PORTLAND -- Senior libero
Malia Bolko picked up a match-high 26 digs while the Aggies outkilled and outdug their opponent, but UC Davis ultimately fell in four sets, 25-23, 19-25, 25-23, 25-17, to Pac-12 Conference member Oregon State in the opening match of the Rose City Classic at Portland State Friday morning.
The Aggies slip to 3-2 for the season. The Beavers improve to 3-1.
The two teams combined for only 99 kills in the four sets, with UC Davis claiming a 51-48 edge. Senior
Emily Allen, junior
Lauren Matias and sophomore
Alexa Rockas posted individual totals of 15, 13 and 11. Meanwhile, five Aggies had double-figure digs: Bolko's 26, 16 from Allen, 12 from setter
Maddie Merlino, plus 11 each from Matias and freshman setter
Jane Seslar.
Amy Underdown led OSU with 18 kills with just four errors, while Grace Massey picked up 23 of her team's 82 digs. Overall, the Beavers committed fewer attacking errors (22 to 34) and outblocked UC Davis (10-6).
UC Davis will conclude the tournament against the host Vikings at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday.
MATCH NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS
• UC Davis converted 16 of its 20 side out opportunities in the second-set win, compared to 37 of 73 (.506) in the other three frames. As a team, the Aggies hit 19-4-45 for a .333 in Set 2, as opposed to 32-30-132 (.015) in the three set losses.
• Allen tallied seven kills in the second-set equalizer, while Matias hit 5-0-10 with six digs. Merlino set 16 assists toward UC Davis' .333 average. Redshirt freshman Leonie Strehl came off the bench to provide four kills and a block, as the Aggies pulled away from a 9-8 early battle to a comfortable 20-13 lead.
• The first and third sets totaled 17 ties and 12 lead changes between them. UC Davis led as late as 20-16 in the opener before OSU's Underdown fired three kills in a late 7-2 stretch.Â
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.
