Challenge Accepted

Tuesday, January 20

Irvine, CA

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

2-4, 0-3

UC Irvine

6-1, 2-0

California Baptist

UCI

Photo by: Lauren Garcia

1/20/2015 9:38:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

IRVINE, Calif. – No matter what is thrown at it this season, the second or third-ranked team in the nation, California Baptist University has shown its here to compete.

The Lancers showed their fight in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match at UC Irvine Tuesday night, taking the third-ranked Anteaters to four sets, but ultimately suffering a 25-13, 30-28, 22-25, 25-14. CBU falls to 2-4, 0-3 in conference while UCI is now 6-1, 2-0.

Rocky DeLyon was the Lancers' leading hitter with 14 kills on the night, but that was not all as he logged five digs, three blocks and an ace as well. Giovanni Llinas Rosa and Jonathan Tuttle each had seven kills for CBU, which received 11 digs from Kevin Kustura and six blocks from Enrique de Diego Garcia.

Outside of a tough first and fourth set, CBU was right on target against the Anteaters, hitting .333 (13 kills and four errors on 27 attempts) and .370 (14-4-27) in the second and third sets, respectively.

The Lancers quieted the Bren Events Center early in the second set, jumping out to a 17-12 lead on an 8-3 run fueled by three DeLyon kills and one each from Llinas Rosa and Tuttle.

UCI began to whittle down its deficit and eventually tied things at 22-22 on a 4-1 run. There were six more ties from 23 to 28. Kills from Garcia and DeLyon bookended a 3-1 CBU run that gave it set point, 28-27, but the Anteaters avoided the loss on a Travis Woloson kill and completed the comeback on a 3-0 run.

A 5-2 run started and ended on a kill from DeLyon and Tuttle, respectively, gave the Lancers a 10-7 advantage in the fourth set. CBU maintained that cushion and then built on it, with a UCI attack error and DeLyon ace giving the Lancers a 20-15 edge.

The Anteaters began their push and pulled within two, 21-19, but DeLyon stopped them from coming all the way back. The junior outside hitter smashed a kill and another Anteater hitting error gave CBU a 23-19 cushion. UC Irvine pulled within 24-22 but a Zachary Melcher (31 assists, two kills, two digs, two blocks) kill ended the set in the Lancers' favor.

CBU returns to the Van Dyne Gym Friday to face UC San Diego in MPSF action before getting another shot at UC Irvine Saturday. Both matches are set for 7 p.m. start times.