DAVIS, Calif. -- Junior outside hitter
Lauren Matias hit 11 kills with a .321 average while junior libero
Ally Reyes paced all floor defenders with 19 digs, but UC Davis came up short against Hawai'i, falling in straight sets, 25-18, 25-21, 26-24, in Big West Conference women's volleyball action at the Pavilion Friday night.
The Aggies, hosting their first league contest of the year, slip to 8-6 overall and 0-2 in Big West play. The Rainbow Wahine, playing their first mainland match of the 2018 season, improves to 5-5 overall and 1-0 in conference.
Seniors
Emily Allen and
Brianna Karsseboom combined for another 15 kills from the left side, while lefty opposite
Nicola Moore chipped in five kills and four blocks. Sophomore setter
Paloma Bowman served up two aces and hit 3-for-5 on the attack.
Junior middle hitter Natasha Burns led UH with 13 kills and a .455 attack rate, while senior outside hitters McKenna Granato and Casey Castillo each added 10 kills.
UC Davis return action for back-to-back road Big West matches at UC Irvine (Sept. 28) and UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 29) next weekend.
MATCH NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS
• Hawai'i enjoyed a 6-1 run to turn a 10-9 Aggie lead into a 15-11 advantage during the opener... Burns had three straight kills in that stretch, which gave the 'Bows the lead for good... Matias hit 5-0-9 (.556) in the first set, but the rest of the team was 6-5-24 (.042).
• Bowman served up the first of her aces in a 4-0 run during the second set, tying the frame at 10-10... Freshman MB
Josie Ough had a kill and a block to give the Aggies a 21-20 lead, but UH answered the five straight to close out the set.
• UC Davis hit a match-best .222 (15-5-42) in the third, while Hawai'i fell to a low of .250 (20-7-52)... Other than scoring the first point, the Aggies did not take a lead until 20-19, when redshirt freshman
Leonie Strehl's tool made it 20-19... UC Davis held a 24-23 set point on a Matias kill, but Sarah Liva's blast on a 1 ball followed by Granato's kill from the back row finished the UH sweep.
• The Aggies last beat Hawai'i on October 26, 2013, in a five-set upset of the then-No. 8 Wahine... That match remains the program's biggest upset of a nationally ranked opponent.
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.
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.
