Davis, Calif. – In the first conference game of the season, the UC Davis women's volleyball team defeated UC Riverside, 3-1, on Tuesday at the University Credit Union Center in Davis, Calif.
 
"We played great volleyball in moments, and we played poor volleyball in moments," head coach Dan Conners said. "We just need to work on our consistency."
 
Redshirt junior Demari Webb carried the Aggies with a team-high 14 kills and hit .483 with no attack errors.
 
"She had a great night," Conners said. "She's been frustrated lately, and she's been working hard to make the changes she knows she needed to make. Tonight, she executed. She did exactly what she needed to do from an offensive standpoint.
 
In total, the Aggies powered their way past the Highlanders with 51 kills, including three double-digit kill performances by Webb, sophomore Olivia Utterback (12), and senior Josephine Ough (10).
 
With the win to begin conference play, UC Davis improved to 2-1 on home court and 6-5 overall this year. UC Riverside dropped to 2-8 on the season.
 
The Aggies pressured the Highlanders with attacks from all angles early, ultimately taking the first set by a score of 25-16.
 
UC Riverside responded with a resounding start that featured a 5-0 run out of the gate of the second frame. Another 8-0 run midway through by UCR propelled the visitors to eventually taking the set, 25-13.
 
During a pivotal third set, the Aggies and Highlanders went back-and-forth, trading possessions and points. Then, UC Davis went on a 4-0 run to take a 10-5 lead. A 6-1 run by the Aggies lifted the home team to 18-15, but then a 5-0 run by the Highlanders gave the visitors the edge at 19-18. Once again, the teams exchanged points, eventually tying the score at 23-23. Back-to-back kills by Utterback ultimately pushed the Aggies through a close third set, 26-24.
 
To begin the fourth and final set, the Aggies rampaged out to 22-7 lead that featured three aces by junior Shira Lahav during a 13-1 run. UC Davis continued to press on the gas pedal, however UCR countered with an 11-0 run to make the score 22-18.
 
The Aggies finally were able to get possession with a kill by Utterback. She wasn't done yet as the Plainfield, Indiana native wrapped up the final set with a sensational, crowd-erupting kill down the line that secured the Aggies win, 25-19.
 
UC Davis hit .234 for the match compared to .172 for UC Riverside.

Up next, the Aggies will fly out to Honolulu, Hawaii to take on the Rainbow Warriors on Friday at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center at 10 pm PT.