UCLA
Nebraska
Women's Volleyball Falls to Nebraska in Five-Game Tourney Championship
September 10, 2000 | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 10, 2000
NOTRE DAME, IN - After a two-hour, five-game match, the UCLA women's volleyball team was unable to top Nebraska for the adidas Invitational team championship, falling 3-2 with game scores of 12-15, 15-11, 13-15, 15-1, 15-10. No. 4 UCLA is now 5-3 on the season, while fourth-ranked Nebraska is now 7-0
The two teams started the match with a back-and-forth battle, staying close to the 6-6 mark. From there, the Bruins began to pull away, taking 10-7 and 13-8 leads. Nebraska started a rally to get as close as 14-12 with Laura Pilakowski at the service line, but the Bruins were able to close out the first game with a 14-12 win on a block by Lauren Fendrick and Ella Harley.
Game two was closely fought, as neither team pulled away by more than two points before Nebraska broke an 11-11 tie to take the lead for the final time, eventually coming out with a 15-11 game win to tie the match at one game apiece.
UCLA took an early lead in the third game, cruising out to an 8-2 lead before a string of errors by the Bruins and the service of Nebraska's Angie Oxley led to a string of six straight points and a 9-8 Cornhusker lead. At that point, the Bruins had called both of their timeouts in the game, and responded with a crucial sideout by Fendrick. That sideout started a see-saw battle in which the two teams traded sideouts and points, with no team having more than a one-point lead until the Bruins were able to capitalize on their fifth game point with a block by Ella Harley and Lauren Fendrick to win the game 15-13.
Nebraska started the fourth game much as UCLA had started the third, powering out to a 10-1 lead, forcing UCLA to spend both of its timeouts by that point in the game. The Huskers were able to capitalize on several Bruin overpasses in the game, along with UCLA's dismal .136 hitting percentage while hitting .591 as a team to force a fifth game with a 15-1 win in the fourth game.
The fifth game started with a service ace by Nebraska's Angie Oxley, and was an indication of what was to come. With three hitting errors and an overpass on a service reception by UCLA, the Huskers stormed out to a 7-1 lead. The teams switched sides with Nebraska owning an 8-2 lead. The Bruins rallied to within four points at 8-4, but the Bruins spent their final timeout of the match as Nebraska opened an 11-5 lead with Laura Pilakiwski at the service line. UCLA rallied again, closing to 13-9 behind the service of Michelle Quon when Nebraska took its first timeout. UCLA followed with a block by defensive replacement Cira Wright and Ella Harley, giving Nebraska match point. The Huskers were able to connect to win the match when Amber Holmquist and Jenny Kropp sent the Nebraska crowd of nearly 700 red-clad fans home happy with a block of Porter.
"We had a tough battle at the end of game three," said Banachowski, "and I think it took a lot out of us. When Nebraska started a big point run in the fourth game, I knew we were int rouble. We didn't look good in game five, and Nebraska was strong at the end. I think the length of the match took its toll on us today."
Porter led the Bruins with 18 kills on the afternoon, but four other Bruins posted double-figure kills on the afternoon with Bachman and Bowles posting 14 apiece, Harley finishing with 13 kills and Fendrick had 10. Setter Erika Selsor, Porter and Bowles had double-figure digs with 19, 18 and 12, respectively, and the Bruins were out-blocked on the afternoon by a 16-11 margin.
The Bruins return home tonight and will open their home and Pac-10 schedule this Thursday, Sept. 14, with a 7 p.m. match against Washington, followed by a Friday matchup with Washington State, also at 7 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion. Both matches will be broadcast live on uclabruins.com.
