DAVIS, Calif. - UC Davis has signed head women's volleyball coach Dan Conners to a five-year contract extension, thus securing his status at the Aggie helm through the 2021 season, it was announced by Director of Athletics Kevin Blue on Monday.

"I would like to express my gratitude to Kevin Blue and Sandy Simpson for their confidence in me and in the direction of the UC Davis volleyball program moving forward," said Conners. "Every day I am humbled to work alongside the incredible people in the UC Davis athletics department and to work for the exceptional student-athletes of our program. I am excited to continue to serve at a world-class institution and to continue building Davis volleyball into a premier program in the Big West and in the nation."

The former UCLA setter and Illinois assistant took over as the program's 10th all-time head coach in June of 2014. Since then, he has guided UC Davis to a pair of 10-win seasons in the tough Big West Conference and 44 total victories. Aggie student-athletes have garnered seven total All-Big West nods in Conners' three years, with Kaylin Squyres making the first team in back-to-back seasons. Additionally, the Aggies have boasted a member of the league's All-Freshman squad each year, most recently Lauren Matias in 2016.

In the classroom, 12 UC Davis volleyball players have claimed a total of 17 Academic All-Conference awards in the Conners era, with 2017 graduate Aima Eichie accounting for three such plaudits. Conners' 2014-15 squad snared the department's Marya Welch Award for the highest team grade-point average of the year.

"UC Davis volleyball is on an excellent growth trajectory because of Dan's leadership," said Blue. "We're very excited that he'll be a part of the Aggie family long into the future. We look forward to the continued ascension of UC Davis volleyball."

UC Davis will return a strong nucleus from a squad that counted among its highlights a three-set sweep of Causeway rival Sacramento State and victory over then-No. 17 Santa Clara. The top team leaders in kills (Emily Allen, Matias, Brianna Karsseboom), digs (Malia Bolko, Allen) and aces (Maddie Merlino, Bolko, Allen) are set to return, as are the team's top 2016 performers in blocks (Kelechi Ohiri) and assists (Merlino).

Conners also secured an outstanding class of Paloma Bowman (Vacaville, California), Alexa Rockas (Gilbert, Arizona), Leonie Strehl (Encino, California) and Mahalia White (Canoga Park, California) during last November's National Letter of Intent signing period.