Box Score Sept. 7, 2014 Final Stats
DAVIS, Calif. - Junior
Kaylin Squyres posted her fifth consecutive double-double, this time recording 12 kills and 13 digs in a 25-21, 25-19, 25-22 sweep of Portland in collegiate women's volleyball action at the Pavilion Sunday afternoon. She was one of three Aggies to pick up 13 digs, along with libero
Megan Lancaster and setter
Erika Conners.
UC Davis improves to 2-4 for the year. The Pilots fall to 3-2 overall.
Although Squyres was the only Aggie player in double-digit offense, UC Davis had contributions across the tape. Senior Katie Quinn hit 7-for-11 with nine block assists, sophomore Kendall Walbrecht had six kills with two blocks, and redshirt freshman Aima Eichie collected five kills on eight swings with a pair of stuffs. Sophomore Allie Wegener added six kills, nine digs and three blocks. Finally, senior Valerie Brain rotated in with four kills on 14 attempts to supplement six blocks on defense.
For the Pilots, senior outside hitter Emily Liger notched 17 kills and a .314 average. Senior libero Katie Mardesich led all players with 15 digs. Liger, who exploded for 19 kills in the third and fourth sets of Saturday's win over Portland, overcame a slow start with 5-for-7 hitting in the second and nine kills in the third on Sunday.
The Aggies stormed out to huge leads in each of the first two sets, only to hold off late Portland comebacks in protecting the victory. In the first set, they hit 11 kills without an error in crafting an 18-9 lead, then committed four straight attack miscues to see that edge diminish to 18-14. UC Davis maintained a four-point cushion until another errant shot cut the lead further to 23-20. Squyres responded with a pair of kills down the stretch to complete the victory.
In the second, Squyres had two kills and two aces to help craft a 10-4 start, then Eichie nailed back-to-back kills followed by a block assist to extend the margin to 16-6. The Aggies held as much as a 20-7 lead before Liger and sophomore Brittney Markwith combined for eight kills in an 11-4 comeback. Finally, a long crosscourt shot by Portland scored the winner for the Aggies, who went to the break with a 2-0 match lead.
UC Davis enjoyed yet another strong start to the third, as Quinn's two block assists highlighted a 6-2 opening run. The Pilots battled back to a 10-9 deficiti before Quinn struck again: three kills and two more block assists in a 5-1 stretch that put the Aggies on top by a 14-10 margin. Yet again, UP had an answer, scraping back to an 18-18 tie on a Markwith kill. Three points later, Liger's underhanded overpass fell in for an unlikely kill, giving the Pilots their first lead at 20-19.
An Aggie service error -- one of only four of the match -- allowed Portland to hold a 21-20 lead. However, UC Davis scored five of the final six points of the match. Conners' setter dump delivered the 24-22 match point, then Eichie and Katie Sullivan engaged in a joust at the center of the net. The ball fell into the Pilot side, Eichie earned the solo block, and the Aggies had their 25th point.
UC Davis hit .333 in the final set and enjoyed hitting averages at or above .600 in the early stages of each of its first- and second-set wins.
The Aggies return to a tournament hoisted jointly by Washington and Seattle on Friday and Saturday. They open the weekend against the No. 5 Huskies on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m.
