UCLA
Arizona
Lowe's Double-Double Not Enough as #20 UCLA Falls to #18 Arizona
September 27, 2014 | Women's Volleyball
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MALIBU, Calif. - Senior Karsta Lowe recorded 27 kills and 10 digs for the fifth double-double of her career, hitting .426, while freshman Reily Buechler added 13 kills, six digs and a .400 percentage, but the 20th-ranked Bruins dropped a three-set decision to #18 Arizona on Friday at Firestone Fieldhouse. Set scores were 25-20, 26-24, 27-25.
The Bruins (10-3, 1-1 Pac-12) hit .277 for the match. Senior Julie Consani tallied 34 assists and six digs, while senior Megan Moenoa, in her first game action of the season (offseason back surgery), had eight assists and four digs in one set. Sophomore Taylor Formico had 13 digs and freshman Olga Strantzali added five kills.
UCLA scored the first point of the match on a Buechler kill, but Arizona scored nine of the next 12 to take a five-point lead at 9-4. While the Wildcats would not see their lead grow higher than five points, the Bruins would get no closer than two the rest of the way, losing the opener 25-20. Lowe had a set-best seven kills, while Buechler added three. The Bruins were out-hit .414 to .167.
Neither team led by more than two in the second set, which featured 14 ties and six lead changes. With UCLA down 15-13, a 4-0 run on a kill by sophomore Claire Felix, an Arizona attack error and back-to-back Lowe kills put the Bruins up 17-15. UCLA still led by a pair at 19-17, but three in a row for Arizona put the visitors on top 20-19.
The Bruins countered with a 3-0 run on a Strantzali kill, an Arizona attack error and a Lowe kill to take a 22-20 edge. UCLA was up 23-22, but two in a row for the Wildcats earned them a set point. Lowe's 12th kill of the set made it 24-all, but Arizona netted the final two to win the second 26-24. Lowe had a dozen of the Bruins' 20 kills, while Strantzali added three. Lowe also had five digs, as the Bruins out-hit the Wildcats .286 to .278.
Set three featured 12 ties and five lead changes, as UCLA's largest lead was two and Arizona's was four. Trailing 5-4, kills by Buechler, Lowe and Felix put the Bruins up 7-5. With the score even at 10, an 8-4 Arizona run put the visitors on top 18-14. Two sideouts later, a 7-2 Bruin put them ahead 22-21. Buechler and Lowe each had three kills, while redshirt sophomore Haley Lawless, in her first game action since last Oct. 20 (left ACL), also had a kill.
Four sideouts later, the Bruins had a set point at 24-23, but Arizona scored the next two to earn its first match point at 25-24. A Wildcat attack error evened things at 25, but Arizona netted back-to-back points to win the third 27-25. Buechler had eight kills and no errors in 10 attempts in the third, while Lowe also added eight kills. Formico posted five digs, as the Wildcats held a slim .368-.366 hitting advantage.
The Bruins are next in action on Friday, Oct. 3 at fourth-ranked Washington at 7 p.m.
