AMES, Iowa – Drake volleyball (7-4) won their sixth match in a row in a 3-0 defeat of UCSB (9-2) in their second day at the Cardinal & Gold Challenge. The Bulldogs took down the Gauchos after UCSB upset the hosts of the tournament, No. 23 Iowa State, last night.
 
Drake opened the match with another marathon first set, ending in a 34-32 tally. UCSB built an early 5-1 lead before Drake battled back within one. The Gauchos rallied to gain another lead, this time at 12-7, but Drake remained steady and climbed all the way back to knot the score at 13.
 
The Bulldogs continued to charge through the first set, eventually reaching the set point mark with a 24-20 lead. UCSB fought back again with a 5-0 spurt to retake the lead. Both teams then traded scores into the 30-point range until Drake was finally able to find their footing. Back-to-back UCSB errors and two-straight kills from Macy DeLeye and Taylor Oberpriller sandwiched a Briana McKnight score on a 4-1 run to end the frame in favor of Drake.
 
The second set picked up where the first left off as the Bulldogs and Gauchos swapped scores to open the period. Another pair of UCSB errors sparked a pivotal Drake run where the Bulldogs rattled off six points in a row to lead 17-9. Drake again looked to be in control of the set, eventually leading 23-16 before the Gauchos retaliated. UCSB went on 7-0 run of their own to tie the score at 23 all before two more Drake scores secured the 25-23 victory.
 
Drake again needed extra points in the third set as they came back from another early deficit. The Bulldogs gained a later lead in the period at 17-16. The two teams battled through the final stage of the set until the Bulldogs took a 28-27 lead and slammed the door with another Oberpriller kill.
 
Oberpriller hit the 20-kill mark for the second-straight match with 20 exactly. She also added four blocks and had a team-high 16 digs. Haley Bush and Macy Daufeldt each posted a dozen kills while Addison Beagle orchestrated Drake's lethal offense with 49 assists.
 
Defensively, Kacie Rewerts logged a match-best six blocks while Jada Wills and Beagle recorded 15 digs and 13 digs, respectively.

"This was a great win for our team and I am so proud of our players," Drake head coach Darrin McBroom exclaimed. "They keep elevating our program to great heights...this really is an exceptional group of young women."
 
Drake will finish play at the Cardinal & Gold Challenge with their final non-conference match of the regular season. The Bulldogs will face off against No. 23 Iowa State at 2 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.