UCLA
Arizona
#11 UCLA Falls in Five at #23 Arizona
November 22, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
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TUCSON, Ariz. - Junior Taylor Formico had a season-best 35 digs and sophomore Reily Buechler posted a career-high 26 kills with six digs, but the 11th-ranked Bruins dropped a five-set decision at #23 Arizona on Sunday at the McKale Center. Set scores were 22-25, 27-29, 27-25, 25-21, 10-15.
The Bruins fell to 22-6 overall and 13-5 in Pac-12 play, while the Wildcats improved to 18-12 and 8-10 in league action.
Juniors Jordan Anderson (16) and Claire Felix (11) were each in double figures in kills, redshirt sophomore Jessyka Ngauamo produced the first double-double of her career with 10 kills and 12 digs, senior Rachel Inouye went for a personal-high 21 digs and senior Karly Drolson added a season-best 16 digs. Freshman Zana Muno started the first two sets and had 23 assists and eight digs, while senior Michaela Leonard started the final three and posted 35 assists and five digs. The Bruins hit .177 for the match.
After dropping the initial point of the match, the Bruins scored five in a row on an Arizona service error, three straight Buechler kills and one by Felix. The four-point edge was UCLA's biggest lead of the set on multiple occasions. At 10-6, the Wildcats scored six of seven to take a 12-11 advantage, but a Buechler kill and an Arizona attack error made it 13-12 UCLA.
The score was tied at each number from 11 to 17, but a 6-2 Arizona run put the home team up 23-19. The Bruins closed to within a pair thanks to a Buechler kill and Inouye ace, but Arizona would hold on for the 25-22 victory in the first. Buechler recorded nine of the Bruins' 14 kills in the first, while Formico added nine digs, as the Bruins were out-hit .262 to .146.
Arizona held early one-point leads of 2-1 and 3-2 in the second when the Bruins scored seven of eight to go up 9-4. The Bruin block was big with a pair of combos by Felix and Muno and a solo by Felix, to go along with two kills by Buechler and one by junior Jennie Frager. The Bruins' largest advantage was five on numerous occasions and as late as 22-17. With UCLA still up 23-19, the Wildcats scored three straight, but a UA attack error made it 24-22 to give the Bruins a pair of set points.
The Wildcats saved both attempts and scored three straight to earn their first set point, but back-to-back Buechler kills earned UCLA a third set point. The score was even again at 27 following a third saved Arizona set point, but the Wildcats scored the final two of the second to win it 29-27. Buechler led the Bruins with six kills, Anderson added five and Felix posted three kills with three blocks. Defensively, Formico had 10 digs, Inouye added seven and Muno recorded five, as the Bruins were out-hit .188 to .182.
The end of the third set was nearly a carbon copy of the second, but the Bruins would hang on to force a fourth. UCLA held the lead throughout before saving a match point. The Bruins' largest lead was four on several occasions, going up early 8-4. Tied at 14, a 5-1 UCLA run on two Ngauamo kills and three Arizona errors put the visitors up 19-15. The Bruins still led by four at 22-18 before Arizona went on a 4-1 run to cut it to two at 23-22.
An Anderson kill gave the Bruins two set points, but three in a row for the Wildcats gave the home team a match point. Back-to-back Buechler kills gave UCLA a third set point, and it would be the charm, as a Ngauamo kill wrapped up a 27-25 victory. Anderson and Buechler each had six kills in the third, while Ngauamo added three. Inouye posted four digs, as the Bruins out-hit the Wildcats .300 to .239.
The Bruins trailed in the first half of the fourth set, but came back to force a fifth. At six-all, the Wildcats scored six of seven to go ahead 12-7. UCLA responded with its own 6-1 run on kills by freshman Kyra Rogers and Ngauamo, a Buechler/Rogers combo block, a Felix solo stuff and two Arizona errors. After a sideout, another 5-1 Bruin run on three Buechler kills and two from Felix gave the Bruins the lead for good at 18-15.
At 18-17, two Anderson kills, a Felix kill and an Arizona attack error as part of a 4-1 run made it 22-18. The teams sided out the rest of the set, as UCLA won the fourth 25-21. Felix and Ngauamo each had five kills, while Buechler added four. In the digs department, Formico had seven, while Drolson, Inouye and Ngauamo all had six. The Bruins out-hit Arizona .196 to .082.
The Bruins took a 2-1 lead in the fifth, but the Wildcats netted the next four and didn't trail for the rest of the set. UCLA closed to within one at 8-7, but could get no closer, as Arizona won the fifth 15-10. Ngauamo led the Bruins with two kills, while Formico posted seven digs, as the Bruins were out-hit .226 to .000.
UCLA travels to #1 USC on Wednesday at 8 p.m. The match will air on Pac-12 Networks and will feature free audio on UCLABruins.com.
