Box Score WESTWOOD, Calif. — The Pepperdine women's volleyball team saw its season end in Pauley Pavilion on Friday night following a four-set defeat at the hands of UCF in the NCAA National Championship first round. 
 
Madison Shields recorded a tied career-high 34 digs and Rachel Ahrens marked one shy of her career-best kill effort with 29 smashes.  The Waves dropped the first two sets and rallied to force a fourth, but a 7-0 run at the beginning of the fourth for the Knights proved too costly to overcome.
 
BIG WAVES
Rachel Ahrens (Trabuco Canyon, Calif./Tesoro HS): 29 kills, 7 digs, .383 hitting %, 1 ace
Isabel Zelaya (Tomball, Texas/Concordia Lutheran HS): 46 assists, 9 digs
Madison Shields (El Dorado Hills, Calif./Oak Ridge HS): 34 digs, 4 assists
Meg Brown (Santa Ana, Calif./Mater Dei HS): 9 kills, .412 hitting %, 1 block, 1 ace
Kayla Joyce (Chico, Calif./Pleasant Valley HS/FRC/CSU Chico): 11 digs, 1 ace
Emma Ammerman (Parker, Colo./Chaparral HS): 8 kills
 
WAVES VS. KNIGHTS
Pepperdine had a slight advantage in kills to UCF, gathering 58 to the Knights' 56. However, UCF had a higher hitting percentage, holding a .294 to .247 advantage in that category. The Waves held a 71-63 advantage in the dig department, while UCF had 10 blocks to Pepperdine's four. 
 
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          13        7          40        .150     
2          13        4          30        .300
3          14        6          39        .205
4          18        3          45        .333
TTL      58        20        154      .247
 
UCF ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          13        1          38        .316
2          13        5          34        .235
3          10        5          37        .135
4          20        0          44        .455
TTL      56        11        153      .294
 
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Pepperdine grabbed an early 5-2 lead with the help of an overturned challenge. From that point, the teams traded points until UCF was able to take a 10-8 lead. A kill by Ahrens tied the match up at 11, but the Knights shortly found an advantage on a kill of their own. An ace by UCF saw them take a 14-12 lead, but Ahrens brought Pepperdine closer with another kill. The Waves found themselves down 15-13 heading into the media timeout and UCF picked up two blocks shortly after to force a quick Pepperdine timeout. Pepperdine clawed back into it after another kill by Ahrens, but the Knights continued to hold a cushion, not allowing Pepperdine to come within three and won the set by six, 25-19.
 
In set two, UCF scored the first two but Pepperdine followed up with the next three courtesy of a block and kill by Ballo and a kill from Ahrens. The teams would trade points after that but UCF grabbed an 8-6 lead, forcing a Waves' timeout. Following two aces, the Knights took a 13-8 advantage but two subsequent errors brought Pepperdine within three once again. UCF then rattled off three straight to force another Pepperdine timeout at 16-10. The Waves cut the lead to three at 19-16, but a service error made the Knights the first to 20. Pepperdine put down three in a row to force a UCF timeout at 24-23, but the opposition would win the set on the next point.
 
A kill by Ahrens opened up the scoring in the third but UCF quickly answered with a kill of their own. A kill by Ahrens tied the match up once again at four, but a service error followed for UCF to reclaim the small advantage. Set three was all square at six following a block by Chillingworth and Goeke. The schools went back and forth, but UCF went on a 4-0 to lead 11-8 and force a timeout by the Waves. Pepperdine would not go away, as a 4-0 run sparked by a kill by Zelaya gave the Waves a 15-13 lead. A block by Brown and Zelaya forced UCF to call the team's first timeout of the match with Pepperdine holding a 17-14 lead. After a Knights' block and a Waves' attack error, UCF marched within one at 18-17 but the cushion became two again following a service error from across the net. 
 
The rest of the set would be back and forth, as UCF fought back to make it a 24-23 Pepperdine lead with the Waves then calling timeout. UCF tied the set at 24, but a Brown kill gave Pepperdine its second set point, and another kill by Brown gave Pepperdine the set win 26-24.
 
The Waves continued momentum from the previous set, scoring the first three points of set four. UCF then went on a 7-0 scoring run before Pepperdine answered with two kills from Ahrens. The Knights continued to lead throughout the middle portion of the set, becoming the first to 15 by taking a 15-12 lead. UCF held a slim lead towards the late stages, leading 23-20 and forcing a Pepperdine timeout. While Pepperdine managed to make it a 24-22 game, the Knights were able to close out the match on a kill. 
 
FOLLOW
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