DAVIS, Calif. – UC Davis will look to stay unbeaten in Big West Conference play when it heads to Cal State Bakersfield and CSUN on the weekend.
This weekend will mark the final stretch of the 14-game road trip to start the season as the Aggies will finally return to the University Credit Union Center on Oct. 5 for its first home game of the year.
 
TALE OF THE TAPE
Sept. 29 at Cal State Bakersfield | 6 p.m. | Bakersfield, Calif. | Live Stats | Live Video

Cal State Bakersfield has historically had the edge in the all-time series, leading 27-11, however UC Davis has won two of the last three contests including last year's sweep at the University Credit Union Center. The Roadrunners are 5-9 overall coming into Friday night's game after going 1-1 in the opening weekend of conference play. Ava Palm leads her team with 138 kills and Breklyn Pulling has enjoyed a solid freshman campaign, leading Cal State Bakersfield with 3.15 points-per-set.

Sept. 23 at CSUN | 6 p.m. | Northridge, Calif. | Live Stats | Live Video
CSUN has struggled early in 2023, falling to 2-11 overall after dropping each of its first two conference contests, but lead the all-time series against UC Davis 24-16 and have won four of the last five matchups. Last season, the Aggies picked up a four-set win to snap the four-game skid against the team from Northridge.The Matadors take a four-game losing streak into Friday, falling in eight of their last nine games. CSUN has four players over the 100-kill mark with Carisa Barron leading the way with 129, averaging a team-best 2.86 points-per-set.
 
LAST WEEK
UC Davis enjoyed the perfect start to their Big West campaign by rallying a pair of thrilling reverse sweeps in the opening weekend.
 
In conference opener that featured just about everything, the Aggies battled back from two sets down to complete the reverse sweep, winning three straight frames to down Cal State Fullerton on Friday night inside Titan Gym.
 
Three Aggies finished in double figures in what became an outstanding offensive performance. Olivia Utterback impressed yet again with her game-high 16 kills at a .378 clip, but also got it done on the defensive end with her 11 digs and four block assists.
 
For the second straight night, UC Davis rallied from two sets down to complete the improbable comeback, taking down hosts UC Irvine in five frames on Saturday afternoon.
 
Utterback starred in the win yet again, posting 17 kills with some crucial swings down the stretch to get her team across the finish line. She hit .289 on the night and tallied double-digit digs with 12 to her name.
 
WEEKLY HONORS
UC Davis volleyball earns two Big West Conference weekly awards after their spotless opening weekend that saw the Aggies pick up a pair of wins over Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine. Julia Ng was named Defensive Player of the Week while Ally Chandler was tabbed Freshman of the Week, announced Monday afternoon by league officials.
 
Ng was outstanding at the libero position for UC Davis, delivering back-to-back 20+ dig performances. She tallied 23 digs in the win over the Titans before exploding for a season-high 24 digs in the five-set victory over Cal State Fullerton, making a massive impact on the defensive end.
 
Chandler was also dominant on the defensive side of the ball, racking up a total of 19 blocks over two contests on the weekend. The freshman was a force in the win over UC Irvine, posting an astounding 11 block assists, with many of those stops coming in the fourth and fifth sets. The Loomis native registered eight total blocks (four solo) against Cal State Fullerton and knocked down 11 kills over the two matches, racking up seven kills while getting involved in six blocks.
 
EYES ON THE PRIZE
The Big West will feature a postseason conference tournament for the first time in the conference's history following the 2023 regular season. This brand-new championship event will reward the winner with the league's automatic big into the field of the 2023 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship. The Aggies will hope to be playing their best volleyball Nov. 22-25 in Long Beach for the inaugural conference tournament.
 
LIVing UP TO THE HYPE
Headlining an experienced group of returning talent will be Olivia Utterback who was named to the 2023 Big West Preseason Coaches' Team. The opposite from Plainfield, Ind. finished second on the team with 265 kills and 335 points. She posted a team-high 35 service aces in 2022 and will bring a veteran presence to the Aggies' locker room.
 
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
UC Davis has added seven talented freshmen to the roster who look to break onto the scene in their first seasons wearing the Blue and Gold.
Two middle blockers, Ally Chandler and Allie Caldwell, will compete for significant playing time at the position while Breeze Czapinski, Reese Diersbock, Rachel Dunagan, and Brooke Hibino will provide depth at outside hitter. Mia Starr rounds out the group of the newcomers as the lone setter of the 2023 signing class.
 
2023 UC DAVIS WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL NEWCOMERS
Allie Caldwell (Middle Blocker, 6'0", San Carlos, CA / Sequoia HS, Rage Westside VBC)
Ally Chandler, (Middle Blocker, 6'2", Loomis, CA / Del Oro HS, Synergy Force)
Breeze Czapinski (Outside Hitter, 5'10", Ramona, CA; Poway HS; San Diego Volleyball Club)
Reese Diersbock (Outside Hitter, 6'0", Kailua, HI / Le Jardin Academy, Ku'ikahi VBC)
Rachel Dunagan (Outside Hitter, 5'10", Albuquerque, NM / Ballard HS, Sudden Impact VBC)
Brooke Hibino (Outside Hitter, 6'1"; Salinas, CA / Salinas HS; Vision VBC)
Mia Starr (Setter, 5'10", Portland, OR / Central Catholic HS, Oregon Juniors Volleyball Academy)
 
Tickets are now on sale. Click HERE or call the UC Davis Ticket Office at 530-752-2471 for more information.
 
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