Nov. 14, 2008

Final Stats

DAVIS, Calif. - Senior outside hitter Brittany Moore posted a match-high 29 kills, including 19 in her team's comeback run, to help Cal State Fullerton overcome a 2-0 deficit en route to a 21-25, 20-25, 31-29, 25-17, 15-10 win over UC Davis in a Big West Conference women's volleyball match at the Pavilion Friday night.

The Aggies dip to 12-15 for the season and 4-10 in conference matches. The Titans improve to 15-14, 8-6 in Big West play.

Senior Renee Ibekwe led UC Davis with 14 kills on offense, including 8-0-19 hitting during the first two sets. Sophomore Kayla Varney added 11 kills with 22 digs, while sophomore Melanie Adams also had a double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs. Junior libero Avreeta Singh paced the Aggies with 24 digs.

For the Titans, sophomore Erin Saddler contributed 17 kills, three aces and four total blocks. Libero Cami Croteau recorded a match-high 25 digs, while junior Ashley Collier was close behind with 22.

UC Davis never trailed in the opener, crafting a 10-5 start behind three block assists from freshman middle Katie Denny. Ibekwe added a pair of kills to bring the score to 17-11, but the Titans mounted a brief comeback, cutting the Aggie advantage to as little as 18-18-16 behind freshman Syndey MacDowell's service ace. UC Davis later padded its edge to 23-19 on a serving error and hitting error by CSF, then sophomore Julie King covered a block and knocked down a one-set to establish a 24-19 set point. The Aggies finished the victory as Singh collected a big dig against Fullerton's Moore, then Varney later scored the game-winning kill.

In similar fashion to the first set, Fullerton miscues helped UC Davis pull away late. The Aggies fought back from an early 5-1 deficit, then battled the Titans to six ties. With the score locked at 18-18, CSF committed two hitting errors, a service error and two net violations to put UC Davis ahead by a 23-18 margin. Varney hammered down a four-set to craft the 24-19 set point, then King stuffed a McDowell attempt for the winner, helping the Aggies take a 2-0 match lead.

The Aggies appeared prime to claim a three-set sweep, breaking away from an 8-8 tie to a 21-16 lead in the third set. Freshman right-sider Jennifer Edmond posted a pair of blocks to help the Titans score five straight to a 21-21 tie, then both teams engaged in a see-saw battle the rest of the way.

Denny tied the third set with a successful tool to bring the score to 23-23, then teamed up with Adams for a block to set up a 24-23 match point. Saddler sent a kill off the top of the Aggie block to retie the game, then Adams sent a kill down the line to establish a second 25-24 match point. UC Davis then hit two errant shots to set up the first of four Fullerton set points, then another hitting error -- the Aggies' 11th of the frame -- lifted CSF to the win.

Moore, who had hit eight kills in Fullerton's third set win, continued her hot offense with seven kills in the fourth. She posted four kills in her team's 11-4 start, then the Titans held that edge for the remainder of the set to send the match to a fifth stanza. Saddler also had four kills and an ace in the fourth.

The Moore heater continued in the fifth, resulting in two kills and a block assist in Fullerton's 8-2 start. Ibekwe had two blocks and a kill to help UC Davis close the gap to 12-8, but Deven Bukoski and Alex Wolnisty combined for a block to stop the Aggie momentum. CSF scored three straight to finish the match win, including a Moore solo stuff on the 15th point.

Denny finished with 6-1-16 hitting and five block assists.

UC Davis returns to action for a home match against Cal State Northridge.