REDDING, Calif. - The University of California, Merced women's volleyball team earned a five-set win in the regular season finale, beating Simpson University 3-2 (25-20, 20-25, 15-25, 26-24, 15-13) Thursday night inside the James. M Grant Center.
The win marked the Bobcats (5-6) sixth straight win in regular season finale's. The win also marked the Bobcats eighth straight regular season road win dating back to last season.
Serena Choi and Olivia Harden highlighted the Bobcats efforts in the victory. Choi quarterbacked the offense with a career-high 31 assists, while Olivia Harden was good for ten kills and a career-high five solo blocks.
Harden becomes just the fourth player in program history with at least five solo blocks in a match, joining Jaysonna Johnson, Olanasaze Ojo and Jericka Jones. Harden is the first non-middle blocker to do so.
Like Harden, Lexus Lagumbay also was in rhythm with Choi throughout the night and provided a boost to the offense with a season-high 13 kills. Lagumbay's total was the second highest of her career. The junior also pitched in six digs and a service ace.
Ojo was good for eight kills and three blocks, while Teola Nowak and Edwena Wong each had five kills. Wong's dumps total was a career-high. Wong contributed heavily on the defensive side as well, finishing with 14 digs, one away from tying her career-high.
Madison Mayoralgo shared match-high with 16 digs and held match-high with a career-high three service aces. Mayoralgo had two aces in each of the last two matches prior to adding one more for the career-high tally on Thursday night.
Other notables include eleven assists from Bianca Malaluan, three blocks from Valentina Evans and three kills, two blocks from Choi.
The Bobcats totaled 11.5 blocks as a team and limited to Simpson to a .163 hitting percentage. The 11.5 blocks is a season-high.
Head coach Ai Prachumsri's team is now 1-1 in five-set matches this season. Dating back to 2019, the Bobcats have won three of their last four five-set affairs.
UPDATED, APRIL 2
Up next, the Bobcats will begin preparation for the upcoming California Pacific Conference Women's Volleyball Championships scheduled to begin April 5. The Bobcats, who have now made seven straight conference tournaments, enter as the #4 seed and will play #3 La Sierra University on Monday, April 5 at 7:30pm inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
The winner advances to the title game on Tuesday, April 6 and will play either #1 BenU Mesa or #2 University of Saint Katherine.
