With a 3-1 record at its own Aggie Invitational tournament, the UC Davis women's volleyball team kicked off the 2018 season in strong fashion for the close-knit, six-player senior class of outside hitter Emily Allen, libero Malia Bolko, middle blocker Lauren Jackson, outside hitter Brianna Karsseboom, setter Maddie Merlino and opposite Nicola Moore.  

This weekend, the Aggies continue their preseason tournaments, this time at Portland State's Rose City Showdown, where they will face Oregon State and the host Vikings on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

The senior class holds a special place in the current program, as they arose from head coach Dan Conners' first UC Davis signing class of eight (along with Heather Reed and Anna Donald) back in the 2014-15 school year. Three-plus years later, the remaining six entered the 2018 season with more than 4,500 total attacking attempts, 1,511 kills and 3,167 digs. A half-hour roundtable conversation with the group reveals the group's undeniable chemistry and camaraderie. 

GOALS FOR 2018

ALLEN: We want to have fun. That's one of the things we talk about. To do that, we need to have good team chemistry. That's a big focus in this preseason, getting the team moving in the same direction and on the same page, meshing well on and off the court. We want to come out and be dominant in the Big West. Those are our goals for this year.

ON THE COURT

During the season-opening Aggie Invitational, an estimated 40 percent of all plays had all three touches by the seniors. Of Allen's team-high 61 kills, 31 were such that only fourth-year veterans touched the ball. Of course, Merlino, being the setter, stands at the center of the operation. 

MERLINO: I feel like our chemistry makes it seem like second nature. I know exactly what my hitters are going to do, I know what Malia is going to do. We still have to communicate, but it's not stressful. We know what each other is going to do, almost all of the time.

BOLKO: My parents said we just looked more confident, like we knew what everyone is doing.

KARSSEBOOM: We know how to react to each other, and how each other reacts. We know how to respond to things, which helps.

OFF THE COURT

Although the group admits they didn't necessarily start out as best friends, they have grown into a nearly inseparable group. Chances are, spotting one of the crew at another Aggie athletics event, or campus events like Picnic Day, or simply in some living room in Davis, you'll see at least one other Aggie volleyball senior nearby.

MOORE: We've all basically lived with each other. And we're always at each other's respective houses.

ALLEN: Dan asked me the other day if I was lonely because I'm just living with Anna [Donald] this year, and she hasn't been here during the summer. And I said no, because they're over at my house every day, or I'm over at theirs. We're pretty much always together because we actually like each other a lot. 

MERLINO: That's kind of special with a team of girls with a lot of different personalities. You don't find this very often.

MOORE: I think that's what makes it so special when we're on the court. We can have that type of communication where I can tell Maddie when she needs to do something better. She's not going to say, 'oh, she hates me.' We have a very special bond on the court because we're close off the court.

HOMECOMING

The upcoming weekend at Portland State represents a return to Moore's home state of Oregon, one of several instances in which the seniors get to play one final collegiate match in front of a hometown crowd. Jackson graduated from Troy High School, literally across the street from Cal State Fullerton. Allen takes on her younger sister, Chloe, each time she faces UC Santa Barbara. 

MOORE: Portland is two hours north [of Eugene], but all of my friends and family are making the drive up, plus I have so many friends in Portland from playing sports in high school. 

ALLEN: UCSB is the game I look forward to the most. All of my friends and family are there because my parents bring everyone out. There's a huge crowd and they're all there for me and Chloe. UCSB is thinking 'what the heck, we never get this many fans.' It's fun and heartwarming to see everyone who supported me and helped me grow up now watching me. 

JACKSON: Playing at Fullerton is always fun because my family can come, and my friends who are still in the area. My mom works at the middle school, so she brings the team. So these 12- and 13-year-old girls, who are just starting to play volleyball, they come to the match and love watching us play. They get to see what they will maybe get to do someday.

MERLINO: And Lauren always goes off against Fullerton.

PERSONALITIES

MOORE: I'm the most dramatic and the most emotional. And probably the loudest.

The most vocal?

ALLEN: I think Maddie gives her a run for her money. Maddie is kind of a hot head.

The most competitive?

MERLINO: Nic and I are both crazy competitive, so it's nice to play with her.

MOORE: We joke that we can't have fun. Some people say they want to go play sand just for fun. And Maddie and I think, 'well, what's that like?' I only have fun when I'm winning, so I won't play if I'm not going to win. Maddie and I play this board game called Catan. It's really a mess when it's just Maddie and me. If I win, Maddie won't speak to me. So it's cool to have the same competitive mentality. 

MERLINO: We're all competitive, but we're the two most outwardly competitive.

The best singer?

MOORE: That's Bri.

KARSSEBOOM: I'll sing Shakira or Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On." I can really hit the notes on that one. Before every game, I'll put on a show for everyone.

The best dancer?

ALL: Maddie.

Which one is the funniest gets less consensus.

NM: We all have different senses of humor. Emily is more giggly, respectable and a little childish. Malia and Bri are a little bit younger. Maddie and I are little more vulgar and a little more out there. And it all meshes well.

THE "WORLD OF WORK"

With senior associate athletics director Michael Lorenzen's Aggie EVO program in high gear, and student-athlete outcomes standing as a primary focus for the entire athletics department, the seniors now have an eye on their respective futures – albeit some having more specificity than others. Karsseboom was the first student-athlete profiled on the new Aggie EVO website, thanks to a summer internship with Merrill Lynch. Allen also works as a research assistant in the UC Davis psychology department.

ALLEN: I want to go to grad school in industrial and organizational psychology. I've had my heart set on a master's degree but now I'm thinking a Ph.D might be better, so I've been talking to Mike [Lorenzen] to weigh my options.

KARSSEBOOM: I think I might get into financial planning. I learned a lot from my internship this summer, and really enjoyed it. It's still unknown right now, and something else might pop up, but right now, that's where my mind is set.

BOLKO: I'm trying to figure out if I want to do accounting or wealth management. I'm taking [Aggie swimmer and 2018 graduate] Courtney Schultz out to lunch because she has interned in wealth management and she's also getting a graduate degree in accounting. 

MERLINO: I want to play pro volleyball overseas, then when I come back I want to work in sports while coaching volleyball on the side. I'd like to work for the Kings, the River Cats, or the Giants. Either something in Northern California or in the Midwest where my family is. So the Royals or Oklahoma City. I interned in the compliance office this past summer, so I'm interested in managing the rules and making sure everyone is eligible. That was really interesting to me. And then there's the organizational side of running the team, like travel and making sure everyone has what they need.

JACKSON: I'm not really sure what I want to do, but I know I want to work in either textiles or possibly sustainability. Those are my two favorite things – clothes and the ocean. I don't know where that will lead, but that's what I'm passionate about. 

MOORE: I don't really know yet. I'm exploring a lot of different options for what I do with the next two or three years. I want to get an MBA in sports management, so I'm looking in to different programs for that. 

REFLECTIONS

While the entire 2018 season still lies ahead, the Aggie seniors share fond memories that have brought them to this point. 

KARSSEBOOM: Freshman year, Dan put all six of us on one side against all of the upperclassmen. We were so nervous the first couple of days if we lost. It was the fourth or fifth day that we came together and dominated them. They were so embarrassed, and we got this huge high off of it. 'We six freshmen dominated the starting lineup!' It was the first time we knew we could do this. We were in a groove.

JACKSON: I was thinking of that Long Beach game when none of us were really playing at the time. Suddenly, we were all on the court at once. I think Dan was mad at everyone else so he took them out. And we did pretty well. 

BOLKO: I remember eating at the Tercero DC and we were sitting near the hamburger station when Dan showed us an article that called us 'The Eight.' I just remember being so stoked. Our group messages said 'The Eight.' I still remember that conversation in the DC, and just reading and laughing at what Dan had to say about us. The DCs in general were fun.

MERLINO: My favorite memory was beating Boise State in five. It was the coolest think I've ever done. They were like a Top 25 team and we weren't supposed to win, but we definitely gave them a run for their money. They were freaking out, and we beat 'em.

MOORE: My favorite memory is probably off the court, it's the simpler moments when we're all hanging out. In these last few months, we've become very sentimental and valuing all of the time we spend together. We want to make the most of our experiences together. That's my favorite memory. Not all of us got along at the start, but now we're the best buddies. It's the coolest thing to be able to come to practice, or come to weights, and do all of these things with my best friends. I can wholeheartedly say that these are my best friends. They are the people who I spend all of my time with, and it's still not enough. I've never had that type of relationship or bond on any other team I've played for. Ever.

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Complete coverage of the Rose City Showdown, including links to stats, video and tickets, is available on GoViks.com. Saturday's matchup with host Portland State can also be viewed on channel 232 on the Pluto TV app. PSU enters the weekend with a 1-3 record, including a split against Long Beach State at the Viking Summer Spike. Oregon State holds a 2-1 record, thanks to a five-set upset of then-No. 21 Iowa State on Saturday.

ABOUT UC DAVIS: Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 6-ranked public university in the nation according to the Wall Street Journal, and among the top 10 public universities nationwide according to U.S. News and World Report, UC Davis offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.

AGGIE EVO: Established in 2017-18, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.