DAVIS, Calif. — UC Davis senior
Lauren Matias finished off her team-best ninth double-double of the year with 13 kills and 10 digs, but the host Aggies could not hold back the high-powered Cal Poly offense, which hit .310 on the night en route to a 3-0 (25-19, 28-26, 25-11) victory on Saturday night in Big West Conference play at the Pavilion.
UC Davis fell to 12-10 overall and 4-5 in conference play with the defeat, while the Mustangs — who were receiving votes in the latest AVCA poll — committed only eight errors offensively to improve to 15-6 overall and remain atop the league standings with an 8-1 mark.
In addition to her double-double total, Matias collected her 16th double-digit kill performance of the year, finishing as the only Aggie with 10-or-more kills on the night. Sophomore setter
Jane Seslar finished with 28 assists and eight digs.
Led by 11 kills apiece from Maia Dvoracek and Nikki Jackson, the Mustangs also received 15 digs from Mika Dickson and four blocks from Madilyn Mercer.
Cal Poly began to pull away in the opening set with a 3-0 run midway through the period and, after a service error by the Aggies, used a 6-0 run to break the contest open, leading 20-11. UC Davis responded, clawing its way back into the contest with a 7-0 run of its own behind the serving of Matias, closing to within 20-18, thanks to three kills by Mahaila White during the run.
A kill by Avalon DeNecochea stopped the bleeding and propelled the Mustangs to the win, capitalizing on four Aggie attack errors en route to the 25-19 victory.
UC Davis answered the bell in a second set that saw eight tied scores and four lead changes, leading by as many as three points in the period — the last at 14-11. Cal Poly tied the score at 17 and led, 20-17, before Matias got the ball back for the Aggies with a kill, turning the tide. UC Davis tied the set at 23-all and had set point at 24-23 on an error, but the set was far from over.
The Aggies would have another set point at 25-24 on a kill by
Leonie Strehl and, again, at 26-25 on kill by Matias, but UC Davis couldn't put the Mustangs away. Dvoracek found the floor to tie the match and, eventually, ended the second on a kill for the 28-26 victory.
Saturday's third set was all Cal Poly, which led wire-to-wire to clinch the match, never letting the Aggies to get closer than two points. A 7-0 run turned a 12-8 contest into a 19-8 lead and the Mustangs never looked back, closing the set with the final three points on kills by Dvoracek and Meredith Phillips and an error by UC Davis.
The Aggies return to the court on the road next week, traveling to Southern California to take on CSUN and Long Beach State on Nov. 1 and 2, respectively. Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN3.com and will begin at 7 p.m.
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
Launched 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.
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.
