Sept. 13, 2013
Final Stats
PORTLAND, Ore. - Senior opposite Devon Damelio and sophomore outside hitter Kaylin Squyres each tallied nine kills while junior middle blocker Katie Quinn posted a .429 average, leading UC Davis to a 25-22, 25-21, 25-16 sweep of host Portland as part of the UP/OSU Challenge at the Chiles Center Friday evening.
The Aggies improve to 5-4 for the year. The Pilots, who lost to Toledo in five sets earlier in the day, remain winless at 0-8.
Squyres and Damelio only committed two hitting errors each, combining for a .246 hitting rate at the pins. Quinn tallied seven kills on 14 swings on the attack with seven blocks on net defense. Senior setter Jenny Woolway and junior libero Megan Lancaster each posted 10 digs. Woolway also finished the match with exactly 1,000 career digs, becoming the eighth Aggie and first Aggie setter to reach that milestone.
Sophomore Holland Seymour came off the bench to spark UC Davis with four kills and a block assist. Another highlight was the Aggie serve-receive corps, which suffered only two opposing aces in the match. In contrast, Damelio, Squyres and senior setter Lindsay Dowd each served up two aces.
For Portland, outside hitters Autumn Wedan and Emily Liger posted 13 and 10 kills, respectively. Junior libero Katie Mardesich managed 19 of her team's 67 digs.
Both teams exchanged leads three times before a 7-2 Aggie run turned a 12-11 deficit into an 18-14 lead. Quinn pounded a pair of blocks to start that stretch while Damelio served up an ace and Squyres knocked down a kill. The Pilots managed to creep back to within two points at 19-17 and again at 23-21, the latter of which on the heels of Wedan's back-to-back kills. However, Damelio put the finishing touches on the set victory, sending an offspeed shot in for a kill for a 24-21 set point, then teaming up with Quinn for a block on the winner. Squyres hit 4-for-10 in the opening frame, while Quinn hit 3-for-6 with a pair of block assists.
UC Davis broke away with a 4-1 run to take a 12-8 lead in the second set. Squyres and Lancaster each had spectacular digs in a long scrambling rally that ended with junior Mary Schroeder's kill to highlight the outburst. The Aggies, who maintained at least a two-point cushion for the remainder of the set, increased their edge to six when Damelio's kill and three Pilot errors set the board at 21-15. Lee sent a kill to the far left corner for the 24th point, then Seymour's cross-court missile ended the set, sending UC Davis to the break with a 2-0 match lead. Damelio had five kills and three digs in the second set alone, while Woolway went to the break with a team-leading 10 digs.
The Aggies dominated their way through the third set in sealing their fourth sweep in two weeks. Quinn converted a sideout kill then immediately followed with an ace in a run of three unanswered to set the board at 9-6. Squyres had consecutive kills and Dowd served up an ace in a 3-0 run that made it 12-7. Quinn later posted three block assists in a span of four points, increasing the UC Davis advantage to 19-10. After Squyres' kill provided the Aggies with a 24-13 match point, Portland rattled off three straight points before its errant serve closed out the UC Davis win.
The Aggies' nine hitting errors, eight service aces and two reception errors all represent season bests. They continue tournament action on Saturday with matches against Oregon State at 10 a.m. and Toledo at 4 p.m.
