UCLA rallies past UCI

IRVINE – If one might have wondered if a spirited first-game performance by the UC Irvine women’s volleyball team Friday only served to make visiting UCLA mad, 41st-year Bruins Coach Andy Banachowski’s post-match grin all but confirmed as much.

“Well, we don’t like to lose,” Banachowski said after the aforementioned smile, when asked how his No. 5-ranked team recovered for a 27-30, 30-20, 30-20, 30-17, triumph in the opening round of the UC Irvine/Nike Invitational before a beyond-capacity crowd of 770 at Crawford Court.

“Our kids stepped up, got a little more intense and we got a little more exact in what we were doing,” said Banachowski, who credited the Anteaters (6-2) for a strong opening salvo.

“I thought [the Anteaters] played great coming out,” Banachowski said. “They were more aggressive and served smart and really played great in that first game. They pushed us back on our heels.”

UCI Coach Charlie Brande said his team’s opening-game performance was the best it has played all season.

“With the athleticism we have, we just need to learn to sustain that against a good team,” said Brande, whose team completes tournament play today against Southern Mississippi (11 a.m.) and William & Mary (7 p.m.).

UCI utilized efficient hitting from middle blockers Chelsea Ellis and Kristin Kelley to earn its first game victory over UCLA in their 10 meetings. Ellis, a 6-foot-3 sophomore, had a team-best five kills in seven attempts, without an error, for a .714 hitting percentage in the opening game.

Kelley, a 6-3 senior, had four kills in six tries, also without an error, to produce a .667 hitting percentage.

Sophomore outside hitter Alex Filkins added four first-game kills for the ’Eaters, who hit .306 as a team in the opening game, to UCLA’s .216 clip.

But Brande said UCI’s inability to sustain a consistent passing attack prevented it from continuing to capitalize on its middle attack.

And once the Bruins got going, there was little for the pro-UCI crowd, including members of the NCAA champion men’s volleyball team – dressed mostly in swim trunks and tank tops – to expend much energy over.

“We went away from it,” Brande said of the middle attack, though Kelley finished with a team-leading 13 kills, hitting .296.

Junior outside hitter Lauren Kellerman, a returning first-team All-Big West Conference performer, had 11 kills, while Ellis finished with nine. Ellis’s .444 hitting percentage was best among her teammates.

UCI was also hurt by 17 serving errors, more than double the Bruins’ eight. UCLA also produced five service aces, to just two by the Anteaters.

Freshman outside hitter Kari Pestolesi, who entered the match leading UCI in kills, had seven, as did Filkins. But Pestolesi had 10 hitting errors in 36 attempts, giving her a negative .083 hitting percentage for the match.

Brande said his team may have learned more in its last two losses (including a four-game setback against Loyola Marymount Tuesday), than it did in building a 6-0 record to begin the season.

“It’s Sept. 7, so there’s a long time left,” Brande said. “We’ve learned some lessons and well learn more as we go. But I think they’ll come back strong [today].”

Junior libero Devon Southerland had a match-high 20 digs for UCI. Pestolesi added 15.

Sophomore Taryn Robinson had 44 assists for the Anteaters.

Senior Rachell Johnson paced UCLA with 18 kills and finished with a .389 hitting percentage.

Ali Dailey and Kaitlin Sather had 14 and 13 kills, respectively, for the Bruins.