SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Junior outside hitter Lauren Matias recorded 16 kills and hit .355 while senior Emily Allen chipped in another double-double of 17 kills and 13 digs, helping UC Davis assemble a 25-23, 25-23, 13-25, 25-14 win over Sacramento State in a non-conference women's volleyball action on Colberg Court at The Nest Tuesday night.

The Aggies improve to 5-2 for the year, and pick up another five points toward the multi-sport Causeway Cup competition. The Hornets slip to 3-5 overall.

Senior libero Malia Bolko led five players with double-figure digs, along with Allen, defensive specialist Ally Reyes (13), setter Maddie Merlino (12) and setter Paloma Bowman (11). Merlino and senior middle blocker Lauren Jackson paced the net defense with four blocks, while Bolko served up two of the Aggies' four aces.

For Sacramento State, Mikaela Nocetti pounded out a match-high 22 kills on 63 of her team's 154 total swings.

UC Davis eked out a close win in the first set after opening with a commanding lead, then had to overcome an early deficit to snare another two-point win in the second, holding a 2-0 match lead at the break. However, the Aggie hitting struggled to just .025 in the third while the Hornets pulled away with the third set to avoid a sweep.

"Sac State is a tough team because they don't make a lot of mistakes, they play good defense and they serve tough," said UC Davis head coach Dan Conners. "They don't get a lot of kills, but if you make errors, they'll beat you, and that's what happened in the third. That broke our confidence both offensively and defensively.

The Aggies regrouped between the third and fourth, coming out with 17 kills and just one attacking error to lead the finale wire to wire.

"I think the energy was a lot better in the fourth set. We were way more aggressive attacking, and at attacking the court: hitting high, hard, flat, smart shots to the deep corners. We looked for hands to tool. I thought we did a great job executing what we wanted to do going into the fourth set."

UC Davis returns to action at the Santa Clara Invitational, facing Boise State on Friday evening, then taking on the host Broncos on Saturday. 

MATCH NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS
• UC Davis managed 33 kills combined in the first and second sets, but also suffered from 10 attacking errors in the opener (six on Sac State blocks)... Allen's six kills propelled the Aggies to a 15-7 start, but the Hornets fought back to a 22-21 advantage.

• The second set featured five consecutive ties from 19-19 through 23-23 before Allen finished the frame with three straight kills.

• Nocetti hit 8-0-13 for Sacramento State in the fourth, including two kills in a run of nine unanswered... UC Davis never approached closer than a six-point deficit (15-9) after falling into an initial 13-4 hole.

• Allen had seven kills, Matias was a perfect 6-for-6, while Bowman scooped up seven of the Aggies' 22 digs in the fourth... UC Davis hit 17-1-32 (.500) in the final set.

• Allen's double-double marks her fourth straight and sixth in the seven matches during her senior year... Matias' 16 kills marks a season high

---

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.