DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis finally saw its winning streak coming to an end as Cal Poly rallied to take three straight sets after dropping the first, picking up the four-set victory on Thursday night inside a loud University Credit Union Center.
The Aggies also suffer their first Big West defeat of the season, falling to 4-1, while the Mustangs extend their win streak to four games and improve to 4-1 in conference play.
"All credit goes to Cal Poly, they played well and put pressure on us throughout the night," said Head Coach
Dan Conners. "We need to learn from tonight and do a better job preparing for matches like this in the future."
Despite the defeat,
Olivia Utterback enjoyed her best performance of the year with a season-high 18 kills. The junior hit a stellar .351 on the night and earned another double-double with her 10 digs.
UC Davis posted a hitting percentage of .205 and committed 25 attack errors on the night which is the second-highest mark of the season.
Another good showing came from
Amara Aimufua with her 13 kills on .205, and
Julia Ng was solid as the libero snuffed out 16 digs and chipped in with four assists.
Mia Starr led the setting pair with 19 assists while also racking up six digs on the defensive end.
Set 1
Cal Poly held the edge for majority of the first set until a 3-0 scoring run sparked by kills from
Jade Light and
Reese Diersbock gave the Aggies a 20-17 advantage. The visitors would respond with a 3-0 run of their own, but Light knock down two more kills - including the set point – to seal the 25-23 win in the opening frame.
Set 2
The Aggies raced to a 7-2 lead in the second set after Utterback exploded for four early kills. It seemed to be an easy road to the two-set cushion but an 8-1 run from the visitors would prove to be the turning point in the match as Cal Poly would roar back to take the second set 25-18.
Set 3
San Luis Obispo's team was first to find its footing in the third set, making the score 11-6 to put the Aggies under some pressure. Using a 4-0 run as a response, UC Davis cut the deficit to just one point, but the Mustangs would answer with four straight points of their own to restore their sizable lead. The Aggies would claw within two points in the closing stages but Cal Poly would hang on to take the set 25-22.
Set 4
The momentum stayed on the Mustangs' side of the net, opening up the fourth set and final set with a 10-4 lead. However, UC Davis won seven of the next eight points to even the score at 11-all. The hosts started to find some rhythm, managing a 19-16 advantage as they seemed poised to force a decisive fifth set.
The Aggies would sputter at the wrong time, allowing a hot Cal Poly team to send the set to deuce and eventually clinch the match with the 27-25 in the final set.
Up Next
The Ags remain in Davis for Saturday's matchup with UC Santa Barbara. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. inside the University Credit Union Center.
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