Nov. 20, 2010
Final Stats
DAVIS, Calif. - Pacific senior Svenja Engelhardt posted 20 kills, including three during a crucial 7-0 run in the fifth set, to lead the Tigers to a 22-25, 25-21, 24-26, 25-17, 15-11 win over UC Davis in a Big West Conference women's volleyball match at the Pavilion Saturday night.
The Aggies, suffering their fourth five-set loss in the past six matches, end the 2010 season with a 16-13 overall record and a 7-9 mark in the Big West. The Tigers finish the year at 18-11 with a 9-7 ledger in conference matches.
Five different UC Davis players tallied double-figure kills and five others had double-figured digs in the match. Opposite Melanie Adams, the lone Aggie senior to participate in the match, posted her third straight double-double with a team-best 13 kills and 14 digs. Junior middle blocker Betsy Sedlak hit 11 kills and figured in eight of her team's 14.5 blocks, while another junior middle, Katie Denny, had 12 kills with a .393 hitting average. Sophomore libero Kaitlyn Plum led UC Davis with 15 digs.
For Pacific, junior outside hitter Samantha Misa led all hitters with 22 kills while sharing her team lead with 15 digs. Freshman Jennifer Sanders added 15 kills and four block assists, while Engelhardt compiled a .327 success rate on her 49 attempts. As a team, the Tigers amassed 76 kills and hit .262.
Engelhardt and Sanders each tallied two kills early in the first set to boost Pacific to an 8-3 lead. Adams delivered back-to-back kills then teamed with Sedlak on a block to tie the frame at 13-13. A Tiger hitting error provided UC Davis with its first lead at 17-16, then a service error kept the Aggies ahead by an 18-17 margin. Although the Tigers briefly took a 20-19 lead on a UC Davis offensive miscue, the Aggies rallied down the stretch. Sedlak teamed up on a pair of block assists to close out the set in favor of UC Davis.
Pacific bounced back in the second set as Sanders hit three kills in a span of four points to push her team to a late 19-17 lead. Misa converted a side-out with a kill to put herself at the service line, then served up two more points to establish a 24-19 set point. Denny held off the set win with a kill and block assist, but Engelhardt finished the frame with her kill through the middle.
The third set proved to be the most hotly contested despite only two lead changes. Tiger middle blocker Gabby Cowden served up two aces in a 10-5 start, although two Pacific hitting errors and a serving misfire helped the Aggies scrape back to a 12-11 deficit. After Engelhardt's kill restored the Tiger lead to 17-13, he threesome of Denny, freshman Jenny Woolway and sophomore Allison Whitson combined for two rare triple blocks to help cut the lead back to one.
A Sanders kill allowed Pacific to a 22-19 lead late in the third set, but Adams posted a pair of kills to bring UC Davis to a 23-23 tie. Whitson's tool shifted the tide for the Aggies, providing them with the first of two set points. Misa spoiled the first with a kill at 24-24, but Adams sent a shot down the line and Denny smashed a one-set for the winner.
The Tigers reclaimed momentum in the fourth set, compiling 18 kills with just one hitting error in the frame. Libero Rebekah Torres served Pacific to a 5-0 start, then an Engelhardt kill later stretched the lead to 14-7. Both teams locked horns in a long, scrambling rally but the Tigers came out victorious to bring the score to 22-16 and deflate their hosts. Engelhardt clipped the top of the Aggie block for the 24th point, then Sanders slammed a shot through the middle to close out the fourth, setting up the fifth and deciding frame.
UC Davis summoned renewed strength in the fifth, with Adams posting a block assist and solo stuff in a 6-3 start. Denny caught fire with back-to-back kills to put the tally at 8-4 during the crossover, then her soft block helped Whitson pound out a kill to make it 9-5. Unfortunately for the Aggie throng, Pacific scored seven unanswered after that shot. Taeler Davis served up her team's seventh ace and Engelhardt put down three kills in the 7-0 run. Tiger setter Hannah Clancy scored two kills on second-contact balls to seal the match win.
Saturday's match served as a career finale for three Aggie seniors. Adams had started all but one match during her last two seasons. Kayla Varney, whose grandfather Gary McCord served as a guest public address announcer, was unable to play due to an injury sustained at UC Santa Barbara during the previous weekend. She finished her career at No. 2 on the school's career digs list. Finally, defensive specialist Esther Hon bid farewell after joining the Aggies as a "senior rookie" in 2010.
UC Davis finished sixth in the Big West Conference standings. The 16-13 record marks the second straight winning season.
