UC Santa Cruz Earns Four Set Victory Over Occidental

Thursday, September 17

Los Angeles, CA

6:00 PM

UC Santa Cruz Athletics

3-7,0-0CAC

Occidental College

4-4,0-0SCIAC

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
UC Santa Cruz	15	25	25	25	3
Occidental	25	22	23	23	1

9/17/2026 10:38:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The UC Santa Cruz women's volleyball team earned a 3-1 (15-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-23) victory over the Occidental Tigers on Thursday evening to start their Southern California road trip. Gabia Paliulis led the offense with 13 kills and a .273 hitting percentage with Khloe Pavia chiming in for eight kills. Margo Melgoza had a strong all around showing, dishing out 28 assists with seven digs and five service aces. Shiraz Benyoucef anchored the defense with 19 digs and recorded two aces. The Banana Slugs will be right back in action tomorrow as they begin the Cal Lutheran Invite, facing Pomona-Pitzer at 1:00 p.m. before taking on Redlands at 7:00 p.m.

How It Happened
A block from Alice Taylor got things started but the Tigers had the early advantage as they jumped out to a 7-1 lead. Occidental took control in set one, ballooning their lead to 14-3 before taking the set 25-15.

UC Santa Cruz made quick adjustments and bounced back in set two as they started the game on a 3-0 run with a kill from Alice Taylor and a block from Sydney Janowitz. The Slugs maintained control in set two as they rushed to an 11-3 lead with kills from Khloe Pavia, Margo Melgoza, and Charlotte Skulte. The Tigers managed to regroup, closing the gap to two points at 13-11 but a Pavia kill and back to back aces from Melgoza pushed UCSC ahead to a 16-11 lead. The game got tight as Occidental fought to a 16-16 tie and later a 22-22 tie, but the Banana Slugs' offense came through in the end as Olivia Phillips, Gabia Paliulis, and Charlotte Skulte recorded the last three kills to take set two 25-22.

In set three, Occidental got off to a quick start, taking the early 5-0 lead and seemed to have momentum on their side as they worked to a 10-5 advantage. The Banana Slugs rattled off a 10-3 run to take the lead at 15-13 and later scored six unanswered points to extend the gap to 21-15. The run featured kills from Janowitz, Paliulis, and Phillips as well as blocks from Riley Sawyer and Charlotte Skulte. Occidental responded with a surge of their own, using a 7-2 run to close the gap to just one point at 23-22. Khloe Pavia sealed the set three win with two kills, ending the game 25-23 in favor of the Slugs.

The Tigers struck first in the fourth set with two quick points, but the set proved to be a back and forth battle once again as the two teams quickly worked to a tie at 5-5 and later 13-13. During that stretch, the Banana Slugs held the narrow advantage as Gabia Paliulis and Khloe Pavia recorded big swings for the UCSC attack. UC Santa Cruz and Occidental continued to battle, trading attacks with UCSC holding the slight edge at 18-16 thanks to kills from Paliulis, Pavia, and Riley Sawyer. Later kills from Melgoza and Skulte put the Slugs up 20-18 but Occidental fought hard to tie the contest at 22-22. The Banana Slugs were able to close out the set on a quick 3-1 run with a kill from Margo Melgoza and a block from Riley Sawyer and Charlotte Skulte, securing the 25-23 set win, and the 3-1 match victory.