California Baptist University
1-13,1-1WAC
UT Arlington
12-2,2-0WAC
CBU Pushes Top-Seeded UTA to Five Sets in Riverside
9/28/2024 4:58:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University volleyball team followed up a Thursday night sweep over Utah Valley with a near comeback at home against the top-seeded UT Arlington Mavericks on Saturday afternoon.
The win keeps UTA unbeaten in conference play and 12-2 overall. The Lancers will drop to 1-1 in the early slate of the Western Athletic Conference schedule and 1-13 overall.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Mavericks, riding a hot streak in non-conference play, came out of the gates in rhythm and built a 9-4 lead. The Lancers would rally late with a 6-0 run to bring the score to within one and force the Mavericks to use both timeouts. The Mavericks would get settled out of the timeout and get to set point at 24-22 before Mia Jerue would cut the deficit back to one point. Arlington would prevent the Lancer's comeback with a well-executed set to the middle and would win the set 25-23.
The second set was tight, but Arlington would maintain control through the majority of the frame. The Lancers tied the match only once in the set, and they would eventually relinquish the set 25-21. The Mavericks would begin the third set with a 10-5 run, but the Lancers would respond with a critical 9-4 run to even the set at 14 apiece. UTA would regain the lead at 17-16, however the Lancers showed no quit and would proceed to go on a 6-1 run to snag momentum away from UTA. Kali Wolf would finish off the Mavericks with the final two CBU points to take the set 25-23.
The fourth set was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team taking a lead greater than three points. Two crucial Arlington errors would get CBU to set point at 24-21, but the Mavericks would rattle off the next four points to take the set to extra points. UTA would get to set point with the first kill of the extra frame, but the Lancers would halt them there and score the next three, including the set-ending ace by Reese Reed.
The fifth set was relatively new territory for the Lancers, with just one other match this season going the distance. CBU struck first with a thunderous kill from Nicole Mauser, but it would be all Mavericks from there. UTA would build its lead to as many as six before finishing off CBU 15-8 to hold off the rally.
STATISTICAL NOTABLES:
Wolf and Mauser posted excellent numbers in the set, leading the team with 13 kills apiece and both hitting over .370. Wolf filled up the stat sheet by adding five aces, eight digs, a block, and two assists for the Lancers. The setting duo of Reed and Avery Barber each surpassed the 20-assist mark with 24 and 21, respectively.
Solia Angilau, making her second consecutive start in the middle for CBU, put together her best game as a Lancer with four kills on eight attempts and was second on the team in blocks with two. Amanda Darling, in her second match back from injury, paced the team with 11 digs and added six assists.
NEXT: The Lancers will hit the road for the first time in conference play with a trip to Abilene to take on the Wildcats on Thursday, October 3, at 4 PM PT.
