UCI Gets By

Saturday, January 24

Riverside

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

UC Irvine

UCI

California Baptist

Photo by: Leigh Ann Lindsey

1/24/2015 9:02:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – After a three-set victory the day before, California Baptist University was aiming at a huge upset over third-ranked UC Irvine Saturday night in the Van Dyne Gym.

Despite putting up a big fight in the second set, the Lancers were unable to overcome the dangerous Anteaters in a 25-17, 25-18, 25-16 loss. CBU falls to 3-5, 1-4 in the MPSF on the year, while UCI bounces back from a tough five-set loss to fifth-ranked USC on Friday to improve to 7-2, 3-1.

Zachary Melcher made an impact in a number of ways for CBU, with 14 assists, four digs, two kills on as many swings and a block. Giovanni Llinas Rosa was the Lancers' leading attacker with six kills and four digs. Rocky DeLyon and Jonathan Tuttle (two aces) each finished with five kills for CBU, which also received four kills and three blocks (two solo) from Enrique de Diego Garcia.

UCI took an 11-6 lead in the first set and kept building on its advantage, as it used a 4-0 run to take a 23-14 lead. The Lancers showed some grit with a 3-1 run of its own to pull with 24-17 before a kill from Andrew Benz gave the Anteaters the first set.

CBU rebounded just how it wanted early in the second. Both sides were trading points, with nine ties in the early going. A kill from DeLyon gave the Lancers a 10-8 edge, the biggest lead of the set so far, until UCI got kills from Zack La Cavera and Kyle Russell and knotted the score again at 10-10.

From there, a 6-3 run anchored by kills from DeLyon and Tuttle gave CBU a 16-13 advantage. UC Irvine began to claw back in and took a 19-17 lead behind some tough serving from Travis Woloson, who committed an error to bring CBU back within a point at 19-18.

La Cavera forced sideout with a kill and Michael Saeta's tough serving helped UCI close out the frame to take a 2-0 set lead. The Anteaters kept up the momentum and, despite a 4-2 late run highlighted by kills from DeLyon, Llinas Rosa and Tuttle, managed to take the match in three.

CBU will look to pick back up the momentum it had Wednesday against Cal State Northridge, which is currently receiving votes in the polls, and 10^th-ranked Long Beach State Saturday. Both matches start at 7 p.m. and serve as the last two matches of a long stand in the Van Dyne Gym to start the season, as the Lancers will begin taking to the road from there.