Sept. 5, 2003
STANFORD, Calif. - A scrappy defensive effort was not enough for the seventh-ranked UC Santa Barbara women's volleyball team to upset No. 3 Florida, which opened the Stanford Invitational with a 30-23, 30-28, 30-21 sweep Friday evening in Maples Pavilion.
The Gauchos, who had three players record double-digit dig totals, dropped their second consecutive match to fall to 1-2 on the young season. Meanwhile UF has now won five in a row to improve to 5-1 overall, and gave head coach Mary Wise her 400th career victory.
Florida jumped out to a quick lead in the first game, as Benavia Jenkins scored four of the Gators' first five points with three kills followed by a service ace. After a block from Taylor Williams and Lauren Moscovic gave Florida a 6-2 advantage, Moscovic began a six-point serving run that included three kills by Williams to give UF a 12-4 lead. That run forced UCSB to use a timeout. The Gauchos came out of the stoppage and went on a 7-2 run to pull to within three points at 14-11 before Florida used its first timeout to stop the momentum. UCSB got to within one point at 15-14 before Michelle Chatman took over and scored the next three points for Florida with two kills and a service ace for an 18-14 lead. The two teams then traded points, with the Gauchos moving to within one several times, but Florida took over the momentum in going on a 5-1 run to take a 27-22 lead. The Gators won the opening stanza 30-23.
UF took the lead again in the second game as Jane Collymore led the Gators on a six-point serving run. That spurt gave Florida a 7-1 advantage. The Gators extended that margin to 9-2, forcing Santa Barbara head coach Kathy Gegory to burn a timeout. The next stretch nearly mirrored game one, as UCSB lived up to its billing as a very defensive-minded team and would not let a ball hit the floor. The Gauchos went on a 10-5 run to close to within two at 14-12 before Florida took a timeout. With a 16-14 advantage, Florida went on a 3-0 run to extend its lead to 19-14 with kills from Williams and Collymore. After trading points on the next two plays and Florida holding a 20-16 lead, UCSB opened a 5-0 run to take its first lead of the match at 21-20. The Gators then called another timeout to stop the momentum and immediately went to Cruz who produced two straight kills to give Florida the 22-21 lead. The teams then traded points, and after the Gauchos led 26-24, kills from Cruz and Williams knotted the game at 26-26 and Jenkins gave the Gators the lead back with a service ace. UCSB tied it again after Florida was called for a net violation, then the Gators retook the lead on a long attack by the Gauchos. UCSB knotted it again at 28-28 before kills by Cruz and Williams, respectively, gave the Gators the 30-28 win in game two.
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With her kill to give Florida a 4-1 lead in game three, Cruz moved into third place in school history in career kills, passing Jenny Wood's total of 1,387. UCSB came back and tied the game at 4-4, and then with Florida leading 6-5, the Gators went on a 5-0 run for the 11-5 advantage and forced the Gauchos to call a timeout. The closest UCSB would get was five points at 18-13 as the Gators would build a 24-17 lead. After a timeout, the Gauchos went on a 2-0 run to pull to within five points at 24-19 before a Jenkins kill stopped any run UCSB might have started.
Tallying a season-high 17 digs for the Gauchos was senior outside hitter Erica Menzel while junior libero Kristin scooped 15 balls, the third straight match she has been in double-figures. Santa Barbara junior setter Mari Bell amassed her first career double-double with 26 assists and a personal best 11 digs. UCSB out-dug the Gators 58-54 overall. No Gaucho player reached double-digit kills, although senior Francina Edmonds pounded home nine balls and hit an efficient .389.
Jenkins led a balanced Florida attack with a match-high 15 kills while Cruz - a First Team AVCA All-American last season - added 13 put-aways, as did Williams. Collymore was the other UF attacker in double-figures with 10. The Gators owned the net, blocking seven balls compared to three by UCSB, and hit .297 as a team.
The Gauchos hope to get back on the winning track when they conclude play at the Stanford Invite on Saturday, Sept. 6 against West Coast Conference power San Diego. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., or 30 minutes after the conclusion of a match between Florida and fifth-ranked Stanford.
