September 30, 2015
Highlanders 1 – Aggies 3
Coming off a win against the Cal State Fullerton Titans in their Big West opener, the UC Riverside women’s volleyball team looked to continue their success against the UC Davis Aggies.
A hard-fought, neck-and-neck slugfest materialized in the first set, with both teams trading points to the tune of 12 ties and seven lead changes. The largest lead of the set came when the Highlanders led 18-14. However, over the course of the set’s remainder, the lead had gradually disintegrated and ultimately ended with a 28-26 Aggie win.
The second set was the first and only Highlander win of the match, as they eked out a 28-26 victory over UC Davis.
If there was any such thing as momentum, the Highlanders did not have it in their favor following their win in the second set, as the Aggies handily took down UCR in the third set, jumping out to a 5-0 lead and capping things off with a commanding 25-14 set victory.
In the fourth set, the Highlanders kept things close, but a late rally by the Aggies to the tune of four straight points allowed them to seal a 3-1 victory over the Highlanders.
October 3, 2015
Highlanders 0 – Rainbow Wahine 3
After suffering defeat at the hands of the Aggies, the Highlanders returned home to face Hawaii, the 10th-ranked team in the nation.
After jumping out to a 15-8 lead in the first set, the Rainbow Wahine asserted their powerhouse early and often. However, a 5-0 rally by the Highlanders immediately followed and kept things interesting until the Rainbow Wahine scored 10 of the set’s last 15 points to finish with a 25-17 victory. In the second set, the Highlanders fell by a 25-15 margin.
The third set may have represented the Highlanders’ most crushing loss of the season, as they were only able to muster five points in a 25-5 drubbing by the Rainbow Wahine.
With the loss, the women’s volleyball team drops to a 6-10 overall record, 1-2 in conference.
After a disappointing weekend of two straight defeats, the Highlanders look to dig themselves out of the hole as they are set to square off against Long Beach State this Tuesday, Oct. 6, the beginning of a four-match road trip.
