SERVICE!: Winners of three straight and off to its best Big West Conference start since 2012, the UC Davis women's volleyball team heads down California's coast this weekend, looking to continue its winning ways against a pair of league unbeatens. The Aggies open their first conference road trip of the year on Friday (Oct. 4) at UC Santa Barbara, before taking on Cal Poly on Saturday (Oct. 5). Both matches are scheduled for a 7 p.m. first serve at their respective sites.

THIS WEEK…
WHO: UC Davis (10-5, 2-0) at UC Santa Barbara (13-1, 3-0)
WHEN: Oct. 4, 2019 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: The Thunderdome in Santa Barbara, Calif.
STREAMING VIDEO: Big West TV
LIVE STATS: UCSBGauchos.com

WHO: UC Davis (10-5, 2-0) at Cal Poly (10-5, 3-0)
WHEN: Oct. 5, 2019 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Mott Athletic Center in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
STREAMING VIDEO: Big West TV
LIVE STATS: GoPoly.com

COACHES CORNER: Dan Conners (UCLA '01) is in his sixth season at UC Davis (86-75 Overall, .534)… Nicole Lantagne Welch (Maryland '94) is in her seventh season at UC Santa Barbara… Caroline Walters (Santa Clara '08) is in her first season at Cal Poly

SERIES NOTES
UC Davis vs. UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara leads, 18-9 (since 2004)
Last Meeting: Nov. 10, 2018 - UC Santa Barbara, 3-1
Current Streak: Lost 1
at The Thunderdome: UCSB leads, 8-6, dating back to 2004 (Won 2)

UC Davis vs. Cal Poly
Cal Poly leads, 17-12 (since 2004)
Last Meeting: Nov. 8, 2018 - Cal Poly, 3-0
Current Streak: Lost 6
at Mott Athletic Center: Cal Poly leads, 9-5, dating back to 2005 (Lost 3)

IN THE POLLS: UC Santa Barbara enters the week as one of nine schools among those receiving votes (27) in the latest AVCA coaches poll released on Monday afternoon (Sept. 30)… Friday's match will be the second for the Aggies against a team listed in that poll following their Sept. 6 clash with then-No. 19 Utah at the Utah Valley Wolverine Invitational… UC Davis and Cal Poly are unranked this week.

ABOUT THE GAUCHOS: UC Santa Barbara enters the weekend with a league-best 13-1 overall record and a 3-0 mark in Big West play, winning its last 11 consecutive matches dating back to a loss at Colorado in the third match of the year… The Gauchos have opened league play with wins over CSUN, UC Irvine, and Cal State Fullerton — the last two via the sweep… UCSB is 6-0 at home this year and has won eight straight at The Thunderdome dating back to a 3-0 loss to rival Cal Poly on Nov. 2 of last season… Senior outside hitter Lindsay Ruddins leads the Gauchos offensively, averaging 4.47 kills per set and hitting .254 on the year to go along with 2.61 digs per set and 39 blocks… Three regulars are hitting better than .300 on the year, helping UCSB lead the league with a .249 hitting percentage… Junior middle blocker Rowan Ennis has a Big West-best 66 blocks (1.40 blocks per set) this year, while sophomore Zoe Fleck's 3.93 digs per set are second in the league.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS: Cal Poly enters the weekend with a 10-5 overall record and a 3-0 mark in Big West play thanks to wins over Long Beach State, Cal State Fullerton, and UC Irvine — all sweeps… Winners of five straight matches overall, the Mustangs have won their last 12 consecutive sets dating back to a 25-23 loss in the first against Oregon State on Sept. 21… Cal Poly, which hosts UC Riverside on Friday before welcoming the Aggies, is 4-0 at home this season and has won its last 25 straight at home dating back to a 3-0 loss to UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 28, 2016… Junior outside hitter Maia Dvoracek leads the Mustangs offensively, averaging 3.75 kills per set (214 kills overall) and hitting .221 on the year while serving up 42 aces on the season… Sophomore Meredith Phillips and junior Madilyn Mercer have combined for 114 blocks this year, while Dvoracek (135) and sophomore Lea Ungar (128) are averaging 2.37 and 2.25 digs per set.

MATIAS MILESTONE WATCH: Thanks to her performances of 18 kills and 14 kills against UC Irvine and UC Riverside, respectively, senior Lauren Matias has racked up 192 kills in 15 matches thus far this season — the second highest single-season total for the Santa Cruz, Calif., native — pushing her to within 177 kills of 1,000 for her career. Should she reach the milestone, she would be just the 11th player in the history of the program to reach the milestone and the first since Emily Allen (1,014) did so last year.

CONNERS COMMENTS…
On the comeback from down 2-1 against UC Irvine…
"I didn't say too much. I talked to a couple of the leaders on the team and they were responsible for the change in the direction in that match. I tried to stay as consistent as a possibly could the entire match, reinforcing that we're a good team, that we should believe in ourselves, and continue to focus on one point at a time, but credit that group for helping us turn the tide."

On the sweep over UC Riverside…
"We played very efficiently in that match. I think that was a match in which we were able to stay very consistent with our style of play throughout the entire contest: high pace, attacking, aggressive, putting a lot of pressure on opponents. I think that was nice to see. We've been able to do that at times, and then we have backed off. I thought it was nice to have a full match where we put forth that effort the entire time."

On the Big West start and facing a pair of 3-0 teams this weekend…
"It's going to take being in the moment, being aggressive, playing our style, getting after it, pressuring them consistently throughout the match. Not letting distractions be at the surface when we're performing. It's about what were are doing right now, in this moment, and staying in tune to that. I think every weekend we play is a big weekend, so what's in front of us right now is the biggest weekend of the year."

On where the team is at this point in the year…
"We're a very young, inexperienced team that is gaining experience and we are not where we want to be by any means. I talked to the group earlier this season about when we're going to peak, and it's probably going to be the latter half of conference. So, to be playing the way that we are playing now is nice, but we're ready for any bumps in the road that may come up and we're going to continue to work to grow and get better."

On standouts after the first half of the year…
"Lauren (Matias) has done a really good job of just being that steady player on the floor for us and has been complimented by Jane (Seslar), who has been really solid for us. As far as players emerging? Defensively, I think Josie (Josephine Ough) has really asserted herself, I think Mahalia (White) has done a great job of having a year off and coming back to find her groove, and both Leonie (Strehl) and Demari (Webb) have done a good job of stepping into the role that they're playing."

"We have nice depth. Shira (Lahav) has become more comfortable in her role, running our passing line and our defensive effort. Ally (Reyes) is an outstanding passer who has stepped in and Perri (Starkey) has emerged as a great passer and good defender, so it's nice to have that deep bench and have some players you can go to."

On the chemistry level…
"I think our players who may not see a lot of time in matches are doing a great job of pushing the starters in practice and increasing the level in practice so that we are pushed to get better every day. I think everybody has been really putting in a great effort to contribute to the product that we see on the floor during competitions. They're doing a great job of supporting each other and supporting the direction we want to go."

AGGIE CUT SHOTS…
• The Aggies reached 10 wins in only 15 matches this season — its best start since the 2011 team did so in only 11 contests en route to a 16-1 start and a 21-10 overall record
• Sunday's win over UC Riverside pushed the Aggies to 2-0 in Big West play — their first such start in league since 2012
• A win Friday at UC Santa Barbara would give UC Davis its first 3-0 conference start since the 2010 squad opened Big West play with four straight victories
• Sunday's win over the Highlanders also moved the Aggies to 6-0 at home this year — the program's best home start since the 2011 team began 8-0 at The Pavilion
• Of the team's 10 wins thus far, six have come via sweep following Sunday's 3-0 win over UC Riverside
• The Aggies were brutally efficient in their sweep of the Highlanders, committing only seven errors on 79 swings and hitting .418 in the victory
• The seven errors were the second-fewest in a single match this season (6 vs. San Jose State), while the .418 hitting percentage is the second-highest behind the .443 hit against Montana in the season opener
• The 10 service aces against UC Irvine on Sept. 24 were a season high and the most since the Aggies had the same number against the Anteaters on Oct. 20 of last year
• UC Davis ranks among the top 50 teams in the NCAA in aces (No. 46 with 88) and aces per set (No. 42 at 1.66)
• The 13 total team blocks against UC Riverside marked the fourth double-digit total for UC Davis this season and the highest total since they had 14 against UC Irvine on Oct. 20 of last year
• Nearly half of sophomore Josephine Ough's 43 blocks have come in her last three matches as the El Cerrito, Calif., native has collected 21 blocks in that span, averaging 1.75 blocks per set
• Ough's eight blocks against UC Irvine are the most by an Aggie this season
• Ough ranks No. 47 in the nation at 1.25 blocks per set overall this year
• After collecting her second double-digit kill performance of the season with 12 against UC Irvine, Ough hit .714 without an error in the win over UC Riverside, collectively hitting .577 (17-2-26) in the team's two matches last week
• Senior Lauren Matias extended her double-digit kill streak to six with her 14 against UC Riverside, hitting .400 for the contest
• Matias also posted her team-best sixth double-double of the season — and her third straight — by adding 13 digs to her 18-kill total against UC Irvine
• Nationally, Matias enters the week ranked among the top 100 hitters in the NCAA in points (No. 75), points per set (No. 89), and kills (No. 87), while ranking just outside the top 100 in kills per set (No. 102)
• Sophomore setter Jane Seslar enters the week ranked No. 40 in the nation with 529 assists and No. 71 with 9.98 assists per set
• Although her double-digit kill streak was halted with only nine against UC Riverside on Sunday, sophomore Mahalia White was nonetheless lethal, hitting .600 for the match in 15 swings without an error
• It was White's second match without an error this season dating back to her school-record performance in the season opener when she slammed 13 kills in 16 attempts for an .812 hitting percentage
• Speaking of errorless hitting performances, sophomore Leonie Strehl hit .615 against the Highlanders, collecting eight kills in 13 swings without a miscue
• Freshman Shira Lahav collected her seventh-straight match with double-digit digs against UC Riverside with 10, upping her total to a team-high 158 on the year
• An electric crowd of 1,308 fans against UC Irvine on Tuesday was the program's best attendance since UC Davis upset No. 8 Hawai'i in five games on Oct. 26, 2013, in front of 1,309 fans
• The Aggies return eight letter winners and a pair of starters off of last season's team that finished in a tie for fifth in the Big West Conference standings
• UC Davis features seven newcomers (six true freshmen and a junior college transfer) as well as welcomes back a pair of redshirts (Webb and White)
• The six true freshmen are the most since the 2017 squad had six, while the seven newcomers are the most since the 2015 Aggies featured eight new faces in Head Coach Dan Conners' second season at the helm
• UC Davis was picked to finish sixth in the race for the Big West Conference title according to a vote of head coaches. Cal Poly (5 first-place votes) and Hawai'i (4 first-place votes) were separated by a single point at the top, followed by UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, Long Beach State, and the Aggies. CSUN, UC Riverside, and Cal State Fullerton, round out the poll.

DIBS ON DOUBLE-DIGITS
Double-Digit Kills Performances (High)
Lauren Matias - 10 (27 vs. Wyoming)
Mahalia White - 9 (21 vs. Wyoming)
Demari Webb - 4 (15 vs. Sacramento State)
Leonie Strehl - 2 (15 vs. Wyoming)
Josephine Ough - 2 (14 vs. Wyoming)

Double-Digit Digs Performances (High)
Lauren Matias - 7 (17 vs. Wyoming)
Shira Lahav - 7 (24 vs. Wyoming)
Jane Seslar - 5 (14 vs. Sacramento State)
Ally Reyes - 3 (19 vs. Sacramento State)
Perri Starkey - 1 (10 vs. Wyoming)

Double-Digit Blocks Performances
TBD

Double-Digit Points Performances (High)
Lauren Matias - 12 (30 vs. Wyoming)
Mahalia White - 10 (22 vs. Wyoming)
Demari Webb - 5 (16 vs. Sacramento State)
Josephine Ough - 3 (16.5 vs. Wyoming & UC Irvine)
Leonie Strehl - 2 (17 vs. Wyoming)

DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Lauren Matias - 6 (Kills-Digs)
Jane Seslar - 5 (Assists-Digs)

2019 HONOR ROLL
Shira Lahav - Big West Conference Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 23)
Mahalia White - Aggie Invitational MVP; UVU Wolverine Invitational All-Tournament Team; Roadrunner Classic All-Tournament Team
Demari Webb - Aggie Invitational All-Tournament Team
Jane Seslar - Aggie Invitational All-Tournament Team
Josephine Ough - South Dakota Classic All-Tournament Team
Alexa Rockas - Roadrunner Classic MVP
 

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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 Times Higher Education, and among the top 15 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
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MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE
Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 women's athletics programs. Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year. All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs. Visit https://give.ucdavis.edu/ATHG/324041 for more information.