SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Volleyball dropped a pair of contests to two very good opponents on Saturday. La Salle took UCSB and San Diego deep and threatened to take a set on more than one occasion, but the pair of California teams proved capable adversaries. Junior Samantha Graver played well throughout and was named to the All-Tournament Team as a result. Against the Gauchos and Toreros, she combined for 27 kills and 24 digs.
 
UCSB 3, La Salle 0
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The first set was one of runs, with the Gauchos starting off on a 4-2 spark. La Salle responded well and turned the tide with a 7-3 run, but UCSB tallied six straight points to make it 13-9. The Explorers then closed it to 15-15, before the home side retook the lead. It wasn't until late on, when La Salle embarked on a 9-3 run, that UCSB appeared on its heels. The Explorers led 24-21, set point, yet the Gauchos remarkably managed four unanswered with their backs to the wall. The two teams continued to trade precarious advantages until UCSB struck for three straight to take the set 31-29.
• The home team opened the second with a 6-2 flurry; La Salle subsequently scored four unanswered to tie things up. UCSB then responded strongly with a 10-4 period that gave the Californians a lead they would not relinquish. The Blue & Gold came within two twice—notably trailing 20-18 before the Gauchos would tally four and put the set out of reach.
• The final frame was characterized by length, dominant run by each side. The Gauchos began emphatically on a 7-1 tear; La Salle would respond in kind with a 7-1 run of its own later on to trail UCSB 11-10. After that, the home team seemed to wake up and stretched its lead to 21-13. However, the Explorers refused to die and put together it's most impressive rally of the game, outscoring its opponent 9-3 and positioning themselves within striking distance. With the score at 24-22, UCSB would record a kill to just survive.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Graver recorded her first 20-kill game of the campaign against the Guachos. She finished with a hitting percentage of .349 and chipped in a double-double with 10 digs.
• Senior Kathryn Wood was the other Explorer with a double-double in this match, going for 32 assists and 14 digs.
• Senior Catherine Edgington and freshman Marisa Guisti made their presences felt in front of net with four total blocks apiece.

 
San Diego 3, La Salle 0
HOW IT HAPPENED

• La Salle started strongly against the Toreros, beginning the opening set with a 5-2 lead. San Diego would then commence on two separate runs. It responded with five straight t take a two-point lead; La Salle would answer back and go ahead again at 9-8. The Toreros would take total control thereafter with a 14-2 stretch that La Salle could not recover from.
• The following set again started brightly for the Explorers with an early 5-3 advantage, but an 11-3 run by San Diego would put the Toreros up by six. La Salle didn't have much of an answer, going for a point here and there, as the California side continued to push the envelope until it was 24-12. The Explorers rattled off three straight points—its longest stretch of the set—but San Diego claimed the frame with a kill.
• La Salle continued to make an impact at the beginning of sets, flashing that lightning in a bottle again in the third with a 7-5 start. Unlike the previous two frames, the Explorers kept up the pressure and maintained a lead, remaining on top until 15-13. San Diego demonstrated its fortitude to go on an 8-3 run that would give it a slight lead. La Salle would hang close, even down by one at 24-23, but the Toreros again killed it off, this time to claim the game.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• Graver, Corah and Edgington each tallied seven kills in the contest, with Graver also adding 14 digs to her line.
• Wood set up 30 assists and recorded six digs, also adding an ace in the process.
• Junior Reilly Lowe went for a season-high five kills against the Toreros, doing so with a .364 hitting percentage.

UP NEXT

• La Salle crosses back over the country and will remain local next weekend. The team will take on Delaware on Friday and Princeton on Saturday at Villanova.