BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - UC Davis' .367 third-set hitting percentage, compared to Fresno State's .033 clip, capped an outstanding start for the Aggies in their tournament opener at the Roadrunner Classic, hosted by CSU Bakersfield, as volleyball posted a 3-1 win in the team's lone match of the event's opening day.

UC Davis will return to Icardo Center Saturday morning, for the first of two matches scheduled throughout the day, with a 7-4 record. The Bulldogs will continue tournament play with a 5-5 record. 

Friday's victory also snapped the team's three-game skid versus the Bulldogs; the Aggies' last win against their Mountain West foe took place on Sept. 11, 2010. 

The Aggies won the first two sets, 25-18 and 25-20, before Fresno State enjoyed its only highlight of the match when it ended UC Davis' shutout bid by winning the third set, 25-17. All that did was postpone the inevitable, as UC Davis rebounded in impressive fashion by winning the fourth set, 25-17.

Mahalia White led all Aggies with 13 kills, and was one of three players who finished with a double-digit total. Leonie Strehl and Lauren Matias finished with 11 kills apiece. Shira Lahav's four aces were a team-high figure, and one that nearly matched the Bulldogs' team total, while adding a team-high 14 digs. UC Davis out-blocked Fresno State, 11-8, getting six blocks from Alexa Rockas, four more from sophomore Jane Seslar (who also finished with 41 assists), and three more from Josephine Ough.

A 5-0 run last in the first game broke open a close contest as the Aggies never trailed in the period. A four-point game turned into a nine-point advantage as a kill by Ough and a error by the Bulldogs ended set one in favor of UC Davis, 25-18. The Aggies turned an early game two deficit into a big lead with another five-point burst and had game-point before a service error handed the ball back to Fresno State. Matias, however, put the game away with a kill for a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Bulldogs came out swinging in game three, leading by as many as eight points on a couple of occasions before a kill and pair of aces by freshman Demari Webb, coupled with a Fresno State error, clawed the Aggies back to within four. The Bulldogs finished strong, scoring five of the final seven points to break-up the shutout bid, sending the match to a fourth, and ultimately final, set.

UC Davis opened with five of the first six points in the fourth and rarely let up, eventually building a 16-6 advantage and leading, 20-11, before Fresno State mounted a rally. Five straight points by the Bulldogs at that point made it 20-16 before the Aggies put away the match thanks to a kill by Matias and three errors by Fresno State during a 4-0 run to finish the day.

UC Davis' Saturday schedule at the Roadrunner Classic includes a 10 a.m. matchup against the tournament hosts, and aa 5 p.m. tilt vs. San Francisco in its final game of the weekend. 

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.