DAVIS, Calif. -- UC Davis struggled to 19 attacking errors and hit just .040 in falling to UC Irvine, 25-13, 25-15, 25-10, in Big West Conference women's volleyball action at the Bren Events Center Friday night.

The Aggies fall to 8-7 overall and 0-3 in conference matches. The Anteaters improve to 8-7 for the season and 2-1 in Big West play.

Senior outside hitter Emily Allen led UC Davis offensively with seven kills, while senior setter Maddie Merlino paced the floor defense with six digs. Overall, the Aggies had fewer than half the number of kills as their hosts (23 to 47), committed nearly four times as many attacking errors (19 to 5), and managed no aces at the service line. 

For UCI, freshman outside hitter Abby Marjama led all players with 15 kills against just two errors for a .520 average. Junior middle blocker Makayla Wolfe added 9-for-14 (.643) hitting, while senior opposite Harlee Kekauoha supplied five total blocks at the net.

UC Davis returns to action at UC Santa Barbara on Saturday night. Match time is 7 p.m.

MATCH NOTES

• UC Irvine posted team hitting averages of .636 (15-1-22), .467 (17-3-30) and .438 (15-1-32) from the first through third sets... The 'Eaters .500 match rate is the highest by an Aggie opponent in the program's Division I era.

• UC Davis never led at any point in the match, and did not even hold a tie score with its host after 2-2 in the second set.

• Friday's match saw the return of Aggie senior Malia Bolko to the libero position... The Big West Conference digs leader had been sidelined by injury since the Wildcat Classic tournament (Sept. 14-15)... Bolko was one of three UC Davis players with exactly five digs, along with Allen and freshman Rose Holscher.

DON'T MISS OUT!
The ninth-annual UC Davis Athletics Brewfest takes place as part of the October 13 Homecoming football game against Idaho State... Tickets for the Brewfest plus the Aggies-Bengals game are now on sale at https://bit.ly/2ooveDI... The Brewfest celebrates UC Davis as the No. 1 academic brewing program in North America... The ticket package includes unlimited tastings at the UC Davis Brewfest, a commemorative tasting mug, and a ticket to the game.

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.