Nov. 22, 2013
Final Stats
HONOLULU - Despite a team-leading 13 kills from senior opposite Devon Damelio, UC Davis was unable to hold off the heavy hitting of 12th-ranked Hawai'i, falling in a three-set, 25-19, 25-17, 25-19 sweep in a Big West Conference women's volleyball match at the Stan Sheriff Center Friday night.
The Aggies slip to 14-14 for the year and 6-9 in league. The Rainbow Wahine avenge a previous upset that had knocked them out of the Top 10, improving to 21-4 overall and 10-3 in Big West play.
Damelio remained the only UC Davis play in double-figured offense, tallying her 13 kills on 32 swings. Juniors Victoria Lee and Valerie Brain had seven kills and three blocks each, with Lee boosting her conference-leading hitting average with a .500 night. Junior libero Megan Lancaster, senior setter Lindsay Dowd and freshman outside hitter Allie Wegener each had seven digs to pace the Aggies on floor defense.
For Hawai'i, senior outside hitter and reigning Big West Player of the Year Emily Hartong finished with 15 kills against three errors on 40 swings for a .300 average. Freshman Nikki Taylor joined Hartong on the left side for another 11 kills and a .318 clip, while junior Kalei Adolpho and sophomore Tai Manu-Olevao combined for 15 more kills. In all, the Wahine hit .330 for senior setter Mita Uiato, nearly doubling the Aggies' .173 attack rate.
Hawai'i never trailed in the opening set, getting two kills from Hartong in a 7-4 start, then employing a 6-1 run to pull away to a 13-7 lead on UC Davis after Damelio's kill had cut the margin to a single tally. Damelio was a bright spot for the Aggies in the first set, knocking down seven kills - including three straight to fight off an initial 24-16 set point. However, Hartong ended the Aggie senior's hot streak and closed out the frame with a side-out kill.
The Aggies took a brief lead early in the second set before the Rainbow Wahine scored four straight to grab the edge for good at 8-5. Damelio later tooled the top of the UH block and Megan Lancaster served up an ace to pull UC Davis to within a 14-12 deficit, but the Aggies never closed the gap nor equalized for the remainder. Hartong added three kills down the stretch to increase the `Bows lead to 23-16. Adolpho slammed a one set for the 24th point then Taylor put back a stray free ball that had strayed over the tape near the left pin, sending UH to the break with a 2-0 match lead.
Hawai'i broke loose for a 5-2 start, capitalizing on a trio of hitting and serving miscues from UC Davis, but Brain brought the Aggies to within one point on two separate occasions. The Wahine responded with a 4-1 run to take a 10-6 lead and generally held that margin until a missed line shot extended the lead to six at 18-12. Freshman Kendall Walbrecht later stepped in and sparked UC Davis with two kills and a block, trimming the deficit to three at 21-18. UH scored four of the final five points, closing out the sweep on Vorster's kill at the middle of the tape.
The Aggies now have lost three straight matches by 3-0 scores, and 12 straight sets dating back to the five-set heartbreaker at UC Irvine on Nov. 9.
UC Davis closes its 2013 season at home against Cal State Northridge. The Aggies will honor seniors Damelio, Jenny Woolway and Lindsay Dowd after the match.
