BAKERSFIELD, Calif.—Behind Molly O'Hagan's (Sr., Tonganoxie, Kan., Tonganoxie HS) 19 kills, Bakersfield defeated Utah Valley 3-1 in Western Athletic Conference volleyball action Thursday night

The first set featured 10 ties, seven of which came down the stretch. The score was knotted up at 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and at 30. At 30-30, Utah Valley's Macky Treanor and Lauren Bakker blocked a Bakersfield attack. Bakker would earn a kill on the Wolverines' third set point to earn 32-30 triumph.

“I thought we were fighting and competing,” said Bakersfield head coach Giovana Melo. “We were playing well. I told them we shouldn't get down on ourselves. Pull your head up and keep fighting.”

Seven more ties marked the beginning of the second set. With the score tied at 15, Bakersfield mounted a 7-1 run that would propel the Roadrunners to a 25-18 set victory. CSUB held the Wolverines to .091 hitting in the second stanza.

“We served a little bit better in the second set, we were more aggressive,” Melo said. “Our serve and pass, which are the two most important skills for us right now, got better throughout the match. I think that was the difference.”

Behind O'Hagan's career high fourth service ace, the Roadrunners got off to a 7-2 start in set three.  CSUB would win the third set 25-14. The defense again kept UVU in check, holding the Wolverines to .103 hitting in set three.  O'Hagan posted six kills in the fourth set as the Roadrunners clinched the match victory with a 25-20 victory.

O'Hagan hit .385 on the night (19-4-39). In addition to her four aces, O'Hagan added four blocks, two digs, and one assist. Kelsee Sawyer (Jr., Temecula, Calif., Great Oak HS) posted 17 kills and a .333 hitting percentage (17-6-33). Danika Youngblood (Sr., Salt Lake City, Utah, Western Nebraska CC) had 14 kills and six digs.

Luiza Martins (Jr. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Western Nebraska CC) earned her fourth straight double-double with 52 assists and 10 digs. For Martins, it was her 11th double-double of the year, the fourth most in the WAC. Eryn Riley (Sr., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., Los Osos HS) tied her career high with three aces. CSUB recorded 11 aces as a team.

Utah Valley (13-17, 7-6 WAC) was led by Bakker who had 14 kills and four blocks. Treanor had 13 kills while Kalani Norris posted 11 kills and seven digs.

Bakersfield hosts Seattle U in the regular season finale Saturday. The Roadrunners (12-14) and the Redhawks are tied for third in the conference with an 8-5 record. The match begins at 1 p.m.

“I think that we're gaining some momentum, gaining some confidence,” Melo said. “If we play this way throughout the rest of this week and next week, then we have some good chances in the conference tournament.”

Tickets for Saturday's match are available at Vallitix.com.

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