Dolan Earns Six Kills in Loss to UCLA
Box Score
LOS ANGELES – Taking on the 12th-ranked team in the country, the UAlbany volleyball team fought well but fell to UCLA 3-0 (15-25, 11-25, 16-25) in the season opener at the Gersten Pavilion.
The first set started back-and-forth, with a couple of early kills from Tatum Jungsten helping UAlbany (0-1) get an early 6-5 lead. UCLA (1-0) won seven of the next eight points, capped by two Karsta Lowe kills. Two Amanda Dolan kills kept UAlbany within four at 13-9, but the Bruins countered by getting seven of the next eight points for a 20-10 lead. UAlbany fell in the first set 25-11.
In the second set, third different Great Danes earned kills in the team’s first three points as UAlbany led early 4-3. After two points for UCLA, UAlbany countered with a pair of points, led by a Jungsten kill, to go back up 6-5. UCLA took back the lead but UAlbany stayed within four with help from a couple of Dolan kills. But UCLA took 12 of the last 14 to lead 20-10 to win the set 25-11 and go up two games.
The Great Danes looked to recover in the third set. After UCLA led 6-3, Jungsten got setup by Rebecca Rivera for the kill. Following a UCLA kill, a couple of Bruins’ attack errors tied the set at seven. At 10-7 UCLA, UAlbany struck back by winning three of the next four on a Dolan kill, Rivera ace and Amy Hunter kill to bring the Great Danes within one at 11-10. A couple of UCLA 4-0 runs gave the designated home team a 19-12 lead. A late Dolan kill was not enough as UCLA took set three 25-16 to win the match 3-0.
In her first match as a Great Dane, Dolan hit .357 with six kills. Jungsten had four kills and a block solo, while Viktoriia Stroilo led all players with 23 digs.
For the Bruins, Karsta Lowe led the Bruins with 11 kills and six digs, while Mariana Aquino hit .529 with 10 kills and a pair of blocks.
Tomorrow, UAlbany will take on host school Loyola Marymount at 3 p.m. ET (12 p.m. PT) and later North Texas at 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 PT) to finish up the tournament.
