Anteaters knock off No. 6 Cal

RENO — Corona del Mar High product Juliane Piggott had a match-high 20 kills and Kari Pestolesi added 17 to lead the UC Irvine women’s volleyball team to a 19-25, 25-20, 25-19, 19-25, 15-12 upset of No. 6-ranked Cal in the opening match of the Nevada Invitational Friday night.

Piggott, a UCLA transfer playing her first match for the Anteaters, hit .304 and added 11 digs to help UCI open the Paula Weishoff era with a bang. It was the first match as UCI coach for Weishoff, a three-time Olympian who was the NAIA Coach of the Year last season at Concordia.

Senior setter Taryn Robertson had 44 assists, while sophomore middle blocker Alex Hauser and freshman opposite Taylor Smith had five block assists apiece to help the Anteaters.

Freshman libero Kristin Winkler led the winners with 12 digs, while Robertson added seven kills and hit .429.

Senior Lauren Souto had two aces, matching Winkler for team-high honors.

“The team played hard and did not back down even after the loss in the fourth set,” Weishoff said in a statement. “I’m very proud of the team.”

In the deciding set, UCI put together a four-point run to break a 9-9 tie. A Cal ball-handling error gave the Anteaters match point and Robertson found Piggott for the match-clinching kill.

UCI continues tournament action today against UConn at 2 p.m. and Nevada at 7 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

UC Irvine 2, Texas State 1

IRVINE — Mar Rodriguez scored on a cross from fellow freshman Devon Delarosa in the 55th minute to give the host Anteaters a 2-0 lead and they held on for the nonconference victory Friday night.

Sophomore Judy Christopher opened the scoring on a penalty kick awarded after a foul in the 18-yard box.

UCI (2-1) saw the lead cut in half in the 55th minute, but the defense, anchored by junior goalkeeper Danielle de Seriere (three saves) held strong.

Texas State fell to 1-1.

Vanguard 1,

Cal State Dominguez Hills 0

CARSON — Freshman Amanda Couch scored on a deflection in the 73rd minute to lift the Lions to the nonconference road victory in the season opener for both schools Thursday.

Vanguard sophomore Gabriela Valles initiated the sequence with a shot, which was deflected into range of Couch.

Senior Jillian Foss had three saves to record the shutout.

Vanguard had 16 shots, including nine shots on goal, while only three of the hosts’ nine shots were on goal.

MEN’S SOCCER

Rio Hondo 3,

Orange Coast 1

COSTA MESA — The visitors pulled away after the Pirates tied the score at 1-1 in the 32nd minute of the nonconference season opener for both schools Thursday.

Freshman Dean Regis converted an assist from Jordan Gorman to account for the Pirates’ lone tally.

But Rio Hondo took the lead for good seven minutes later and tacked on an insurance goal in stoppage time late in the second half.

OCC goalkeeper Brian Pippeto had eight saves. Rio Hondo’s Luis Godinez had five.