Pepperdine-UC Santa Barbara Box Score 
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Sophomore middle blocker Kim Hill had a career-high 19 kills but the Pepperdine women's volleyball team lost in a hard-fought match at UC Santa Barbara, 25-23, 25-23, 28-30, 25-17, in non-conference play on Tuesday night.
The Waves (10-7) had their three-match win streak came to an end as the Gauchos (13-4) enjoyed a .232-.194 edge in hitting percentage, as well as 11-6 in blocks and 8-3 in service aces.
Hill (Portland, Ore./Portland Christian HS) hit .562 (19-1-32) with three blocks and bettered her previous career high of 14 set last season. Senior outside hitter Rachel Grochmal (Brea, Calif./Brea Olinda HS) added 18 kills and 17 digs for her fifth double-double of the season.
Sophomore libero Stevi Robinson (Hermosa Beach, Calif./Mira Costa HS) had a season-high 28 digs, as did junior defensive specialist Krista Friedman (La Verne, Calif./St. Lucy's Priory HS) with 13.
Sophomore outside hitter Lilla Frederick (Huntington Beach, Calif./Cornelia Connelly HS) had nine kills and 10 digs, freshman middle blocker Victoria Adelhelm (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Santa Fe Christian HS) had eight kills and senior setter Kiah Fiers (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif./Peninsula HS) posted 53 assists.
UCSB was led by Rebecca Saraceno's 27 kills and 16 digs.
Pepperdine got off to a nice start by taking a 4-1 lead, but UCSB came back to take its first lead at 6-5. The Gauchos' lead grew to four at 12-8, though Pepperdine eventually tied the set at 14-14 and even went back ahead at 18-17 and 19-18. Tied 22-22, however, UCSB scored two straight points. After a kill by Hill, the Gauchos ended the set on a Pepperdine attack error.
The Waves overcame an early three-point deficit to eventually take their own three-point lead at 15-12 after a block by Hill and freshman outside hitter Caitlin Racich (Santa Barbara, Calif./Dos Pueblos HS) and two kills by Hill. The Waves later scored three straight points on kills by Frederick, Racich and Adelhelm to go up 22-20. The Gauchos regrouped after a timeout, however, scoring four straight points to go ahead 24-22. A UCSB attack error kept Pepperdine alive, but the Gauchos got a kill on their second set point.
Pepperdine almost let a big lead get away in the third set, but the Waves fought off three match points to extend the contest. Pepperdine built an eight-point lead at 18-10 after a kill by Hill, and was up 20-12 after a kill by Grochmal. But the Gauchos scored the next eight points to go tie the set at 20-20. Frederick had two kills to put Pepperdine back up 22-20, but UCSB tied it up again at 22-22. The set continued on well past regulation, and at 28-28, the Waves finally pulled through after back-to-back Gaucho attack errors.
Unfortunately for the Waves, the fourth set was not as close as the first three. Pepperdine was up 6-5 when the Gauchos rattled off six straight points. The Waves got no closer than three points at 13-10 after kills by Grochmal and Hill.
The Waves return to Firestone Fieldhouse and West Coast Conference play on Saturday (Oct. 17) when they take on Loyola Marymount at 7 p.m. A point will be up for grabs in the newly created PCH Challenge, a season-long competition between the two rival schools.
