Nov. 14, 2013
Final Stats
DAVIS, Calif. - Freshman Ali Spindt tallied 14 kills and 17 digs while senior Leah Sully picked up a match-high 22 digs to lead UC Santa Barbara to a 25-21, 25-23, 25-23 sweep of UC Davis in Big West Conference women's volleyball action at the Pavilion Thursday night.
The Aggies, who lose their first three-set sweep of the year, fall to 14-12 overall and 6-7 in conference. The Gauchos improve to 14-9 for the year and 9-2 in Big West play.
Senior Devon Damelio posted a double-double of 13 kills and 12 digs for UC Davis. Junior middle blocker Victoria Lee added 9-1-19 hitting for a .421 average while senior setter Jenny Woolway and junior libero Megan Lancaster each posted 15 digs. Junior middle blocker Katie Quinn made her return from injury, recording six blocks on net defense.
Besides, Spindt's output, the Gauchos received 5-for-10 attacking numbers from freshman Allie Sullberg in the middle. Phoebe Grunt had eight kills and a .467 average.
Damelio hit an errorless 5-for-6 to kickstart UC Davis to an 8-3 opening run and a 13-7 lead early in the first. However, Gaucho sophomore Jaylen Villanueva fired three kills amidst a long Sully serving run, helping UCSB flip a 17-12 deficit into a 19-17 lead. Junior outside hitter Valerie Brain hit a pair of kills to help the Aggies back to within a single point before Barbeau's shot from almost 10 feet off the tape fell in for the 24th Gaucho point. Sullberg and Katey Thompson teamed up for a block to close out the frame.
In similar fashion to the first set, UC Davis surrendered a long Gaucho run. Spindt and Grunt had two kills each as UCSB's 8-2 run transformed a close 15-14 Aggie edge to a commanding 22-16 Gaucho advantage. UC Davis freshman Allie Wegener later served her team back to within a single point, with Damelio knocking down a kill from the back row to set the board at 23-22. However, Spindt's powerful swing on a four ball and a Thompson tool held off the Aggies, and UCSB went to the break with a 2-0 match lead.
The teams traded the lead seven times in the third set. Spindt fired two kills in a 5-0 run that erased a 15-12 UC Davis edge and boosted UCSB to a 17-15 margin. The Aggies later capitalized on a pair of Gaucho hitting errors in a run of three unanswered, reclaiming a 20-19 lead. The two teams locked up for three more of 14 total ties in the set before an Aggie hit into the tape followed by a Sullberg/Villanueva block gave UCSB a 24-22 match point. Lee found the open court on a one ball for a side out but a net violation clicked the 25th point for the Gauchos.
UC Davis had won six matches in three sets in 2013 but had not lost one in such fashion since a home loss to Hawai'i back on November 17, 2012. The Aggies .148 hitting average marked their lowest in eight matches, dating back to the .140 against Long Beach State in mid-October.
UC Davis hosts Cal Poly at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
