MERCED, Calif. - The University of California, Merced women's volleyball team came up short Saturday night, falling 1-3 (20-25, 25-14, 18-25, 21-25) to Simpson University inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.

Olivia Harden and Olanasaze Ojo highlighted the Bobcats (4-6) efforts in the final regular season home match of the spring campaign. 

Harden neared a career-high with 14 kills, while Ojo was good for eight kills and six blocks. Ojo has six blocks in each of the last two matches and with those numbers, the freshman is now guaranteed to become the third player in program history to finish with a block per set average over the course of the regular season. Ojo's elite company includes Jaysonna Johnson and Genesis Hester.

Teola Nowak was in on a few of Ojo's blocks in the match, finishing with career-high four blocks overall to go along with seven kills.

Lexus Lagumbay led the efforts in the back row with a team-high 16 digs. Madison Mayoralgo and Destiny Lei Ramilo also had double figure digs, finishing with 15 and 12, respectively. Lei Ramilo finished one dig off her career-high. 

Mayoraglo, who was celebrated throughout the day due to it being her final regular season home game, became the fourth Bobcat in program history to surpass the 700 career dig mark.

Quarterbacking the Bobcats offense was the duo of Bianca Malaluan (19 assists) and Serena Choi (18 assists).

However, it was Edwena Wong to get the Bobcats on the board first with a successful bump set to Harden. The first set would end up being tightly contested throughout. The set was tied multiple times, including at 8-8, 14-14, 16-16, and as late as the 19-19 mark. Though, Simpson broke the 19-19 tie and never looked back. Back-to-back Red Hawk blocks put the visitors up 21-19 and they scored four of the next five points to win the set 25-20.

The majority of set two was controlled by UC Merced. Up 12-11, Nowak smacked a kill into the hardwood that started the Bobcats best stretch of the night, a 9-0 run. The run was highlighted by a pair of Ojo/Nowak blocks and a Mayoralgo service ace. The run put the Bobcats up 21-11. The two teams traded sideouts the rest of the frame until the Bobcats hit 25 points and evened the match with a 25-14 set win. Valentina Evans recorded set point with one of her six kills.

Set three began with Harden's first solo block of the season. The junior is the fifth Bobcat with a solo block this year. However, less than five minutes later tied 6-6, Simpson embarked on a 7-0 run and the Bobcats were never able to recover from the 6-13 deficit. The closest the Bobcats got was within four points at the 16-20 mark. Simpson's offensive leader Lily Johnson, who held match-high with 17 kills, finished the set soon after with a kill to put her team up on the night.

Entering the day, the Bobcats had won 13 straight matches against Simpson dating back to the 2014 season. Hoping to extend the streak, the Bobcats gave a mighty comeback attempt and rallied from an 11-17 deficit to pull within a point at 20-21. The Bobcats surge was highlighted by a strong stretch from Choi, where the freshman setter recorded multiple assists, a block and a service ace.

Down 20-21, the Bobcats failed to deny Simpson's Ashley Collins and a Red Hawk kill created a two-point gap between the foes. Simpson scored again to go up 23-20. A few plays later, their opposite Kendall Welpott notched a kill for match-point.

Up next, the Bobcats look to bounce back on Thursday, April 1 at Simpson. The regular season finale's first serve is scheduled for 5:00pm.