DAVIS, Calif. — Fighting blowing winds and a pair of nationally ranked opponents for the second consecutive day, the UC Davis wrapped up a stretch of four matches in two days against No. 11 California and No. 6 Hawai'i on Tuesday, falling to the Golden Bears by a 3-2 count and the Rainbow Wahine by a 5-0 score.
The Aggies dropped to 1-7 overall on the year with the losses, with all eight of their matches coming against teams either ranked or receiving votes in the national polls.
Suffering 5-0 defeats against California in the team's four previous meetings, including one in the regular season opener earlier this year, UC Davis was able to, not only take a set from the Golden Bears, but take a pair of matches from their Bay Area rivals for the first time in the history of the program.
California took the early 2-0 lead in the match with straight-set wins at the twos and the fours before the Aggies clinched their first point at the ones with
Paloma Bowman and
Colleen McGuire defeating Mima Mirkovic and Caroline Schafer, 21-16, 22-20.
The Golden Bears answered with a three-set win at the fives to clinch the match as
Savanah Schroeder and
Sam Lazenby extended their contest against Katie Smoot and Grace Paulson before falling, 23-21, 18-21, 15-8.
UC Davis wasn't done winning, however, as
Rose Holscher and
Madelin Smith came through with a second point, rebounding from an opening set loss to upend Alexia Inman and Maddie Micheletti in three sets, 20-22, 21-19, 18-16.
The Golden Bears went on to sweep their matches on the day with a 4-1 upset of No. 6 Hawai'i in the second match of the day, setting up a rematch between Big West rivals the Aggies and the Rainbow Wahine in the final dual of the afternoon.
UC Davis' duo of
Heather Reed and
Megan Luly were able to push Hawai'i's Amber Igiede and Julianna Napoleon to three sets before falling, 21-13, 10-21, 15-13, but the Rainbow Wahine swept the remaining four matches in straight sets to seal the win.'
The road beckons for the Aggies this weekend as they head down the coast for five matches in two days against Big West foes in San Luis Obispo, Calif. UC Davis opens against No. 6 Hawai'i on Friday (March 26) at 12:30 p.m., before taking on host and No. 5-ranked Cal Poly at 3 p.m., and CSU Bakersfield at 5:30 p.m.
On Saturday (March 27), the Aggies are scheduled to face CSUN at 10:30 a.m. and No. 19 Long Beach State at 1 p.m., to wrap up the weekend.
NCAA WOMEN'S BEACH VOLLEYBALL
March 22, 2021 • Davis, Calif. • UC Davis Beach Volleyball Courts
#11 California 3, UC Davis 2
#1 -
Paloma Bowman/
Colleen McGuire (UCD) def. Mima Mirkovic/Caroline Schafer (CAL), 21-16, 22-20
#2 - Ainsley Radell/Jordan Polo (CAL) def.
Heather Reed/
Megan Luly (UCD), 21-15, 21-15
#3 -
Rose Holscher/
Madelin Smith (UCD) def. Alexia Inman/Maddie Micheletti (CAL), 20-22, 21-19, 18-16
#4 - Brooke Buchner/Kate Bierly (CAL) def.
Jane Seslar/
Ashlee Goycoochea (UCD), 21-9, 21-17
#5 - Katie Smoot/Grace Paulson (CAL) def.
Savanah Schroeder/
Sam Lazenby (UCD), 23-21, 18-21, 15-8
Order of finish: 2, 4, 1, 5, 3
#11 California 4, #6 Hawai'i 1
#1 - Ainsley Radell/Jordan Polo (CAL) def. Brooke Van Sickle/Harley Kekauoha (UH), 21-11, 23-25, 15-11
#2 - Mima Mirkovic/Caroline Schafer (CAL) def. Amber Igiede/Julianna Napoleon (UH), 21-18, 22-20
#3 - Alexia Inman/Maddie Micheletti (CAL) def. Jaime Santer/Ilihia Huddleston (UH), 21-16, 21-14
#4 - Brooke Buchner/Kate Bierly (CAL) def. Anna Maidment/Kaylee Glagau (UH), 21-19, 21-13
#5 - Riley Wagoner/Kylin Loker (UH) def. Katie Smoot/Grace Paulson (CAL), 21-17, 21-12
Order of finish: 4, 2, 1, 5, 3
#6 Hawai'i 5, UC Davis 0
#1 - Brooke Van Sickle/Harley Kekauoha (UH) def.
Paloma Bowman/
Colleen McGuire (UCD), 21-12, 21-14
#2 - Amber Igiede/Julianna Napoleon (UH) def.
Heather Reed/
Megan Luly (UCD), 21-13, 10-21, 15-13
#3 - Jaime Santer/Ilihia Huddleston (UH) def.
Rose Holscher/
Madelin Smith (UCD), 21-3, 21-0 (injury)
#4 - Anna Maidment/Kaylee Glagau (UH) def.
Jane Seslar/
Bailey Herdman (UCD), 21-11, 21-19
#5 - Riley Wagoner/Kylin Loker (UH) def.
Jackie Walker/
Summer Bouquet (UCD), 21-13, 21-11
Order of finish: 4, 2, 3, 5, 1
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Over 700 student-athletes across 25 intercollegiate athletics teams, following the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation.
Centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe and the Napa Valley, UC Davis is known nationwide as a leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, ranks annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.
UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.
