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University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

The Official Site of Central Oklahoma University Athletics Central Oklahoma Athletics
Alyca Bradley-Adriano
Alycia Bradley-Adriano
0
Malone MU 5-8
3
Winner Central Okla. CentOK 9-3
Malone MU
5-8
0
Final
3
Central Okla. CentOK
9-3
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Malone MU 14 19 23 (0)
Central Okla. CentOK 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

UCO Opens Season With Sweep

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (Sept. 6) – Lauren Jenkins and Bailey Combs had 10 kills apiece to pace a balanced attack that carried No. 22-ranked Central Oklahoma to a season-opening sweep of Malone (Ohio) in the first match of the Eckerd Invitational Friday morning.

The youthful Bronchos hit a blistering .385 in the 25-14, 25-19, 25-23 victory, with underclassmen accounting for 40 of the team's 45 kills. It was the seventh straight season-opening win for UCO, which returns to action at 4:30 p.m. (Oklahoma time) against West Liberty before playing twice again Saturday.

"It was a good start for us," eighth-year head coach Edgar Miraku said. "Offensively I thought we did a lot of good things and our setters did a nice job of spreading things around. Some of our younger players really stepped up, which is something we need for them to do."

Combs, one of eight rookies on the roster, hit .562 with 10 kills and just one error in 16 attacks. Jenkins was one of four sophomores with six-plus kills in the match, collecting 10 in 27 attempts with one miscue in finishing with a .333 attack percentage.

Alycia Bradley-Adriano hit .500 with eight kills and no errors in 16 attacks, while Chloe Hancock and Amanda Desch added six each. Desch also supplied 36 assists as UCO's main setter to go along with six digs and two blocks.

Dominique Lipari – the team's lone senior – once again led the back-row defense with 19 digs and two service aces.

Combs had five kills and Bradley-Adriano four in the opening set. The Pioneers led 5-3 early before Malia Kaaiohelo had two kills in a 5-0 run that put Central on top to stay and the Bronchos pulled away from there.

The second set went back-and-forth early and was tied 12-12 before a Desch kill put UCO in front for good. It was still close at 19-17, but Hancock had two kills in a closing 6-2 run that ended it.

The Bronchos overcame a 14-9 deficit to pull out the third set and complete the sweep. A combined block by Desch and Kaaiohelo capped a 5-0 spurt that made it 14-all and it was close the rest of the way.

UCO trailed 20-18 before Combs had a kill and Lipari an ace to tie it and it was knotted again at 21, 22 and 23. Jenkins then capped her stellar outing with back-to-back kills off Desch sets to finish off the win.

 
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