MESA, Ariz. – Serena Choi recorded a triple-double but the University of California, Merced women's volleyball team was unable to complete a reverse sweep and fell in five sets at Park University Gilbert on Saturday night, 3-2 (25-11, 25-20, 19-25, 23-25, 12-15).
The Bobcats (7-14, 6-3) five-set affair was the third in Cal Pac action, falling to 2-1 in such matches.
Choi recorded her first triple-double of the season with 13 kills, 13 assists, and 12 digs. The only player in program history with a triple-double now has four in her career. Her 12 digs marked her highest digs output of her four career triple-doubles, while her kills total was her second highest. The senior also had two blocks.
Sera Riley tallied 13 kills and seven digs, while Morgan Wilson smacked nine kills on a .250 hitting percentage.
Bianca Malaluan quarterbacked the offense with 22 assists.
Destiny Lei Ramilo and Semiramis Tanasescu led the Bobcats defensive efforts with 18 digs and six blocks, respectively. One of Tanasescu's six blocks was a solo block.
Other individual notables include five kills from Alyssa Dudley, three blocks from Kennedi Baker, and two service aces each from Lei Ramilo and Kyra Miller. Jazmine Banks and Haley Branley had eight and seven digs, respectively.
Lei Ramilo moved into a tie with Lexus Lagumbay for second on the program's all-time service aces list with 91 career service aces.
Park Gilbert jumped out to a 2-0 match lead starting with their first set success which saw the Bucs operate at a match-best .370 success rate offensively. The Bucs used an 8-0 run to create separation and led by at least seven points from the 10-3 point on. Park led by double figures at 18-8 on their way to the 25-11 set one win.
The Bobcats were tied with Park Gilbert as late as the 15-15 mark in the second set but were never able to take the lead. Trailing 19-17, the Bobcats saw the opponent score four unanswered to inch closer to set point. Choi staved off one set point with a kill, but a UC Merced service error gave the Bucs their 25th point and a 2-0 match lead.
Lei Ramilo started the Bobcats off with a service ace in the third set before having to help her team play catchup. The Bobcats trailed 10-6 before embarking on a 7-1 run to grab a 13-11 lead. Wilson had four kills in the Bobcats run. Then tied 18-18, head coach Ai Prachumsri's team finished the set on a 7-1 run highlighted by a pair of Choi kills and a Dudley kill for set point to extend the match into the fourth frame.
Trailing 9-6 in the fourth set, back-to-back Riley kills started a UC Merced run that put them up 11-9 at its peak. The two teams traded leads for a good portion of the frame. Park led 19-16, but the Bobcats regained the advantage at 20-19 and either led or found themselves tied the rest of the set. Tied 22-22, a setting error gave the Bobcats another lead and then a Lei Ramilo service ace set the Bobcats up for set point. Choi took the Bobcats to a fifth set, scoring the 25th point via a kill.
UC Merced held just two leads at 1-0 and 2-1 in the fifth set but still threatened to reverse sweep the Bucs and beat Park Gilbert for the first time in program history. The Bobcats trailed by four at 9-5 but pulled within a point with a pair of Wilson kills and an opponent attack error. A 5-0 run then put the Bucs up 14-8 and serving for match point. The Bobcats extended the game for five more rallies, winning four rallies in a row before ultimately falling 15-12.
Railey Druxman, who held match-high with 16 kills, recorded her final kill for match point.
UC Merced was without Alexa Ultreras on Saturday night.
Looking ahead, UC Merced will have a bye week before starting the second half of Cal Pac play by hosting Providence Christian College on Thursday, October 12 at 6:00pm inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium.
