CBU Pulls Out Big Victory Over UC Irvine

Saturday, September 17

Phoenix

3:30 PM

California Baptist University

5-6,0-0WAC

UC Irvine

7-3,0-0Big West

UC Irvine

California Baptist

CBU Pulls Out Big Victory Over UC Irvine

9/17/2022 7:58:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Director of Athletics Communications

PHOENIX – California Baptist University volleyball pulled out a big win over a surging UC Irvine squad at the Big West/WAC Match-Up on Saturday.

The Lancers snapped the Anteaters' seven-match winning streak with a five-set win (25-19, 21-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-12) at the Grand Canyon Arena. CBU ends the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 5-6 record, while UCI drops to 7-3.

It was at the net and back at the service line where CBU was able to separate itself. The Lancers posted a 9-1 advantage in aces and had 12 blocks.

❗️ 𝙇𝘼𝙉𝘾𝙀𝙍𝙎 𝙒𝙄𝙉 ❗️

CBU snaps UC Irvine's 7-match winning streak with a 25-19, 21-25, 20-25, 25-20, 15-12 win at the Big West/WAC Match-Up.

Leah Pease finishes with 29 assists, 12 digs, Cassidy Dennison logs 15 kills and Paige Johnstone adds 17 digs.#LanceUp⚔ pic.twitter.com/iqktxmXmmJ
— California Baptist Volleyball (@CBUvolleyball) September 18, 2022

Cassidy Dennison led California Baptist's offense with 15 kills on a .300 hitting percentage (15-3-40). She also had eight digs and killed the final two points of the match. Leah Pease notched a double-double of 29 assists and 12 digs, while Paige Johnstone added 17 digs, five aces and six assists.

Four Lancers finished with double-digit kills: Christine Graf (11), Michalina Rola (11) and Chandler Gorman (10). Gorman also had eight blocks and Graf finished with six, while Rola had 10 digs for a double-double.

UC Irvine has proven to be one of the top teams in NCAA Division I this year. The Anteaters entered the week ranked top-20 in the country in five categories and were the overall leader with 13.96 assists per set and second with 15.08 kills per set.

PLAY-BY-PLAY
After winning the first set, CBU battled back from a 2-1 deficit to force a fifth and final game with a 25-20 win in set four. The Lancers took control of the fourth set early and took a 5-1 lead and pushed their advantage to seven, 16-9, before taking the game.

Both teams played their way to a 6-6 tie in set five. A kill from Rola and ace from Pease fueled a 3-0 run from CBU that gave it a 9-6 edge. A combo block from Gorman and Graf prompted a timeout a UCI timeout with CBU up 11-8.

The Anteaters cut their deficit all the way down to one, 13-12, but consecutive kills from Dennison sent CBU home victorious.

UP NEXT
CBU will open Western Athletic Conference play at home against Southern Utah on Thursday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. The Lancers will then travel to NM State on Saturday, Sept. 24.