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Oregon
Another Career High for Lowe in #19 UCLA's Win Over #10 Oregon
October 16, 2014 | Women's Volleyball
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SANTA MONICA, Calif. - Senior Karsta Lowe set a new career high with 33 kills, hit .473 and added five digs, as the 19th-ranked Bruins defeated #10 Oregon in four on Wednesday at Crossroads Gym. Set scores were 25-18, 25-21, 20-25, 25-19.
The 33 kills were the most for a UCLA player in the rally-scoring era (since 2001), the most for a Bruin since 2000 (Kristee Porter, Sept. 3 vs. Texas A&M) and tied for the 15th most for a Bruin in a single match. It was two kills shy of the UCLA four-set record (Ashley Bowles, Nov. 15, 1998 at Washington) and the second time in three matches that Lowe has set a new career best in kills after posting 30 against Utah on Oct. 10.
The Bruins (13-5, 4-3 Pac-12) hit .441 for the match, the 53rd-straight contest they have won when hitting .300 or better. Senior Julie Consani had a season-best 59 assists, two shy of tying a career-high, and added five digs and five kills, which tied a personal best. Freshman Reily Buechler posted the first double-double of her career with 13 kills and 13 digs, tallying a .429 hitting percentage with just one error in 28 attempts and four blocks.
Elsewhere offensively, senior Zoë Nightingale had seven kills and no errors in 13 attempts (.538), redshirt sophomore Haley Lawless posted eight kills and sophomore Jennie Frager notched five kills and one error in seven swings (.571) with six blocks, which tied a career high. Defensively, sophomore Taylor Formico had 10 digs and eight assists, which tied a career high, while junior Karly Drolson added five digs.
The Bruins only trailed once in the opening set at 4-3, going on a 7-2 run from there and cruising to a victory. Lowe had five kills during the 7-2 run, Nightingale added a kill and Buechler and Frager teamed up for a block. The Ducks (14-3, 4-3 Pac-12) got to within a pair, but could get no closer. At 14-12, a 5-0 UCLA run on three Lowe kills, one by Buechler and a Duck attack error gave the Bruins a set-best lead of seven at 19-12.
The teams sided out the final 12 points of the set, as the Bruins won it 25-18 on a Lowe kill. The senior was 11-for-11 in kill attempts in the opener. Buechler and Nightingale also had three kills apiece, as the Bruins recorded 21 kills and just one miscue in 28 attempts (.714), while the Ducks hit .385.
The second set featured 12 ties and three lead changes, but the Bruins pulled away late to win it. Trailing 5-4, the Bruins scored three in a row on a Buechler kill and two by Lowe. Despite eight more ties, UCLA didn't trail for the rest of the set. The Bruins' largest lead of the set was four, as a Lowe kill wrapped up the 25-21 win. Lowe had nine more kills in the second, while Buechler and Consani each had three. The Bruins out-hit the Ducks .472 to .407.
There were 13 more ties and seven lead changes in the third, but this time the Ducks pulled away to extend the match. Tied at five, Oregon scored three in a row to go ahead and maintained the lead until UCLA went back up at 11-10. With the Bruins down 10-7, a kill by Frager, a Frager/Lawless block, an Oregon attack error and a Frager/Lowe roof put UCLA up by one.
UCLA fell behind 14-13, but a kill by sophomore Claire Felix, a Buechler/Felix block and a Lowe kill put the Bruins ahead 16-14. UCLA still led 17-15, but Oregon closed out the set on a 10-3 run. Tied at 19, the Ducks scored six of the final seven to win the third 25-20. Lowe had seven kills in the third, while Buechler added three, as the Bruins were out-hit .370 to .273.
Set four had 10 ties and three lead changes. With UCLA up 9-7, three in a row for the visitors put them ahead 10-9. The Ducks' biggest lead was two at 14-12, before the Bruins finished strong to win the match. Down 15-14, a 6-1 UCLA run made it 20-16. Lawless had two kills during the run, Frager and Lowe one each and Oregon committed two errors.
A kill by Buechler gave the Bruins five match points at 24-19 and a block from Consani and Frager closed out the 25-19 win in the fourth. Lowe again led the Bruins with six kills, while Buechler and Lawless each had four kills and no errors in eight attempts. Formico recorded five digs, as the Bruins out-hit the Ducks .359 to .200.
The Bruins take on Oregon State on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Crossroads Gym (1636 18th Street, Zip: 90404). Street parking is available, but limited and 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.
