BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – UC Davis continues to play excellent volleyball on the road, winning its fifth straight contest to stay unbeaten in Big West Conference action, taking down Cal State Bakersfield in four sets.
"We have some talented players," said Head Coach
Dan Conners. "Once we figure out how to attack a team, that opens things up for us and we really hit our stride. We started off blocking some balls to get some momentum, found our offensive rhythm, and then our offense was really clicking."
The Aggies seem to be firing on all cylinders as they near the end of the 14-game road trip to start their 2023 season. The offense was on fire, posting a team hitting percentage of .304 which is the second-best mark of the year for UC Davis. With 14 service aces on the night, the Ags match a season-high as they enjoy a fantastic game on the service line.
Jade Light turned in a terrific performance with nine kills from her 15 attempts, registering game-high .600 hitting percentage. The sophomore also got it done defensively, racking up 10 digs and five block assists.
"It was about our mindset," Light said. "We had a meeting in the locker room prior to the game and we came out with different energy. We've done a great job on the road, which speaks to grit and perseverance. Our pregame mindset can improve, but our we seem to get better as the game goes on, which is good to see."
Olivia Utterback notched 13 kills while hitting at a .321 clip in another steady performance from UC Davis' All-Big West recipient.
Mia Starr reached the 20-assist mark for the fifth time this season as the setter continues her impressive freshman campaign.
Set 1
The hosts had the edge to start the contest, racing to a 10-5 lead in the opening set. However, UC Davis would use a timeout to regroup and immediately rallied for five straight points back to level the set at 10-all. The set would go back-and-forth as the two teams would trade points down the stretch. The Aggies eventually took their first lead when
Ally Chandler knocked down a crucial kill to make the score 19-18.
Davis' team found themselves down 23-21 but a kill from
Amara Aimufua followed by a Light service ace knotted things up at 23-23 to force a Cal State Bakersfield timeout. It would the Roadrunners, however, to snatch the first set 25-23 after winning the last two points.
Utterback enjoyed a solid start with four kills in set number one, but UC Davis hit just .150 as a team.
Set 2
The Aggies nearly fell into a two-set deficit for the third consecutive match when the hotly contested set went down to the wire. Cal State Bakersfield took another early lead but UC Davis battled from behind to take the lead when Utterback came through with a kill and a service ace to make the score 10-9.
Once again, the teams would seemingly trade points and the set would go to deuce. The Aggies faced a set point at 27-26, but showed some unbelievable fight when Chandler and Light notched back-to-back kills to propel their team to the 29-27 win, evening things up at 1-1 in the match.
Set 3
The Ags found their rhythm offensively in the third set, cruising to the 25-15 win. The freshman started to show out in the third set as
Reese Diersbock tallied a pair of aces before
Allie Caldwell came up with two huge blocks to extend the advantage.
Light was electric, knocking down five of her nine kills in the third set alone to lead UC Davis to the 2-1 lead.
Set 4
Cal State Bakersfield started the fourth set on the front foot but the Aggies, like they have all season long, responded well to the adversity by rallying from behind to regain the lead. UC Davis delivered the finishing blow with a late 7-0 scoring run to close out the Roadrunners in four sets, winning the final frame 25-15.
Up Next
The Ags complete their 14-game road trip tomorrow afternoon at CSUN. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m.
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