ORANGE- Playing their first match this season as a nationally ranked team, UC Santa Cruz was pushed by a competitive Chapman team but switched gears at the right time to beat the Panthers 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 25-19).
The 24th-ranked Banana Slugs improve to 17-4 after their eight-straight win and their first season-sweep over the Panthers since 2014.
Chapman opened the match with a 5-1 lead in the first set and were up 7-3 before the Banana Slugs ran off six straight points, including four aces by Samantha Taylor.
The Panthers rallied and eventually tied it at 17-all, forcing UC Santa Cruz to take a timeout. UC Santa Cruz found their composure and took the set on a kill from Kelly Ann Greene. Set Two had ten ties before the Banana Slugs scored three straight for a 19-16 lead. However, after some timely serving got the Panthers a 23-19 lead, it was UC Santa Cruz's turn to rally as they came back to tie at 23-all before a pair of Chapman kills gave the set to the Panthers.

Set Three was just as wild, with six ties early. A Chapman run gave them an 18-12 lead but UC Santa Cruz tied it at 19 after four kills from Taylor, one from Sydney Ahrendt and a combo block by Audrey Gilbert and Ashley Magley. It was tied again at 21-all before two more blocks and a Peyton Tazelaar kill gave the visitors the set.
Set Four had more of the same dueling rallies. After UC Santa Cruz went up 15-9, the Panthers got within 15-14 to force a timeout by the Banana Slugs. It seemed to work as the Banana Slugs stayed focused and finished the match with an 8-4 run to grab the win.
Taylor had another magnificent match with a team-high 12 kills and two solo blocks along with the four aces. Tazelaar had nine kills, and both Ahrendt and Gilbert had eight. Sinead Beaupain and Lauren Bliss each had 23 assists. Orange County native Emily Pasion led the team with 24 digs, her second-straight match with more than 20.
UC Santa Cruz has one more match on the roadtrip as they face La Verne on Saturday afternoon.