FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Senior Kaylin Squyres posted a team-high 17 kills while junior Kendall Walbrecht added 11 kills and five blocks, but UC Davis fell in four sets to Northern Iowa in its first match of the Rams Volleyball Classic tournament at Colorado State Friday afternoon.

The Aggies open their 2015 season at 0-1. The Panthers, winner of 21 matches in 2014, begin their year at 1-0.

Squyres led UC Davis with 46 total attempts and had 11 digs for her first double-double of the year. Walbrecht chipped in 11 kills with just three errors. Freshman libero Malia Bolko scooped up a match-high 28 digs for the Aggies. For UNI, Bri Weber brought down 18 kills with 21 digs while preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference pick Kayla Haneline provided 12 kills and seven stuffs at the net.

Bolko was one of six true freshmen to play in their first contests as an Aggie. Maddie Merlino notched 17 assists as Sophia Mar's setting counterpart, while Nicola Moore and Heather Reed combined for 13 kills and 48 attacks. Emily Allen and Lauren Jackson also made appearances off the bench. On top of that, redshirt freshman Kelechi Ohiri hit five kills with four blocks in her first collegiate start.

Despite a 10-7 start, UC Davis stumbled to minus-.023 hitting in the opening set. Haneline posted back-to-back blocks to ignite a 9-2 run that flipped a 14-12 Aggie edge to a 21-16 Panther lead. UNI only had nine kills in the opener, as UC Davis committed 12 hitting errors and three service miscues.

The two teams locked up for 27 total ties and 16 lead changes in the second and third sets combined. Moore exploded for five kills in the second, while Squyres and Walbrecht added four apiece, improving UC Davis' attack efficiency to .224 in the second. The Aggies scored seven of the first 10 points, but later saw a 13-11 advantage turn to a 17-14 deficit. UNI threatened to take a 2-0 match lead at 23-21 before the UC Davis rookies took charge: Reed had a block and a kill while Moore's kill in support of Merlino's serving resulted in a 24-23 set point. The Aggies went on to win that second frame by a 27-25 margin.

After a seesaw battle throughout the third, Squyres led a 4-0 run that erased a late 22-20 deficit. She converted the side out to put herself at the service line, then served up an ace and a kill to give the Aggies a 24-22 double set point. However, UNI quickly recovered with three straight points to go ahead, 25-24. UC Davis had two more set points, moving to 26-25 on a Reed kill, then later at 27-26 on Walbrecht's shot. Again, the Panthers battled back, getting two kills from Haneline to snipe the 29-27 win.

Reed provided 4-for-6 attacking numbers on the fourth, but UNI continued its offensive momentum with .314 hitting in the finale. Haneline's ace propelled her team to its largest lead at 21-15, then Weber made it 22-16 on a side out two points later. A Reed kill and a combined block of Jackson and Walbrecht brought the Aggies to within 22-20, but UNI ended the comeback run by scoring three of the last four.

Bolko's 28 digs is the most by an Aggie freshman since Avreeta Singh recorded a school-record 42 in five sets at Fresno State back on September 16, 2006.

UC Davis continues tournament action against No. 12 host Colorado State on Saturday. Match time is 9:30 a.m. Pacific.