SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Junior outside hitter Lauren Matias tallied a team-best eight kills while freshman middle blocker Josie Ough posted seven kills with just one error toward a .429 hitting percentage, but UC Davis could not keep pace with 15th-ranked Cal Poly, losing in a 25-12, 25-22, 25-16 sweep in Big West Conference women's volleyball action at Mott Athletic Center Tuesday.
The Aggies move to 8-5 overall and open their conference schedule at 0-1. The Mustangs improve to 11-1 for the year and 1-0 in Big West play.
UC Davis fielded an unusual personnel for its match against the preseason conference favorite. Redshirt freshman Leonie Strehl made her first collegiate start, responding with six kills on 17 swings. Ough made her first start since the season-opening Aggie Invitational tournament. Redshirt freshman Chelsea Maeglin (3-0-7 attacking) and true freshman Rose Holscher (four digs) each saw significant playing time after totaling just 12 sets entering the match. Rachel Churilla, who walked on to the team during spring ball, made her Aggie debut as a serving specialist.
For Cal Poly, reigning national Player of the Week Torrey Van Winden led all players with 14 kills, 16 digs and a .407 hitting average. Setter Avalon DeNeocochea engineered the Mustang offense to a .358 hitting average, amassing 31 assists.
UC Davis returns home to host Hawai'i on Friday. Match time is 7 p.m. at the Pavilion.
NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS
• The Aggies suffered from 17 attacking errors (to Cal Poly's nine) and committed 10 service errors with no aces.
• UC Davis went from hitting just .152 in the first set to a solid .316 (16-4-38) in the second... Cal Poly was errorless in the first set (.519), then slowed down to a .256 efficiency rate in the second.
• The Aggies led as late as 16-15 in Set 2... Matias had five kills in that frame, while Ough and redshirt freshman Leonie Strehl each scored three.
• Cal Poly, which went undefeated in Big West play in 2017, has won a program-record 14 straight home matches dating back to November 11, 2016.
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. 5-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.
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