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The UCSB women’s volleyball team fell in its season-opener to Northern Colorado 3-1 (25-17, 25-23, 26-24, 25-23) Friday night as a part of the Northern Colorado/Colorado State Tournament.
The Gauchos led the match in both points with 71 and kills with 50 compared to 63 and 49 for the host bears.
UCSB also led with 48 assists and 15 total blocks.
Tasia Farmer led the way on the offensive end tallying 12 kills swinging a .296 clip.
Macall Peed led all players with 17 digs and was perfect on the receiving end converting on all 21 serves sent her way.
Grace McIntosh and Megan Shimoda split the setter duties recording 20 assists and 19 assists, respectively.
Deni Wilson added nine kills to go along with nine blocks and Michelle Ohwobete had seven kills and 12 digs.
The Bears led the first set from 2-1 on as they outhit the Gauchos .440 to .138.
Wilson got started early recording five kills on a potent 5-1-6 (.667) line.
Shimoda found 15 of her 19 assists in the set.
The second set was a much closer affair as the frame saw 13 ties and nine lead changes, the most in the match.
The two teams remained within three points of each other deep into the late points. Tied at 20 apiece, the Bears edged out the Gauchos thanks to a trio of kills by Rachel Hickman, including the clinching point to close it out at 25-23.
UCSB sent down seven blocks in the set to hold UNC to just a .029 hitting percentage
The first set win of the season came in the third and it did not come easy as the Gauchos grinded to take it in extra points.
After trailing by as much as six at 14-8, UCSB stormed back and used a series of big runs to knot things up at 22-22. A huge kill from Ohwobete tied things up and a block by Farmer and Wilson gave UCSB set point. After seeing the match tied again at 24-24, Farmer picked up a solo block and a kill to keep the match alive.
Farmer finished the set with six kills swinging a .455 clip.
The final set was led primarily by the Gauchos who parlayed the third-set momentum into the fourth and got as much a five-point lead.
Up 21-17, UCSB saw three straight attacking errors that let the Bears back in as the host team tied it at 21-21.
The Gauchos got a kill from Tallulah Froley that made it a 23-22 game in their favor but Northern Colorado rattled off a 3-0 run to end it.
Daniel Moebus-Bowles writes about sports for UCSB.
email: sports@newspress.com
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