Davis, Calif. – When asked to describe the art of blocking, senior middle blocker Josephine Ough took a moment to reflect on the concept.
 
Even after all those massive, momentum-swinging blocks that she has jumped for and successfully planted, Ough needed to consider everything she's learned from high school to college to present a more meaningful answer.
 
"It's about knowing your strengths," Ough said. "I may not be the fastest middle blocker, but I try to make up for that by reading the game well and putting my hands in a good position that takes a little pressure off of our defense."
 
To this day, Ough is still mastering her craft, however while doing so, she is climbing the UC Davis all-time total blocks leader board, passing players from the side-out era along the way.
 
After collecting three more total blocks against the California Golden Bears last weekend, Ough stands alone at third all-time on that list, passing Candy Lench, who played for the Aggies from 1988-1992.
 
Tacking on a solo block and two block assists in the conference-opening win against UC Riverside at home last Tuesday, Ough now has 354 total blocks, which puts her 39 total blocks away from reaching second.
 
Ough recognizes the mountain she's climbing steadily and hopes her name and performances on the court are a part of this team's legacy going forward.
 
"It's really exciting," Ough said. "It's so exciting that I'm continuing to climb, and my name will be there for a while."
 
Ough began playing volleyball at the age of 13. Ough says it was intimidating for her to pursue volleyball at first because she would be following in the footsteps of her aunt and cousin.
 
However, once she sprinted out onto the court for the first time and saw the potential within herself, she immediately fell in love with the sport.
 
At El Cerrito High School, Ough grasped control of her power at the front of the net, becoming a three-time All-Tri-County Athletic League first-team selection. She guided her team to an undefeated TCAL record and league championship as just a sophomore.
 
Ough also played volleyball for Absolute Volleyball Club and started to shape and refine her blocking skill set, along with her attacking ability and impeccable timings.
 
"Absolute was definitely where my volleyball skills took off," Ough said. "They trained me very well. Just getting to play with girls at such a high level and much higher than I was used to pushed me to becoming a better volleyball player much faster."
 
Ough knew she wanted to continue playing volleyball going into college following her graduation from El Cerrito High School in 2018. She ultimately picked UC Davis and the choice was a clear-cut decision in her mind.
 
"I really only had my eyes on UC Davis," Ough said. "Everything that I was looking for was right here. It just made the most sense to me. I liked the coaches, the girls, the area. It's also not too far from home, too."
 
On her first arrival to the UC Davis campus and volleyball team, Ough replaced Jackie Graves as tallest player in program history with her height at 6-foot-6.
 
Head Coach Dan Conners welcomed Ough with open arms to the court, finding room for her to be a starter up front as a freshman.
 
"When Josephine came in, she was a little bit wide-eyed and didn't have a good understanding of what college volleyball is all about, but what I've seen is that she was able to adapt very quickly," Conners said. "Her hitting percentage from her freshman season to her sophomore year jumped quickly. That came from her off-season work she's put in and through her mentality. Her ability to understand how to move and where she is in space really contributed to her growth as a volleyball player."
 
As a first-year starter in 19 of 22 matches, including all 16 Big West matches, Ough led Aggies with 76 total blocks (1.03 per set), averaging fifth overall in conference while earning Big West Conference All-Freshman Team honors.
 
The following season, Ough erupted with both her hitting percentages and blocking totals, finishing her sophomore campaign with 173 kills and 1.82 kills per set while hitting .386, which was a massive improvement from her freshman year when she hit just .224.
 
Despite the 2020 season being canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic, Ough hasn't slowed down.
 
"She's grown in her competitive nature," Conners said. "She doesn't like to lose. She wants to solve it. As she gets older, she's more proactive in solving that process as opposed to being just frustrated."
 
In 2021, Ough appeared in all but two matches, finishing her junior year ranked No. 5 in the league in hitting percentage (.376) and led the Big West in blocks per set (1.29). Her 134 total blocks also ranked fourth on the school's single season list that year. Without a doubt, she made the 2021 All-Big West Conference First Team alongside Olivia Utterback.
 
The numbers and accolades show that Ough is a force to be reckoned with each time she steps onto the court.
 
Not only is Ough an offensive and defensive threat at any given moment. She's also evolved into a leader and some of her long-time teammates have envisioned her growth from day one.
 
"She has the fire," junior defensive specialist/libero Shira Lahav said. "You need her on the court. She's that intimidating player that we have against other teams. Playing with her, I feel more comfortable knowing she has my back. I know I can trust her to block a ball or crush it. She's just so fun to play with energy-wise, bringing the team together."
 
"She's always been really great," redshirt junior Demari Webb said. "She's very humble about her accomplishments. It's really fun to get to watch her be in her element."
 
Webb and Josephine Ough have been teammates for five years together as Aggies. Webb has appreciated the friendship they've created over their time in UC Davis.
 
From helping get unstuck some Skittles candy in a vending machine on doubles day freshman year to showing her teammates her home in Berkeley, California, Webb says Ough has treated her like family on and off the court.
 
"She's always there as a teammate and a friend," Webb said. "She likes to make jokes, but when it's time to get serious, she can be really dialed in. I appreciate all that she has done so far while we have been here together."
 
Ough and her teammates are not done yet as they storm ahead through the rest of this season.
 
Whether it's a jaw-dropping block at the net or quickly paced kill in open space, Ough's teammates know she's got their back.
 
"I want to run around the court like crazy," Lahav said when Ough puts up an energizing block. "You see the whole team on the bench erupt. We're lucky that we have her because she does that a lot and we get to celebrate with her."