Final Stats

FULLERTON, Calif. - Junior outside hitter Kaylin Squyres posted career highs of 25 kills and 20 digs while hitting .420 overall to lead UC Davis to a five-set, 25-20, 20-25, 25-16, 21-25, 15-13 victory over Cal State Fullerton in a Big West Conference women's volleyball showdown that lasted some two hours and 28 minutes at Titan Gym Friday night.

The Aggies, winners of four straight, even their overall record to 9-9 and improve to 4-1 in league. The Titans slip to 6-13 overall and remain winless in Big West play at 0-6.

Squyres, who had previously recorded two 24-kill performances in her career, committed just four attacking errors on 50 swings to compile her lofty hitting average. Her 20 digs easily bested her old high of 14, set on three different occasions. Senior Megan Lancaster led the UC Davis floor defense with 22 digs while serving up two of her team's seven aces.

Senior middle blocker Katie Quinn tallied seven total blocks to pace the net defense's 14 team stuffs. Senior Valerie Brain, sophomore Kendall Walbrecht and redshirt freshman Aima Eichie each tallied six blocks in support of what has been the conference's top blocking unit during the Big West season.

For Cal State Fullerton, sophomore McKenna Painton, a converted libero, tallied 19 kills and was one of five Titans with double-figured digs totals. Paige Reed had 17 while Rachel Brown, McKenzie Olson and Devin Ulmer added 13 apiece.

UC Davis overcame a temporary stumble in the first set to claim the opening win. After a 7-4 Aggie start, Niki Withers put down three kills and scored a block assist to help the Titans forge ahead to a 13-10 lead. However, UC Davis scored eight of the next nine to craft a 18-14 edge behind two kills each from the sophomores Allie Wegener and Walbrecht. Eichie delivered a kill and a block assist (with Walbrecht) to finish out the frame.

The hosts did not repeat their mistakes of the first set, running a 14-11 lead on a kill and block by Holland Crenshaw after UC Davis had managed to equalize at 11-11. Painton and Stephanie Buss combined for five kills down the stretch after a Quinn/Brain block had brought the Aggies to within just a 15-14 deficit.

Coming out of the break, the Titans opened with a 4-2 lead in the third before UC Davis seized control to a 10-7 advantage. Two Painton aces helped CSF equalize at 10-10. Brain ended that run with a side-out kill and Wegener served up an ace to send the Aggies to a strong finish. Squyres hit three kills and Wegener added two more, then Titan hitting woes propelled UC Davis to a nine-point win and the 2-1 match lead.

The fourth set provided the true rollercoaster swings of the match. Brown's serving brought CSF out to an 8-2 start. Three Squyres kills and an ace by Jillian Johnson restored UC Davis to a 9-9 tie. The Aggies began to inch ahead, taking as much as a three-point lead when a Squyres serve fell in for an ace at 19-16. But four UC Davis miscues allowed the Titans to score five unanswered, flipping the margin to 21-16 in favor of CSF. The Titans led the rest of the way in forcing the rubber set.

Both teams refused to yield much ground in the finale, trading six ties before Wegener's ace and two Squyres kills broke open the frame to 10-7 in UC Davis' favor. The Aggies then surrendered two points on a net violation and an attacking error to end an extended rally. Each side traded points to keep UC Davis up front until Quinn and Walbrecht established match point with their combined block. The Titans still refused to go quietly with Crenshaw scoring the side out to put Ulmer at the service line. However, Wegener was there for the winner to lift the Aggies to the match victory.

This is the third straight matchup in which the Aggies and Titans have gone the full five sets, and fifth time in the last six meetings.

UC Davis returns to action at UC Irvine on Saturday. Match time is 7 p.m. at the Bren Center.