BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — UC Davis junior Alexa Rockas was named the tournament MVP, while sophomore Mahalia White also picked up all-tournament honors for the third time this season, helping lift the Aggies to the tournament title with a Saturday split at the Roadrunner Invitational in Bakersfield, Calif.

With three teams finishing at 2-1 for the event, the crown would be decided on tiebreakers, which all favored UC Davis, which improved to 8-5 overall after falling to host CSU Bakersfield, 3-1, and sweeping San Francisco, 3-0.

Rockas became the fifth Aggie to earn all-tournament honors this season, while White added to her mantel after being named the MVP at the Aggie Invitational and a spot on the all-tournament team at the Wolverine Invitational earlier this year.

The junior middle blocker hit .444 in three matches this weekend, racking up nine total blocks and averaging 0.82 blocks per set. Rockas added 18 kills and committed only two errors in 36 swings.

Meanwhile, White collected a team-high 42 kills and averaged 3.82 kills per set to match teammate Lauren Matias in both categories. White hit .311 and also blocked six shots in the three contests, collecting double-digit kills in each of her last five matches.

In the opener on Saturday, White collected 14 kills and hit .345 on the day, leading two teammates with double-digit kills as the Aggies rallied back for a set two victory — and nearly forced a fifth — before falling 18-25, 25-23, 14-25, 23-25.

Freshman Demari Webb finished with 11 kills and Matias added 10 as UC Davis led by as many as six points in the decisive fourth set before a 4-0 late by the Roadrunners erased a 20-17 lead and gave Bakersfield a 21-20 advantage. The Aggies fought-off two match points on a kill by Webb and a block by Jane Seslar and Josephine Ough, but a kill by CSU Bakersfield's Hayley McCluskey ended the match.

Matias added 10 digs to complete her fourth double-double of the season, while Seslar also added 10 scoops to go with 40 assists for her fourth double-double as well. Freshman Shira Lahav finished with 21 digs to lead all Aggies defensively, while Ough finished with six total blocks, tying her season high.

In the nightcap, Matias finished with a match-high 21 kills and hit .386, while White added 15 more and hit .297 as UC Davis rolled to a 25-19, 25-23, 25-22, victory over the Dons.

Just as in the first match, Matias wrapped up her fifth double-double with 10 more digs, joining Lahav (23 digs) in double digits. Freshman Lana Radakovic added seven blocks (one solo, six assists), while Seslar's 40 assists and 11 digs gave the sophomore her fifth double-double of the season.

Radakovic's seven blocks are the most by an Aggie this season, while Lahav finished in double figures in digs for the fifth straight match and her third with at least 20 in a match during that stretch. The 23 digs by the freshman from Israel are just one shy of her career high of 24 set against Wyoming on Sept. 14.

With the non-conference portion of their schedule now behind them, the Aggies open Big West Conference play on Tuesday (Sept. 24) at home against UC Irvine 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.