University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Bruins' Season Ends at Texas
December 12, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
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AUSTIN, Texas. - Junior Jordan Anderson returned to her home state and led the 14th-seeded Bruins with 17 kills, while freshman Zana Muno had a double-double with 35 assists and 20 digs, but UCLA's season came to an end with a four-set loss to #3 Texas in the Regional Semifinals at Gregory Gym on Friday. Set scores were 25-23, 22-25, 10-25, 20-25.
The Bruins concluded their campaign at 25-8, while Texas improved to 28-2.
Junior Taylor Formico (17) and senior Rachel Inouye (12) were each in double figures in digs, while sophomore Reily Buechler was in double figures in kills with 12. Redshirt sophomore Jessyka Ngauamo added eight kills, nine digs and a career-high five blocks, senior Karly Drolson posted eight digs and junior Claire Felix had six kills. The Bruins hit .121 for the match.
Despite six ties, the Bruins never trailed in winning the opening set. UCLA scored the first three points on an Anderson kill, a Felix solo block and another kill by Anderson. After Texas closed to within one at 4-3, a Longhorn attack error and a solo block and kill from Ngauamo extended the lead to a set-best four at 7-3. Texas came back with a 6-2 run to even the score at nine. The score would be tied again at 10, 11 and 12.
Two straight Anderson kills made it 14-12. At 16-15, a Felix kill and a Buechler/Felix block brought the Bruins' lead back to three. At 19-18, Anderson went back-to-back to again to make it a three-point lead. The Longhorns made another rally with a 4-1 run to even things at 22. It was tied at 23, but a Buechler kill and a Texas attack error gave the Bruins the 25-23 win. Anderson had eight of UCLA's 15 kills, while Buechler added four. Muno nearly had a double-double in the first set with 11 assists and nine digs, Formico also had nine digs and Inouye added six. The Bruins out-hit the Longhorns .122 to .118.
After leading throughout the entire first set, the Bruins only led once in the second. Down 5-2, UCLA scored three straight on a block by Muno and junior Jennie Frager, an Anderson kill and a Texas attack error. The Longhorns rallied to re-take another three-point lead, and were up 13-10, before the Bruins went on a 5-1 run to take their only advantage of the set. An attack error and a Muno ace made it 13-12, and after a sideout, kills by Anderson and Buechler and a Frager/Ngauamo block put UCLA up 15-14.
Texas came back with the next three, and despite, ties at 18, 19 and 20, the home team remained in front for the rest of the set. Down 23-20, kills by Frager and Anderson got the Bruins to within one, but the Longhorns netted the next two and won the second 25-22. Anderson and Buechler each led the Bruins with four kills, while Felix and Ngauamo both had three kills. Ngauamo added six digs, as the Bruins were out-hit .361 to .289.
UCLA never led in dropping the third. Texas scored eight of the first nine and got its first double-digit lead at 12-2. The Longhorns' edge never dipped below nine for the rest of the set, as Texas won the third 25-10. Anderson and Ngauamo each had two kills, while Inouye added four digs, as the Bruins were out-hit .375 to -.103.
In the fourth, the Bruins had four leads of one point. However, at 5-4 Bruins, the Longhorns scored six straight to break it open. Texas' lead got as high as nine on multiple occasions. The Bruins made things interesting late by going on a 6-0 run. Down 21-12, an Anderson kill, a Frager/Ngauamo block, a Ngauamo kill, a Texas error, a Muno kill and a Buechler/Frager block cut the deficit to three at 21-18. However, Texas finished the match on a 4-2 run to win the fourth 25-20.
