ANGWIN, Calif. - The University of California, Merced women's volleyball team tallied a three-set season-high 48 kills on a season-best .409 hitting percentage to close out their 2022 campaign with a sweep over Pacific Union College on Friday afternoon, 3-0 (25-17, 25-11, 25-10).

The Bobcats (12-15, 9-11) have now won eight straight regular season finales dating back to 2015. UC Merced's 12 total wins this year matches their wins total from a season ago and the Bobcats won half of their games in 2022 in straight sets.

Valentina Evans held match-high with a three-set career-high nine kills on a stellar .667 hitting percentage (9/1/12). Her .667 success rate matches her career-high with a minimum of ten attempts. The senior also had two blocks. Over the course of the season, Evans' .289 hitting percentage and 72 total blocks rank sixth and eighth in UC Merced's single-season history, respectively. Also of note, Evans' final career block tied Jericka Jones for seventh in program history with 139 career blocks. Evans capped of her career with her first ever service ace, which was the 24th point in the final frame.

Olanasaze Ojo finished with eight kills and three blocks while operating at a .400 success rate offensively. Ojo's hitting percentage was her second highest mark of the campaign and her kills effort moved her ahead of Emily Romo for seventh on the program's all-time kills list with 473 career kills.

Semiramis Tanasecu, Teola Nowak, and Tea Bishop added six kills each. All three Bobcats hit .333 or better. 

Tanasecu also recorded a three-set career-high seven blocks, two of which were solo. Her seven total blocks tied her overall career-high. The freshman finishes the season with a team-best 74 blocks, the second most blocks by a freshman in program history only behind Jaysonna Johnson.

A quartet of setters combined to quarterback the Bobcats red hot offense on Friday. Serena Choi and Bianca Malaluan led the group with 17 and eleven assists, respectively. Ellie Gordon added eight assists, while Jaide Davis finished with five. 

Haley Branley neared her career-high with four service aces. Alexa Ultreras tied her career-high with nine digs.

Other individual notables include four kills and a solo block from Kennedi Baker, six digs from Destiny Lei Ramilo, and two blocks from Serena Choi. Sera Riley had three kills on four swings without an error. 

UC Merced's +37 point differential was their highest in a Cal Pac game this year. 

An early 9-0 run allowed the Bobcats to create separation in the opening set. When the advantage narrowed to two points at 18-16, Hannah Dillingham was responsible for the first of four consecutive UC Merced kills to regain their sizable lead right back. Shortly after, Branley scored set point with her third service ace of the opening frame.

The Bobcats rolled over the Pioneers in the second set behind 20 kills and a .485 hitting percentage. Bishop smacked six kills in the frame to help her team grab a double figure lead as early as the 18-8 mark. Up 19-11, the Bobcats scored six points in a row to win the set 25-11 and take a 2-0 match lead. The Bobcats scored their final six points with five kills and a block.

The Bobcats jumped out to a 12-3 lead in the final frame behind a dominant effort from Ojo that saw her tally four kills and two blocks in that stretch alone. Later on, a pair of Evans kills and a block put the Bobcats up 19-9. Evans then scored the Bobcats 24th point via her first career service ace and then an opponent attack error officially ended the match.

The Bobcats remained in postseason contention with the victory, but La Sierra's win over Providence Christian College on Saturday night put La Sierra in as the final team in the California Pacific Conference Tournament. 

Stay tuned to ucmercedbobcats.com and follow the team on social media @ucmercedwvb for upcoming All-Cal Pac honorees and all offseason news.