SERVICE!: Home, Sweet Home. The UC Davis beach volleyball program opens the home portion of its 2020 schedule this weekend, welcoming San Jose State to campus for a 10 a.m. first serve at the UC Davis beach volleyball courts at Howard Field on Saturday (March 7). It's the first of four straight home duals for the Aggies — the only regular season appearances on campus prior to UC Davis hosting the Big West Conference Tournament in April.
UP NEXT…
GAME 6: San Jose State (8-1) at UC Davis (2-3)
WHEN: Saturday, March 7, 2020 at 10 a.m.
WHERE: UC Davis Beach Volleyball Courts in Davis, Calif.
BE A FOLLOWER: Fans can get an inside look at the UC Davis women's lacrosse program by following them on their many social media accounts. Like or follow us on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, at @UCDavisBeachVB.
IN THE POLLS: Neither UC Davis, nor San Jose State, are ranked the latest AVCA coaches poll released on March 2.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS: San Jose State is off to a blistering start to the 2020 campaign, winning eight of its first nine duals — including each of the last four and two of those via sweeps… The Spartans' only loss came in a 5-0 defeat to Grand Canyon… The No. 2 pair of Thaliana Grajeda and Tabea Schwarz leads the team with seven wins at that spot in the lineup, while the No. 1 (Caitlin Bettenay and Kaitlynn Zdroik) and No. 3 pairs (Haylee Nelson and Sarah Smevog) have won six matches each.
SERIES NOTES: Saturday marks only the second meeting between the Aggies and Spartans — both of those coming this season… San Jose State edged UC Davis, 3-2, during the Aggies regular season opener in San Jose on Feb. 22… The two programs will meet once more on March 21 in San Jose as part of a triple-header with Boise State and Sacramento State.
LAST TIME OUT: UC Davis earned a split in its last outing against a pair of Pac-12 Conference opponents, falling to No. 11 California before downing Utah, 3-2, in the nightcap of a doubleheader. Sophomore
Jane Seslar and junior
Paloma Bowman were the difference against the Utes, posting a 21-12, 21-13, victory over McKenna Granato and Tiyana Hallums at the No. 1 spot. The tandems of
Heather Reed and
Megan Luly, as well as
Demari Webb and
Madelin Smith, also posted victories over Utah at the No. 3 and No. 5 spots in the lineup.
BEACH BUMPS…
• UC Davis' win over Utah marked its second-ever against a Pac-12 opponent and its second in the last three meetings against the conference
• Last week's match against No. 11 California marked the Aggies' first against a nationally ranked team this season and has seven more opponents on this year's schedule currently either ranked or receiving votes in this week's AVCA poll
• Bowman and Seslar's win over the Utes was their first at the No. 1 spot in the lineup this season
• Luly and Reed took home their third win of the season as a pairing against Utah, matching the duo of
Rose Holscher and
Alexa Rockas for the team lead
• Three-set matches have been a bit of a bugaboo for the Aggies this year, as UC Davis is only 3-6 in those contests thus far
• Three of the Aggies' five matches against Utah went to three sets, tying a season high that was set against Ottawa University back on Feb. 22
ABOUT THE AGGIES: Coming off its inaugural campaign in which they finished 8-10 overall and earned the No. 5 seed at the Big West Conference championships, the Aggies return 12 players who saw action on the sand last season, including sophomore
Jane Seslar, who was one-half of an All-Big West honorable mention tandem with partner
Lauren Matias at the top of the UC Davis ladder… Seslar is one of seven current players with experience on the Aggie indoor team, as she joined forces with junior
Alexa Rockas, and sophomore
Demari Webb, to help lead that squad to a 17-13 record and a 9-7 mark in Big West play, culminating in the program's first postseason appearance since 1996… Meanwhile, a group of seven newcomers joins the fold for this year's campaign including junior college transfer
Ashlee Goycoochea who helped Grossmont College in San Diego to a conference and regional title while earning state individual and team crowns, and a graduate transfer in
Emily Horner, who played the last three indoor seasons at the University of Pittsburgh, helping the Panthers to a pair of ACC titles and three berths into the second round of the NCAA Tournament… Five freshmen join the above duo as
Bailey Herdman (Leesburg, Va.),
Sam Lazenby (San Diego, Calif.),
Megan Luly (Encinitas, Calif.), and
Jackie Walker (San Diego, Calif.), enter their first year's with the program, along with redshirt
Isabel Bassi, who transferred from Arizona State and sat out the 2019 season.
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.
