC Davis crafted a 17-13 lead on a block by Keener and freshman Kelly Patterson.

The Aggies held their lead through most of Game 3, but DeKiewiet and Mitchell pounded out three straight kills to help Riverside scramble back to a 25-25 tie. UC Davis pulled ahead to 28-25 thanks in part to an ace by Astruc, but the Highlanders stayed within reach, eventually tied the game at 28-28, then took a 29-28 match point on a solo block by DeKiewiet.

Patterson knocked down a side-out kill to re-tie the game at 29-29, then teamed up with senior Jill McPheeters for a block to give UC Davis a 30-29 edge. Finally, an illegal set by Riverside gave the Aggies a hard-earned win and cut the match lead to 2-1.

Game 4 proved to be another slugfest as neither team yielded more than a three-point edge to its opponent. DeKiewiet struck her 22nd kill to event the score at 26-26 - the 11th tie of the fourth game - then Halperin had back-to-back kills in aid of DeKiewiet's serving to push UCR up by 28-26. Three points later, Halperin applied the finishing touch with a side-out kill.

UC Davis returns to action in a road match at Cal State Fullerton Saturday.

UC DAVIS (kills-aces-blocks) - Michelle Nelson 0-0-0, Amy McMahon 5-0-1, Katelyn Astruc 5-7-4, Jenny Pierce 6-0-5, Rachel Keener 16-0-1, Nicole Read 2-0-0, Kelly Patterson 7-1-3, Cleo Schiff 0-0-0, Chantal Paschetta 10-0-0, Jill McPheeters 5-0-4, Nichole Brown 0-1-0. Totals 56-9-9.0. Assists - Katelyn Astruc 44. Digs leaders - Nichole Brown 18, Katelyn Astruc 15.

UC RIVERSIDE (kills-aces-blocks) - Kelly Crow 4-1-0, Valerie Bueno 8-1-1, Kym Murphy 3-2-2, Angie Mitchell 9-0-2, Janiece Manuel 3-0-1, Jamie DeKiewiet 22-2-3, Kimberly McNeal 0-1-0, Amy Halperin 12-0-1, Tarin Tartaglia 0-0-0, Raquel Salinas 4-0-5. Totals 65-7-10.0. Assists - Kym Murphy 51. Digs leaders - Valerie Bueno 16, Kimberly McNeal 15, Amy Halperin 12.