LINCOLN, Neb. - Senior outside hitter Kaylin Squyres hit a combined 38 kills, including a career-high 26 against Georgia Tech and 12 in a sweep of South Florida, highlighting UC Davis' Day 2 split at Nebraska's Ameritas Players Challenge women's volleyball tournament Saturday. The Aggies lost in a heartbreaking 23-25, 21-25, 37-35, 25-13, 15-12 five-set marathon against the Yellowjackets, then swept the Bulls by scores of 25-23, 25-17 and 25-21.

UC Davis moves to 4-6 for the year. USF falls to 2-7. Tech improved to 9-1.

Squyres surpassed her previous best of 25, set against Cal State Fullerton last year. True freshman opposite Nicola Moore added 10 kills and .391 hitting in the win over USF, while junior Kendall Walbrecht had seven kills and six blocks in that victory. Junior outside hitter Allie Wegener posted 15 kills and 16 digs in the loss to Tech, while freshman libero Malia Bolko registered a match-high 21 digs. Moore and sophomore Aima Eichie each tallied eight blocks in the afternoon setback.

GEORGIA TECH 3, UC DAVIS 2
Squyres amassed her career-high kills total on 68 swings but UC Davis saw its initial 2-0 match lead slip away to a five-set loss. The key frame proved to be a 37-35 battle in the third set, in which the Aggies had eight match points during the extended play. Those 72 combined points represents a school record during the era of rally scoring.

UC Davis never trailed in the first set, opening the contest with seven straight behind Bolko's serving. Moore had two blocks in that run. GT eventually closed the gap to within a one-point deficit at 20-19, then later tied the frame at 22-22 on a stuff by Teegan Van Gunst and Lauren Pitz. The Aggies never allowed the Jackets to equalize, however. Redshirt freshman middle Kelechi Ohiri converted a side out to provide her team with set point, then an errant set finished up the win.

The second set featured 14 ties and six lead changes. Ohiri and Moore combined on a block to push UC Davis up to its largest lead of 20-17, only to have Georgia Tech answer with four straight to take a 21-20 edge. That 21st point, on a Sydney Wilson kill, proved to be the Yellowjackets' last of the second: Squyres and Moore each scored twice in a 5-0 finish for the Aggies. Squyres hit eight kills with just one error in that frame.

UC Davis committed 17 attacking errors in that pivotal third set, eventually staring down a 23-20 deficit. Teegan Van Gunst committed two net violations, then her sister Annika had an attack error to help bring the Aggies back to a 24-24 deadlock, one of 18 ties in the set. UC Davis led eight times after that point but could not finish the sweep. Finally, two hitting errors put GT up by 36-35 and Teegan Van Gunst put down the game-winner.

The stunned Aggies hit just .056 in the fourth while the Van Gunst sisters combined for 7-for-16 in a dominating 25-13 victory, but UC Davis pulled itself together in the fifth. The Aggies started out to a 7-3 lead and later interrupted a Van Gunst-led comeback to claim an 11-9 lead. Against, Tech had an answer: four straight points to flip to script to a 13-11 edge. Annika Van Gunst had three block assists and a kill in the 'Jackets 6-1 finish to the match.

UC DAVIS 3, SOUTH FLORIDA 0
The Aggies suffered only three hitting errors, including none in the first 34 combined points, en route to a 25-23 win in the first set. Their lead grew to 15-9 after Walbrecht and Eichie teamed up for a block against Dakota Hampton, and held at 20-16 on a Bulls service error. USF whittled away at the deficit, creeping to within a single point on five occasions, but UC Davis held on for the victory.

UC Davis continued to hit efficiently in the second set, committing just two errors on 40 attempts, while the net defense supplied five blocks. Walbrecht and Eichie combined for a block to forge a 13-9 lead, then Walbrecht had a kill and a block to make it 18-13. The Bulls could not approach within closer than five points, and the Aggies went to the break with a 2-0 match lead.

The Aggies never trailed in third although USF managed to pull to an 8-8 tie early on. However, UC Davis responded with five of the next six points, thanks to a pair of kills from Squyres. Ohiri later put away a pair of kills to stretch the lead to 21-15, and Squyres finished the third set and sweep with back-to-back kills. Squyres had seven kills in the final set while Ohiri and Moore added four each, helping the Aggies to a .316 average.

Squyres was subsequently announced to the Ameritas Players Challenge All-Tournament squad.

After 10 straight road matches, the Aggies open at home against Causeway Classic rival Sacramento State in a rare Tuesday night "throwback" match at Upper Hickey Gym. First serve is 7 p.m.