Feb. 7, 2009

Box Score

Irvine, Calif. - The Tigers fell to No. 3 UC Irvine on Saturday, Feb. 7 by a score of 3-1. With the loss Pacific dropped to 2-10 overall and 0-7 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF), while Irvine increased to 10-2 on the season, and 7-1 MPSF.

The set scores for the match were: 30-21, 30-17, 28-30 and 30-24.

In the first set, the Anteaters, leading by 3-2, increased their lead quickly, with three consecutive points bringing the score to 6-2. Pacific was able to bring the score to 7-4, with a kill from senior Joe Forbes (Westport, Conn.) and a service error by UC Irvine. At 13-7, the Tigers scored on another service error by the Anteaters and on a block by Forbes and freshman Dylan Walker (La Canada, Calif.). Later in the set, with the Tigers down 26-17, UC Irvine was forced into two straight errors. Junior Mark Bauhs (Danville, Calif.) followed this with a kill, bringing the score to 26-20. Unfortunately, the Tigers would not be able to fight back, and UC Irvine took the set by a score of 30-21.

The Anteaters scored the first two points of the second set, but the Tigers answered back to tie the score at 2-2, with a service error by UC Irvine and an ace by junior Jason Borchin (Roseville, Calif.). But the next three points went to UC Irvine, making the score 5-2. The lead for the Anteaters would hold out the rest of the set, as the Tigers were never able to find their rhythm. UC Irvine won by a score of 30-17.

UC Irvine led the third set 5-2, but the Tigers started to slowly creep back up. Pacific was still trailing at 23-20, but the Tigers rallied to score three straight points to tie the score up at 23-23, with kills from senior Jeff Hendershot (Claremont, Calif.), Bauhs and Borchin. Tied at 25-25 moments later, the Tigers jumped out to a 29-26 lead, with a kill and a service ace from Borchin, and two errors by the Anteaters. This put the Tigers one point away from taking the set, and forcing a fourth game. Pacific did pull out the last point on another kill from Hendershot, winning the set by a score of 30-28.

The beginning of the fourth set was a battle back and forth between the Tigers and the Anteaters. They tied on every point, with the last tie score being at 10-10. UC Irvine then jumped to a 15-10 lead, recording five consecutive points. Later in the set, down 21-14, a block assist by freshman Sean Daley (Moorpark, Calif.) and Forbes, followed by a kill from Daley, made the score 21-16. With the score 28-22, Daley recorded a kill, which would be the Tigers last point of the set. UC Irvine won the set 30-24, and the match 3-1.

Hendershot led the Tigers, hitting .526 with 12 kills on 19 attempts and 2 errors. Daley had 10 kills for the Tigers.

UC Irvine's Carson Clark had a match-high of 23 kills.

The Tigers will be back in action on Wednesday, Feb. 11 against Pepperdine at the Alex G. Spanos Center. at 7 p.m.