Sept. 26, 2015
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. - Senior outside hitter Kaylin Squyres posted a career-high 28 kills, junior Kendall Walbrecht hit .535 with five blocks, and freshman Emily Allen enjoyed a breakout performance with 17 digs, but UC Davis' comeback from a two-set deficit was ultimately halted as the Aggies fell to CSUN in a four-set, 25-16, 28-26, 23-25, 27-25 Big West Conference volleyball thriller at the Matadome Saturday night.
UC Davis slips to 5-11 for the season and 0-2 in league matches. CSUN improves to 3-11 overall and remains unbeaten to start the Big West season at 2-0.
Squyres surpassed the 26 kills she had against Georgia Tech in a five-set marathon exactly two weeks earlier. She had 85 of the Aggies' total 174 swings for another career superlative. Walbrecht pounded out 15 kills with just one error on 26 attempts. Allen, whose previous appearances had been as a serving specialist, made her way through the team's rotation into front-row use. She finished with four kills, 18 attacks and 17 digs.
Freshman libero Malia Bolko led UC Davis with a match-high 22 digs. Junior setter Sophia Mar posted a career-high 51 assists, as the Aggies switched to a 5-1 system for conference play.
For CSUN, senior outside hitter Cieana Stinson had 22 kills with four total blocks while redshirt freshman Nada Dragovic posted a 11-1-36 line, 18 digs and five block assists. Stinson and Dragovic combined for 12 kills and just one error in a dominating first-set win. Stinson had two kills down the stretch of the opener, highlighting an 8-2 finish.
The Matadors' pin hitting that carried them in the first set proved crucial in the second, helping erase a 22-18 deficit en route to the two-point win. Squyres and Walbrecht nailed two kills each in a 4-0 run that lifted UC Davis to a 17-15 edge, then an Aima Eichie kill and an ace by Bolko sent the Aggies to a four-point edge. CSUN responded with four unanswered, getting two kills from Stinson and two block assists from the tandem of Rachel Diaz and Dragovic to tie the frame at 22-22. Stinson and Squyres traded punches to tie the set at 23-23 and 24-24, then Walbrecht and Eichie delivered kills to hold off two more Matador set points. Finally, Aeryn Owens slammed a four set to set the board at 27-26 the Julie Haake sent a tip into an open plot of Aggie midcourt for the winner. CSUN went to the break with a 2-0 match lead.
The Matadors came out strong in the third, running up an 8-4 start then taking an 18-10 lead when UC Davis suffered an attack error into the net. Squyres had back-to-back kills to close the gap to 20-17, and two key Bolko digs set the stage for a Walbrecht kill that reduced the CSUN lead to 20-18. Again, the Matadors responded with three straight points, with a Dragovic short serve hitting the tape and dipping into the opposing court for an ace at 23-18. The Aggies converted the next side out to send to the service line senior middle blocker Jillian Johnson, who faced a 23-19 deficit.
Previously a serving specialist, Johnson rose to the occasion with two immediate aces, bringing UC Davis to within 23-21. A wide line shot from the CSUN right side had the Aggies trailing by just one, then Walbrecht's tool equalized at 23-23. UC Davis finished the set with blocks by Eichie, Mar and Walbrecht, closing out a 7-0 run and spoiling CSUN's bid for the three-set sweep.
Squyres and Walbrecht continued to pound away from either side of the net in the fourth, combining for 14 kills and a .414 average in that stanza. Johnson assisted on three straight blocks to pull the Aggies from a 17-14 deficit to an 18-17 lead. Walbrecht's 13th kill gave UC Davis a 22-20 edge and the hopes of forcing a fifth set. But Stinson scored three kills on the next four serves to establish a 24-23 lead. Squyres posted kills to fight off two straight match points, but a serving error and attacking error spared CSUN from entering the rubber set.
With the 28 kills, Squyres raised her season total to 268 and her career sum to 974. She looks to become just the ninth player in school history to surpass the 1,000 milestone.
The Aggies return to action on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. match against UC Riverside, kicking off a run of four straight home dates.
