MERCED, Calif. – Sera Riley pounded out a career-high 18 kills on a .643 hitting percentage to lead the University of California, Merced women's volleyball team to a sweep over University of Antelope Valley on Saturday night to remain perfect in California Pacific Conference play, winning by set scores of 25-11, 25-10, 25-12.
The Bobcats (4-10, 3-0) are 3-0 in Cal Pac play for the first time since 2015 and for just the second time in program history.
Saturday night's win marked the Bobcats most dominant conference win since October 28, 2021.
Riley didn't commit an error on 27 attempts on her way to a career-night and she became the first player to tally 18 kills without an error in program history. Riley's 18 kills also mark a 2023 team high. The sophomore had nine of her 18 kills in the second set and had five in the third set including scoring match point with a kill.
Overall, the Bobcats recorded a three-set season-high 46 kills on a season-best .357 hitting percentage.
Morgan Wilson was good for eight kills on a .333 hitting percentage, while Alexa Ultreras pitched in six kills and eight digs. Ultreras officially joined the 150-kill, 150-dig single-season club, the first Bobcat to do so since 2021 and the seventh all-time.
A night after tying her single-game career-high in assists, senior setter Bianca Malaluan recorded 19 more assists and notched a career milestone as she registered her 1,000th career assist. Malaluan is the sixth player in program history to hit that mark, the third under head coach Ai Prachumsri. Malaluan also recorded 12 digs for her third consecutive double-double in Cal Pac play.
Destiny Lei Ramilo contributed six digs, four assists, and two service aces.
Other notables include eight assists and five digs from Serena Choi, six digs from Haley Branley, and two blocks, one solo, from Semiramis Tanasescu. Kyra Miller had four kills on five swings.
UC Merced recorded a match-best .419 hitting percentage in the first set to set the tone for the rest of the game. The Bobcats also used an early 8-0 run, turning a 4-4 tie into a 12-4 lead that the Bobcats never surrendered. Lei Ramilo had two aces in the surge, while Tanasescu had two blocks and a kill. Shortly after, the Bobcats scored five in a row to extend their lead to 13 points at 19-6. Back-to-back kills from Wilson got the Bobcats to set point which was scored on a Riley kill.
Wilson and Riley opened up the second frame with a kill to put the Bobcats in a position to lead wire-to-wire. The Bobcats would indeed win the set wire-to-wire and led by nine as early as the 13-4 mark. Up 19-9 later on, Riley scored five of the Bobcats final six points on kills, including the final three in a row. Her kill for game point was an over kill.
The Bobcats also led from start to finish in set three and it was Miller and Kylah Guzman to combine to score four of the Bobcats first five points. Miller earned an assist on a Wilson kill to put the Bobcats up 15-8. Head coach Ai Prachumsri's team went up ten points at 21-11 before ultimately winning the set 25-12 to complete the sweep.
The Bobcats sweep was their second in the three-match winning streak. The sweep was also the fourth in a row over Antelope Valley dating back to 2021. Overall, UC Merced improved to 14-2 all-time against the opponent.
Up next, UC Merced travels back to San Marcos, Calif., to take on University of Saint Katherine on Thursday, September 14. First serve in the battle between two undefeated teams in Cal Pac play is scheduled for 6:00pm at the USK Sports Complex.
