UCLA
Utah State
#25 UCLA Beats Utah State, Wins Outrigger Resorts Volleyball Challenge
September 14, 2014 | Women's Volleyball
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HONOLULU, Hawai'i - Senior Karsta Lowe led all players with 22 kills to go with nine digs, freshman Olga Strantzali posted 14 kills, nine digs and three aces and sophomore Taylor Formico recorded 18 digs, as the 25th-ranked Bruins completed a weekend sweep at the Outrigger Resorts Volleyball Challenge with a four-set victory against Utah State on Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center. Set scores were 25-23, 25-19, 20-25, 25-16.
Senior Julie Consani had 44 assists, eight digs and four kills, sophomore Claire Felix produced seven kills and senior Zoë Nightingale added six kills and six blocks. Junior Karly Drolson posted nine digs, junior Rachel Inouye had six digs and freshman Reily Buechler tallied five kills. The Bruins hit .209 for the match.
The Bruins (6-2) trailed throughout most of the opening set, but came back to post the victory. After UCLA scored the first two on a Utah State (4-5) service error and a Strantzali kill, the Aggies came back with a 10-2 run to go up 10-4. Utah State had a six-point lead as late as 20-14 before the Bruins made a charge.
Four straight Lowe kills got the Bruins to within a pair, and after a USU sideout, a Lowe kill, an Aggie attack error and a Strantzali kill evened things at 21, the first tie since 2-all. Four sideouts later and equal at 23, an Aggie attack error gave the Bruins a set point and a Felix kill completed a 25-23 victory. Lowe led the Bruins with eight kills, while Strantzali added five with no errors in nine attempts (.556). Formico posted five digs. The Bruins were out-hit by the Aggies .300 to .275.
UCLA scored the first three points of set two on a kill by Nightingale and two in a row by Lowe. With the Bruins still up 9-6, a 6-1 Utah State run gave the Aggies a 12-10 edge. UCLA responded with a 5-1 run to go back up 15-13. Kills by Lowe and Strantzali started the run, and after a USU sideout, a Lowe/Nightingale combo block, an Aggie attack error and a Nightingale ace put the Bruins up by a pair.
UCLA would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the set. At 17-16, a 6-1 Bruin run extended their lead to six at 23-17. UCLA benefitted from four Utah State errors, adding kills from Nightingale and Lowe. After the Aggies scored the next two, a Lowe kill and a Lowe/Nightingale block finished off a 25-19 victory. Lowe again led the Bruins in kills with five, while Nightingale and Strantzali added three apiece. Drolson tallied five digs, as the Bruins out-hit the Aggies .216 to .000.
The Bruins got off to a slow start in set three, falling behind 6-2, but a 5-0 run put them up by a point. Kills by Strantzali and Felix began the run, which was followed by a Utah State attack error, a combo block by Buechler and Felix and an ace from Strantzali. UCLA was still up 8-7, but a 5-0 Aggie run gave them a 12-8 advantage.
The Bruins would get to within one on a couple occasions, but were unable to tie things back up. Up 20-19, Utah State scored five of the last six of the set to win the third 25-20. Lowe and Strantzali each had three kills in the third. Formico had six digs, as the Bruins were out-hit .158 to .077.
UCLA dropped the first point of set four, but got the next two on kills by Lowe and Strantzali and didn't trail for the rest of the set despite ties at 2- and 3-all. Up 5-4, an 11-2 run gave the Bruins a double-digit lead. A USU attack error, a Consani/Nightingale combo block, a Consani kill and a Buechler/Nightingale roof made it 9-4. After an Aggie sideout, two more Utah State errors and a Lowe kill extended the lead to 12-5. Following another sideout, two Lowe kills, a Drolson ace and a Strantzali kill put the Bruins up by 10 at 16-6.
Utah State made a run to cut its deficit to five at 20-15, but UCLA scored five of the final six points of the match to win the fourth 25-16. An Aggie service error, kills by Buechler and Lowe and a block by Nightingale gave the Bruins a bunch of match points, and on the second try, a Utah State service error completed the victory for UCLA. Lowe had six kills in the fourth on no errors in 11 attempts, while Consani and Strantzali each posted three. The Bruins out-hit the Aggies .270 to .118.
The Bruins complete non-conference tournament action next weekend at the Fullerton Classic, facing Georgetown on Friday, Sept. 19 at 4 p.m., Yale on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 10 a.m. and Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m.
