PRESCOTT, Ariz. – The University of California, Merced women's volleyball team was on the wrong end of a sweep on Friday night, falling 3-0 (25-19, 25-14, 25-22) to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
The Bobcats (7-13, 6-3) two-match losing streak is their first in Cal Pac play.
Alexa Ultreras led the Bobcats with six kills and five digs, while middle blocker Semiramis Tanasescu and Morgan Wilson pitched in five kills each. Wilson recorded a .300 hitting percentage. Wilson and Ultreras also notched a block.
Bianca Malaluan was good for nine assists and a service ace.
Destiny Lei Ramilo and Sera Riley pitched in seven digs and a service ace each.
The Eagles were led by the duo of Katie Rolle and Dalia Haase. Rolle finished with 33 assists and four blocks, while Haase had eleven kills on a .588 hitting percentage.
Embry-Riddle took the first set behind a match-best .375 hitting percentage. Tied 4-4 early on, the Eagles surged forward for a 9-2 run to grab a seven-point advantage. Ultreras helped close the gap to three for the Bobcats at 14-11 but that was as close as it got. The Bobcats also trailed by three points at 16-13 before seeing the Eagles take over the rest of the set and win it 25-19.
A 4-0 UC Merced run highlighted by a Riley service ace had the Bobcats up 5-3 in the second set but ERAU countered with four straight points of their own. After the Bobcats grabbed the lead back, the Eagles went on another 4-0 run and never looked back, going on a 15-4 set-ending run overall to take a 2-0 match lead.
Head coach Ai Prachumsri's team held multiple leads in the third set with their first advantage at 8-7 and their biggest lead midway through the frame at 16-13 with the help of Ultreras. The Bobcats threat ended there though as the Eagles used a 6-0 run to take a lead that they never surrendered. UC Merced stayed close and was within a point at 22-21 but only scored one point the rest of the way and fell 25-22. The Eagles Emma Barber, who had nine kills and ten digs, scored match point with a kill.
UC Merced will get a rematch with the Eagles on Hostetler Court on October 26, where the Bobcats earned a five-set win over the perennial Cal Pac championship contender a year ago.
