SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Kentucky State men's volleyball team continued its early-season road swing Friday night, falling in straight sets to UC Irvine (25-9, 25-7, 25-5) at Rob Gym.
The Thorobreds (0-2) faced a high-powered Anteater offense that found its rhythm early, hitting .580 as a team. Despite the scoreline, Kentucky State showed flashes of defensive grit, recording 11 digs while navigating a challenging neutral-site environment.
Match Breakdown
Set 1: UC Irvine 25, Kentucky State 9 The Anteaters opened the match with a strong service run, jumping out to an early 10-1 lead. Kentucky State settled in midway through the frame, finding offensive contributions from
Jacob Herman and
Jackson Moffitt, who each recorded a kill to break up UC Irvine runs. However, the Thorobreds were hampered by early errors, allowing the Anteaters to claim the opening set.
Set 2: UC Irvine 25, Kentucky State 7 Kentucky State looked to regroup in the second set, with
Charles Ababio finding a gap in the UCI defense for a kill. Raider Paja added a kill of his own to keep the Thorobreds within striking distance in the early rotations. The Anteaters countered with a .556 hitting percentage in the set, fueled by a 10-kill performance that prevented KSU from building sustained momentum.
Set 3: UC Irvine 25, Kentucky State 5 In the final frame,
Jamir Patterson provided a spark for the Thorobreds, connecting on a kill assisted by Moffitt. Kentucky State continued to battle at the net, but the Anteaters' service game proved difficult to neutralize, as UCI recorded five aces in the set to close out the match.
Stat Leaders
UP NEXT
Kentucky State concludes its stay at the Asics Invitational tomorrow, Jan. 10, with a 7:30 p.m. matchup against No. 11 CSUN.
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