MERCED, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's volleyball team improved upon their best Cal Pac start in program history with a five-set win over Simpson University on Friday night inside the Joseph Edward Gallo Gymnasium, winning 3-2 (25-16, 25-22, 21-25, 17-25, 17-15).
With the victory, the Bobcats (7-11, 6-1) have their second three-match winning streak of the season and remain perfect at home through four contests.
Alexa Ultreras shined on both ends of the floor and notched her third consecutive double-double with a career-high 19 kills to go along with 22 digs. Her 19 kills were three more than her previous career-high and she accomplished the feat on a .311 hitting percentage, while her 22 digs marked the second highest digs output in her time as a Bobcat. With her efforts, she passed 200 kills on the year and is currently the only player in the NAIA with at least 200 kills and 225 digs in 2023.
Sera Riley finished with 13 kills and two blocks, one solo.
Morgan Wilson and Semiramis Tanasescu pitched in eight and seven kills, respectively. Wilson also had four blocks, while Tanasescu operated at a .357 success rate offensively in addition to recording three blocks. Wilson had one solo block.
Serena Choi tallied 21 assists, seven digs, six kills, and tied her season-high's with four blocks and two service aces. Choi passed McKenzie Willett and Cassandra Diaz and moved into a tie with Genna Garrett for fourth in program history with 75 career service aces.
Bianca Malaluan was good for 26 assists and six digs, while Destiny Lei Ramilo added 17 digs, seven assists, and two service aces.
Lei Ramilo passed Lexus Lagumbay and Genna Garrett for third in program history with 807 career digs.
Other individual notables include six digs from Jazmine Banks, five kills from Kyra Miller, and a solo block from Kennedi Baker.
UC Merced's five-set match was their seventh of the season and head coach Ai Prachumsri's team has now won the last two on back-to-back days. The Bobcats took a 2-0 match lead this time around and extended their winning streak to 38 consecutive matches when going up 2-0 in a match.
The Bobcats most efficient set was the opening frame, hitting .300 and leading wire-to-wire. The Bobcats scored the first four points of the day and used a 5-0 run later on to extend their lead to as many as nine points at 19-10. Riley had two kills in the latter run. Shortly after, a Riley ace gave the Bobcats a 25-16 set one win.
UC Merced jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the second set behind five combined kills from Wilson and Choi. The Bobcats also led by seven points at the 12-5 mark and 13-6 mark before Simpson worked their way back and eventually took a 19-18 lead. UC Merced quickly jumped back in front with a block followed by a kill from Tanasescu. Then tied 22-22, a Riley kill and back-to-back blocks by Baker got the Bobcats the 2-0 match lead with a 25-22 set two win.
The Bobcats never led in the third set but did overcome a pair of deficits to give themselves a chance, first turning a 7-2 deficit into a 7-7 tie and then cutting a four-point margin in half down the stretch to come within two points at 23-21.
In the fourth set, the Bobcats led 9-6 and got kills from five different players in the early goings. However, Simpson surged forward with an 8-0 run scoring points a variety of ways to go on top 15-9. Simpson would lead by as many as nine points at 23-14 before forcing the fifth set with their 25-17 set four win.
Simpson carried that momentum into the fifth set and scored the first five points and six of the first nine. The Red Hawks also led 10-6 before the Bobcats started to turn things around starting with a Haley Branley service ace. The Bobcats pulled even at 11-11, but found themselves having to stave off a Simpson match point down 14-13. A Riley kill did just that and then the sophomore notched a solo block to give the Bobcats their first lead of the set at 15-14. The Bobcats didn't score match point on their first opportunity, but did on their next try as Ultreras killed her 19th ball into the hardwood to put an end to the night.
With the win, UC Merced improved to 20-7 all-time against Simpson and 11-3 on Hostetler Court.
Up next, UC Merced will start a three-match Arizona road trip with Benedictine University Mesa on Thursday, September 28. First serve from the Coyote Center at Chandler-Gilbert Community College in Chandler, Ariz., is scheduled for 7:30pm.
