10th-Ranked UCLA Bruins Volleyball Team Rallies to Beat #25 Arizona in Five-Set Thriller
Oct. 15, 2010
TUCSON, Ariz. - The 10th-ranked Bruins trailed two sets to one and 5-0 and 13-10 in the deciding fifth set, but came back to defeat #25 Arizona on Friday at the McKale Center. Set scores were 22-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-15, 16-14. Sophomore Rachael Kidder and freshmen Kelly Reeves and Madie Smith each posted double-doubles, while junior Lainey Gera and sophomore Bojana Todorovic both had career highs in digs.
Kidder had her second-straight double-double with 18 kills, 11 digs (tied a career high) and four blocks, while Reeves notched a personal-best 17 kills and 10 digs, hitting a season-high .484 with just two errors in 31 swings. Smith, starting for an injured Lauren Van Orden at setter, recorded 52 assists and a career-high 12 digs in her first-ever start. Gera surpassed the 30-dig mark for the second time in her career with 32, while Todorovic added 25 digs, her first-career contest with 20-plus digs. Senior Dicey McGraw was also in double figures in kills with 13. The Bruins hit .172 for the match.
The opening set featured 17 ties and 11 lead changes, with neither team leading by more than three and the Wildcats drawing first blood. Through the first 17 points, the score was tied or the lead changed hands 13 times until with Arizona leading 9-8, the Bruins reeled off three in a row to take a set-best edge of two. Kidder and McGraw each posted kills and an Arizona attack error gave UCLA an 11-9 advantage. The Wildcats notched the next three to get the lead back at 12-11, but consecutive kills by McGraw and Kidder put the Bruins back up 13-12.
The Wildcats (14-5, 3-3 Pac-10) rallied with five of the next six to take a set-best lead of three at 17-14, but three straight and five of six by the Bruins gave the visitors the lead back. After an Arizona service error, a Kidder solo block and a combo roof by Kidder and junior Katie Camp evened the score at 17. The Wildcats sided out the next point, but a Camp stuff block and a kill from Kidder made it 19-18 in favor of the Bruins. It was the last lead UCLA enjoyed though, as Arizona finished off the set with seven of the last 10 points to take the first 25-22. Kidder had five kills in the opener, while McGraw added four. Gera recorded nine digs in the first, while Smith and Todorovic had seven apiece. The Bruins were out-hit .175 to .115.
The second set only featured four ties and three lead changes, but the Bruins, who led by as many as four early on, relinquished the lead only to come back late to win the second and even the match. Down 6-5, UCLA scored six of seven to take an 11-7 advantage. A kill by Kidder and a solo block and kill from junior Sara Sage gave the Bruins an 8-6 lead. After an Arizona sideout, the Wildcats committed a service error, Reeves produced a kill and Todorovic served an ace to put UCLA up by four. The Wildcats stormed back though with 10 of the next 13 to go up by three at 17-14.
The Wildcats still led by three at 19-16, but the Bruins rallied with the next six to take a 22-19 advantage. Kills by Reeves and Kidder and the first of four Arizona attack errors evened things at 19. After back-to-back UA miscues, a Kidder solo block extended the Bruins lead to three. The Wildcats made things interesting with three of the next four to make it 23-22, but a Reeves kill gave the Bruins their first set point at 24-22. Arizona saved the first try, but a kill from Kidder gave the Bruins a 25-23 triumph. Kidder posted six kills in the second, while Reeves added three. Todorovic notched 10 digs in the set and Gera recorded seven, as the Bruins out-hit the Wildcats .214 to .109.
The Bruins (13-4, 3-3) led for most of the third set, but the Wildcats slowly chipped away and came through with the win. After dropping the first point, UCLA tallied the next six on two kills and a solo block by McGraw, two stuff roofs from Sage and a Reeves kill. The Bruins maintained a 14-10 edge when they scored three in a row on an Arizona attack error, a Reeves kill and a Sage ace to take a set-best advantage of seven at 17-10.
UCLA still led by five at 21-16, but Arizona began to make its move with three in a row and six of the next seven to even the score at 22. A Kidder kill made it 23-22, but the Wildcats recorded the next two to earn set point. Kidder saved the first attempt with a kill, but the Wildcats got the next two and won the third 26-24. Reeves posted six kills in the third, while Kidder and McGraw added three apiece. Gera had seven digs in the set, as the Bruins were out-hit .268 to .175.
After the tough loss in set three, the Bruins came back big in the fourth to force a fifth set. The Wildcats scored three of the first four points of the fourth, but the Bruins scored the next three on a Reeves kill and back-to-back Arizona attack errors to go up 4-3. UCLA never trailed for the rest of the set. Up 9-7, the Bruins netted the next five on a kill from McGraw, a solo block by Kidder and consecutive kills from Sage, Kidder and Reeves to go up 14-7.
The Wildcats notched the next four to cut their deficit to three at 14-11, but a 3-0 run on two kills from Reeves and a Sage ace made it 17-11. Arizona sided out the next point, but UCLA got the next four on a Wildcat service error, two Reeves aces and a Kidder kill to take a 21-12 advantage. With the score 22-15, the Bruins registered the last three points of the set on a kill by Camp and two from McGraw to win it 25-15. Reeves had five kills in the fourth, while McGraw added four. Todorovic had seven digs, as the Bruins out-hit the Wildcats .312 to .108.
The Bruins dug themselves a hole to start the fifth set, as Arizona scored the first five points. UCLA came back though and eventually took a lead. Down 6-2, the Bruins received a Reeves kill, an Arizona attack error, a Kidder kill and a Reeves/Sage combo block to tie the score at six. The Wildcats sided out the next point, but back-to-back kills from Reeves and Kidder gave the Bruins an 8-7 advantage.
But Arizona responded with six of the next eight to re-take the lead 13-10. UCLA would not quit though, scoring the next four to earn its first match point. Following a service and attack error by the Wildcats, Gera served an ace and another attack error by Arizona made it 14-13 in favor of the visitors. The Wildcats saved the first match point, but a kill by sophomore Mari Hole earned the Bruins a second try and yet another attack miscue by Arizona gave UCLA the 16-14 victory. Reeves had three kills to pace the Bruins in the fifth, as UCLA won despite getting out-hit .108 to .062.
The Bruins conclude their desert road trip at Arizona State on Saturday. First serve is at 7 p.m. and Gametracker will be available at UCLABruins.com.
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