Despite three players reaching double digits in kills, the UC Santa Barbara women’s volleyball team dropped a straight-set decision to Miami on Friday in the opener of the Pepperdine Asics Challenge.
Scores were 25-19, 25-23, 25-22. UCSB falls to 1-3 while Miami, which is receiving votes in the latest AVCA poll, improves to 4-0.
Leah Sully led the Gauchos with 13 kills and 17 digs – her fourth straight double-double this year – while Kara Sherrard had 12 kills and Stacey Schmidt added 11 putaways.
Miami, on the other hand, had a balanced attack with no one recording more than nine kills. However two others had eight and two more added seven.
As a team the Hurricanes hit .264 compared to the Gauchos’ .231.
Chelsey Lowe led the Gauchos with 28 digs and Hanna Nielson added 40 assists. Sully had UCSB’s lone service ace and solo block as the Gauchos had just 6.0 team blocks.
Santa Barbara will finish the tourney with a Saturday doubleheader vs. Pepperdine and Georgia.
