UCLA
Colorado
17th-Ranked Bruins Drop Sunday Matinee With Colorado
October 12, 2014 | Women's Volleyball
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MALIBU, Calif. - Senior Karsta Lowe surpassed the 20-kill mark for the ninth time this season with 21 on Sunday, but the 17th-ranked Bruins dropped a four-set decision to Colorado at Firestone Fieldhouse. Set scores were 25-23, 24-26, 12-25, 17-25.
Lowe hit .311 and added five blocks. Freshman Reily Buechler was also in double figures in kills for the sixth match in a row with 11. Senior Zoë Nightingale, redshirt sophomore Haley Lawless and sophomore Jennie Frager each had five kills, with Nightingale adding five blocks. The Bruins (12-5, 3-3 Pac-12) hit .211 for the match.
Senior Julie Consani produced 41 assists and seven digs, sophomore Taylor Formico added 12 digs, junior Karly Drolson notched seven and junior Rachel Inouye posted six digs.
The first set was tight with 13 ties and five lead changes, but the Bruins came back to win the opener. UCLA's largest lead was two, while Colorado's was three. With the Bruins down 9-7, a CU service error, an Inouye ace and a Lowe kill put them up 10-9. The Buffaloes rallied back with a 6-2 run to go up 15-12 for their biggest lead of the set.
UCLA came back to tie the score at 16, 18, 19 and 20-all, but the Buffs still led at 22-20 when a 5-1 Bruin run to end the set gave them the victory. Kills by Lowe and Buechler and a combo block from Nightingale and sophomore Izzy Carmona put UCLA back in front 23-22. After a CU sideout, a service error gave the Bruins set point and Buechler recorded her sixth kill of the set to close out the two-point win. Lowe equaled Buechler in kills with six and had no errors in nine attempts (.667), while the freshman had just one miscue in eight swings (.625). The Bruins had four blocks and out-hit the Buffaloes .464 to .353.
The Bruins almost had an even more improbable comeback in set two, but the Buffaloes won the second in extra points, 26-24. UCLA scored three of the first four on a Lawless kill and an ace and kill by Lowe, but Colorado responded with a 7-3 run to go up 8-6. At 9-7, a 3-0 Bruin run on Frager, Lawless and Lowe kills put them up 10-9, but again the Buffaloes came back with a 6-1 run to go ahead 15-11.
Colorado's largest lead was seven on three occasions, as the Buffaloes had seven set points at 24-17, but the Bruins saved all of them. A Lowe kill, a CU attack error and a Lowe kill made it 24-20, which was followed by back-to-back combo blocks from Lowe and Nightingale to get the Bruins to within two at 24-22. Two Colorado attack errors evened the score at 24, but the Buffaloes would rally back with the next two to take the second. Lowe had six more kills in the second, while Buechler added three. The Bruins were out-hit .235 to .162.
The Buffaloes never trailed in set three, despite ties at 1, 2 and 3-all. UCLA managed consecutive points just once in the set and fell 25-12. Lowe had three kills to pace the Bruins, who were out-hit .520 to .074.
Things weren't much better for the Bruins in set four, as Colorado led wire-to-wire. UCLA fell behind early 9-3 and could never recover, eventually dropping the set 25-17. Lowe again paced the Bruins with six kills, while Drolson added five digs, as the Bruins were out-hit .375 to .167.
The four-match homestand wraps up next Wednesday, Oct. 15 and Friday, Oct. 17 against 11th-ranked Oregon and Oregon State. Both matches will be played at Crossroads School in Santa Monica (1636 18th Street, Zip: 90404), start at 7:30 p.m. and include free admission. Street parking is available, but on a first-come, first-serve basis. In addition, no concessions will be available and no food or drink will be allowed in the venue.
