NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Freshman Kayla Dunlap helped elevate Vanderbilt volleyball to a 3-1 (26-24, 25-22, 24-26, 25,20) win over UC Irvine off a season-best performance on Friday night where she posted 14 kills with a .600 hitting percentage.
The Vanderbilt (4-5) offense totaled 65 kills with three student-athletes reaching double digits. Kamryn Chaney posted a team-high 19 kills to go with 11 digs, good for her first double-double of the season. Jackie Moore, who took 29 swings and did not make a single error, tallied 12 kills on the night. Off the bench, Mia Soerensen contributed a season-high 7 kills while hitting at a .467 clip. Isabella Bareford dished out 49 assists, her fourth 40-plus assist performance of the season.
On defense, three Dores recorded double-digit digs, holding UC Irvine (4-7) to a .193 hitting percentage. Reese Animashaun led the charge with 17 digs, and Hailee Mack contributed 15 digs. Moore led the Commodores’ blocking efforts with 6 total blocks, matching her season best.
Lois Hansen and Lillian Lansing led the Anteaters on offense with 14 and 12 kills, respectively. Nicole Felician came just shy of a 20-20 match, registering 19 assists and 19 digs. Lansing also recorded a double-double, adding 15 digs to her stat line. Campbell Jensen dug 16 balls and registered 8 assists for UC Irvine.
The Dores came out swinging in the first set, taking an early 9-3 lead. Several Vandy errors and a 4-0 Anteater run gave UC Irvine its first lead of the set at 21-20. The Commodores were able to battle back to win the set by a score of 26-24.
Similar to the first set, Vanderbilt took an early lead in set 2, taking a 5-2 advantage off a 4-0 run. The Dores were the first to reach the red zone, leading 20-15. The Anteaters responded with 5 unanswered points to tie the set at 21 all. Three straight points put Vandy back on top, and a kill from Dunlap secured the set win, 25-22.
The Commodores and Anteaters continued trading blows in the third set, which no team led by more than three. After three set points, UC Irvine was able to edge out Vanderbilt and take the third set by a score of 26-24.
Vandy was able to bounce back in the fourth set, hitting .402 as a team while holding the Anteaters to a .206 hitting percentage. Chaney registered seven of her 19 kills in set 4. The Dores maintained a lead throughout the set to hold off UC Irvine close out their second match win of the week.
Vanderbilt volleyball will hit the road to kick off SEC play at No. 2 Texas and No. 14 Texas A&M on Wednesday and Friday.
