California Baptist University
1-12,1-0WAC
Utah Valley University
9-4,0-1WAC
Aces Rain in Riverside as the Lancers Open WAC Play 1-0
9/26/2024 9:25:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University volleyball team began conference play 1-0 behind an NCAA-era 21 aces to best Utah Valley in straight sets in the Dale E. & Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center on Thursday evening.
The Lancers have now won its conference opener for the fifth straight season and improved its record in the Fowler Events Center to 5-2. CBU also improves its winning streak over the Wolverines to three, with their last loss coming in 2021 in Orem.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The service game was the key to victory for the Lancers, and it began early and often. CBU recorded seven aces in the opening set, including two apiece from Mia Jerue and Avery Barber. The incredible serving prowess displayed by the Lancers would guide CBU to the 25-16 opening set victory, the most significant point disparity in a set for CBU this season.
The second set carried over similar themes as the first, with Gianna Perez recording back-to-back aces to give CBU the early 3-1 lead. The Wolverines would battle back to get the score within one, but Perez would silence that with a three-ace service run to force the Wolverine timeout. Jerue would score three of the final four points of the set for CBU to give the Lancers the 25-19 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
The Wolverines would come out stronger in the third set, building a three-point lead at 12-9 that would eventually balloon to 20-14 at the peak. From that point, the Lancers would storm back behind a strong service from Kali Wolf. With Wolf serving, the Lancers would score four straight points to get the match within three points. UVU would convert off a CBU error to bring the score to 23-20, but that would be the final time the Wolverines would score in the set. With the win in sight, Jerue would record two more of her record-setting aces before Wolf would finish off the Wolverines with a kill-ending rally for the 25-23 comeback win.
STATISTICAL NOTABLES:
Aces rained in the Fowler Events Center for CBU, with five different Lancers recording multiple aces in the match for the NCAA-era single-game record of 21 aces. The previous record was 15, set by CBU against Nevada in a five-set win last season. The 21 aces came within one of the program record of 22 aces that was set back in 2002 against Embry-Riddle. The Lancers have also set the NCAA record this season for most aces in a single match thus far across all of Division I.
On top of the team ace record, Perez and Jerue set the individual single-match DI record for aces with seven apiece. Jerue set the program record last season with six against Nevada and now has four matches of at least five aces. Nicole Mauser was the lead attacker for the Lancers with nine kills, while Reese Reed paced the team with 14 assists.
NEXT: The Lancers will look to keep momentum going with a Saturday matchup against UT Arlington at 1 PM in the Van Dyne Gym.
