RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The University of California, Merced women's volleyball team is going to the California Pacific Conference Championship match for the first time since 2020 after a sweep over Providence Christian College in the Cal Pac semifinals on Friday afternoon, 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-17).
The Bobcats (19-7) sweep was their first in Cal Pac Tournament history. Overall, the Bobcats improved to 7-9 in conference tournament matches, including 4-2 in their last six postseason games dating back to the 2020 campaign.
UC Merced recorded three-set program-record's of 53 kills and 51 assists in the sweep. The Bobcats finished with a .280 hitting percentage, holding Providence to a .158 mark and just 27 kills. Blocks were even at two apiece, but the Bobcats had three more service aces and won the digs battle 65-51.
Alexa Ultreras held match-high with a three-set career-high16 kills and added nine digs and a service ace.
Cal Pac Player of the Year Sera Riley recorded her first career postseason double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs. She hit .393 (13/2/28). Overall, it was her eleventh double-double of the year including her fifth in a three-set match. Her 14 digs tied her three-set career-high.
Kennedi Baker added nine kills and six digs, while Morgan Wilson put down nine kills on a .421 hitting percentage.
Kyra Miller and Ellie Gordon had 25 and 21 assists, respectively. Miller supported her quarterbacking efforts with six digs, two blocks, a service ace, and a kill.
Gordon's 21 assists marked a season-high and a three-set career-high.
Lei Ramilo tied her three-set season-high with 16 digs. Other notables include six digs from Haley Branley, four kills from Semiramis Tanasescu, and two service aces from Jazmine Banks.
Fourth-seeded PCC came out strong winning four of the first five rallies before the Bobcats returned the favor with a 9-3 run to take a 10-7 lead capped off by an Ultreras kill and then an ace. Then leading 12-11, a Wilson kill sparked a 4-0 run to give the Bobcats a five-point advantage. However, the Sea Beggars kept fighting and pulled even at 18-18. UC Merced answered with back-to-back kills, setting up a set-ending 7-2 run overall on its way to a 1-0 match lead. Riley had three kills in the set-ending run.
The Bobcats used a 7-0 explosion early in the second set highlighted by back-to-back aces and then four consecutive kills to jump out to a 10-4 lead. Banks was behind the service line in the surge. The Sea Beggars continued to show resilience coming back within a point at 13-12 and then eventually tying the score 18-18 with a 4-0 run. Five ties and two lead changes followed down the stretch, including PCC going up 24-23. A Sea Beggar service error allowed the Bobcats to sideout, and then Riley earned set point with a kill. Baker followed with a kill to score set point, 26-24 putting the Bobcats up 2-0 in the semifinal.
Head coach Ai Prachumsri's team held early three-point leads at 3-0 and then again at 9-6 before falling behind a little later, 13-12. Riley followed with back-to-back kills as the Bobcats retook the lead. Sophomores Wilson and Miller made it a 3-0 spurt with a block to make it 15-13. The 3-0 spurt was just the start of a match-ending 13-4 run for the Bobcats to complete the sweep. The finish included three different 3-0 runs, and one 4-0 run. Baker captured the Bobcats 24th point with a kill setting up match point with Banks serving. After a couple hits, Banks dug a Sea Beggar and her pass ended up landing on the Beggars side of the court scoring match point. UC Merced won the set 25-17 and the match 3-0.
In the UC Merced Record Books:
- Ultreras moved into a tie with Jaysonna Johnson for fourth in program history with 658 career kills
- Ultreras passed Hannah Castillo for ninth in program history with 73 career service aces
- Riley passed Cassandra Diaz and McKenzie Willett, and moved into a tie with Genna Garrett for fifth in program history with 75 career service aces
- Riley became the fourth player in program history with at least 300 kills in a season, joining Dominique Andrews, Jade Fachin, and Ultreras.
Up next, the Bobcats will play the winner of the semifinal match between second-seeded Simpson and third-seeded La Sierra in the Cal Pac Championship match. The championship match is scheduled for Saturday, November 16 at 7:00pm inside Alumni Pavilion in Riverside, Calif.
