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DAVIS, Calif. — Senior outside hitter
Lauren Matias and sophomore middle blocker
Josephine Ough shared team-high honors with 13 kills, but host UC Davis could not hold off No. 19-ranked Hawai'i, as the visiting Rainbow Wahine rallied to defeat the Aggies, 3-1, on Friday night at The Pavilion.
The match marked the final home appearance for seniors Matias,
Ally Reyes, and
Jackie Graves, who were honored in a pregame ceremony in front of a season-high 1,378 fans — which topped the previous high of 1,308 fans in attendance for a match against UC Irvine on Sept. 24.
UC Davis fell to 14-12 overall and 6-7 in Big West Conference play with the defeat, putting an end to a brief two-match winning streak with the final three contests of the regular season on the road.
Led by a match-high 17 kills from Hanna Hellvig, Hawai'i improved to 21-3 overall and 11-2 in league play.
Matias' 13 kills marked the senior's 10th straight match with double-digit kills, adding eight digs, a pair of blocks, and two aces. The kill total inched her ever closer to becoming the 11th player in school history to reach 1,000 career kills, needing nine more to eclipse the milestone.
Joining Matias in double figures was Ough, who also hit .579 on the night and added four blocks, making just two errors in 19 swings.
Freshman
Shira Lahav finished with a team-high 14 digs, while Reyes celebrated her final appearance at The Pavilion with 10 digs — her fourth double-digit dig performance of the year.
The Aggies came out firing to start the match, leading by as many as five before Hawai'i staged its comeback, using a 5-1 run to make it a one-point game and, eventually, tie the score at 20-all on a kill by Hellvig. The two teams traded points, eventually settling on a 24-24 tie before the Rainbow Wahine closed out the set with a kill by Norene Iosia and a block by Amber Igiede for the 26-24 win.
UC Davis rallied to take the second set, holding off a late charge by Hawai'i for the 25-22 win by limiting the Rainbow Wahine to just .182 hitting in the set while Matias had five of her 13 kills in the second.
The Aggies jumped out early in the third as well, capitalizing on four Rainbow Wahine errors and a kill by sophomore
Leonie Strehl for a 7-3 lead, but Hawai'i would use a 7-0 run later in the set to erase the deficit and build a six-point, 19-13, lead of its own. UC Davis wasn't done, however, scoring seven of the next nine points to make it a one-point game, but a pair of kills by Brooke Van Sickle put an end to the set in favor of Hawai'i, 25-22.
In the fourth, the Rainbow Wahine took control early and never let up, using a 4-0 run to break a seven-all tie and later used another 6-1 burst to build a nine-point lead en route to a 25-15 victory.
UC Davis returns to the court with a pair of matches in Orange County next week, taking on Cal State Fullerton on Friday (Nov. 15) before a rematch with UC Irvine on Saturday (Nov. 16). Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m. at their respective sites.
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.
