LONG BEACH, Calif. – It was another instant classic between UC Davis and Cal Poly, however the Aggies found themselves on the losing end of another five-set decision as the Mustangs completed the reverse sweep (19-25, 19-25, 25-19, 25-22, 15-13) to bring their season to an end in the first round of the inaugural 2023 Outrigger Big West Women's Volleyball Championship.
The Aggies finish their season with a record of 13-16 overall (8-10 Big West) and will hold their heads high after earning a bid to the conference's first postseason tournament.
"I'm very proud of our team's performance," said Head Coach
Dan Conners. "We played point for point with a very good team. Cal Poly played composed and with poise. Congrats to them and their staff. We are a young group and this experience in the Big West tournament has been a fantastic opportunity for our student-athletes. We will stand tall after our efforts this season. It's been a tough but fun season with a fantastic group of student-athletes."
Reese Diersbock was unbelievable in the final game of her freshman season, going for a career-high 17 kills at an efficient .308.
Jade Light was terrific in her 14-kill showing, racking up nine digs defensively.
Olivia Utterback tallied 12 kills and four service aces while delivering another double-double with her 10 digs.
Shkhinah Tindsley put in an excellent defensive performance with her game-high eight blocks, including two solo stops. Impressing at the setter position was
Mia Starr with her 35 assists and 15 digs in yet another double-double for the freshman.
Set 1
It was the perfect start for UC Davis, racing to a 19-8 advantage in the opening set behind Utterback's four kills and Tindsley's huge impact at the middle blocker spot. The Aggies were extremely effective at the service line as they posted five service aces, including three from
Makena Morrison, to spark a 10-0 scoring run.
The blocking pair of Utterback and Tindsley held the Mustangs to a negative hitting percentage (-.045), allowing Davis' team to earn the 25-19 set victory.
Set 2
Tindsley continued her dominance with three more blocks in the second frame, leading UC Davis to a 20-13 lead. Using some big kills from Utterback as well as an ace from
Haden Bones, the Aggies rallied for a 10-2 run to break things open.
Light started to find rhythm by knocking down four kills in the second set to power UC Davis to a convincing 25-15 win while putting pressure on the three-seed Mustangs. The Aggies hit .321 in the set while Cal Poly was held to .040.
Set 3
With its backs against the wall, Cal Poly answered back by opening up a 15-10 lead in the third frame. UC Davis struggled, hitting just .086 and the Mustangs took advantage by grabbing the set 25-19.
Set 4
For the second straight set, the number-three seed enjoyed a solid start by building a 9-4 advantage and forcing a UC Davis timeout. Momentum began to switch as Cal Poly won the fourth set 25-22 to send the match to a decisive fifth frame.
Set 5
It was tight to start the fifth set until two consecutive Cal Poly points gave the Mustangs an 8-6 lead when the teams switched sides. However, the Aggies showed some incredible fight by winning the next three points to take the lead.
The see-saw battle took another twist as another three-point swing allowed Cal Poly to restore its lead before eventually edging out the 15-13 win to complete the reverse sweep.
Social Media
Stay in the loop with everything related to UC Davis women's volleyball by following the Aggies on all of their social media platforms.
Instagram |
X |
Facebook
