VERMILLION, S.D. — Senior Lauren Matias and sophomore Mahalia White finished with 27 and 21 kills, respectively, leading a quartet of Aggies with double-digit kills on Saturday morning as the UC Davis women's volleyball team handed Wyoming a 25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-10, defeat in the final match of the 2019 South Dakota Classic in Vermillion, S.D.

The win improved the Aggies to 6-4 overall on the year, winning for the first time in five games since an Oct. 20 triumph over Big West Conference rival UC Irvine at The Pavilion. The Cowgirls fell to 4-5 with the loss.

For Matias, the 27 kills were a season high and marked only the third time in her career that she has eclipsed the 20-kill plateau, ranking behind only her career-high 34 kills at Cal State Fullerton on Oct. 8, 2016, as a freshman. Matias, who committed only six errors on the day, hit .328 for the match, added three blocks, and collected 17 digs to wrap up her third double-double of the year.

It was the sixth time in her career that White has tallied 20-or-more kills in a match, and the most since finishing with 22 at UC Santa Barbara on Nov. 11, 2017. Her career high is 27 set at Long Beach State on Oct. 27 of that same season as the Canoga Park, Calif., native finished hitting .293 against Wyoming on Saturday.

Joining the duo in double figures was sophomore Leonie Strehl, who finished with 15 kills and three blocks on the day, while sophomore Josephine Ough added a career-high 14 kills and hit .650 (14-1-20) to go with four blocks. It was Strehl's fourth career double-digit kill performance and the most since she set a career high with 18 kills against UC Riverside on Oct. 11, 2018.

Sophomore setter Jane Seslar quarterbacked the offense to the tune of a career-high 62 assists to go with 10 digs for her second consecutive double-double and her third of the year, while freshman Shira Lahav added a career-high 24 digs just one day after collecting 17 in a four-set loss against Iowa on Saturday.

UC Davis hit .307 for the contest to Wyoming's .251, and out-blocked the Cowgirls at the net 19-17.

The Aggies hit the road for one more non-conference tournament before the start of Big West play next week, heading south to CSU Bakersfield for the Roadrunner Classic on Sept. 20-21. UC Davis faces Fresno State, the host Roadrunners, and San Francisco, during the two-day event.

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.