Score: UC Davis 3, UC Riverside 0
Set Scores: 25-23, 25-20, 25-19
Location: Davis, Calif. (University Credit Union Center)
Records: UC Davis 9-5 (4-1), UC Riverside 5-13 (0-5)
The short story: UC Davis volleyball extended its Big West winning streak to four with a sweep of UC Riverside, out hitting and out blocking the Highlanders on the way to a three-set victory.
FIRST SERVE
- Senior Olivia Utterback led the Aggies with nine kills, hitting .304 and adding five digs
- Sophomore Mia Starr ran the offense again with confidence, finishing with 27 assists, three service aces, seven digs and one block
- Senior Juila Ng was strong on reception, finishing with 14 digs while only committing one reception error
- As a team, the Aggies finished with seven blocks to the Highlanders' two
- UC Davis held UC Riverside to .136 hitting in the match
WHAT HEAD COACH DAN CONNERS HAD TO SAY
"We weren't at our best today, but credit goes to UC Riverside for putting pressure on us with their good service, solid passing and aggressive attack. Mia [Starr] did a great job of running our offense tonight and Olivia had a nice night. Mia got the ball to our middle's which allowed them to be efficient throughout the evening. And while they did pass well, we got six aces and out blocked and out dug them. We did enough to win today and sometimes that's what matters. We can take some lessons from today as we head to Hawaii."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Throughout the first set, the Aggies were able to keep the Highlanders at bay every time they attempted to get back into the set
- Evidence of that came near the end of the opening set, when the Aggies got to 23-17 things seemed to be in control. But over the final eight points, UC Riverside would score six, fighting off three Aggie set points
- But eventually, the deficit to clear was to much as a UC Riverside service error locked up a 25-23 UC Davis first set win
- At 16-13 in the second set, UC Riverside again would not go away quietly, but over the next six points the Ags got five to create a 20-14 gap
- Despite attempts by the Highlanders to replicate what they did in the first set the Ags kept control of the set and after a Utterback kill gave the Aggies set point, junior Jade Light and sophomore Allie Caldwell denied a Highlander attack to put in the books a 25-20 second set win
- UC Riverside took its latest lead of the match midway through the third set, holding a 12-10 lead following an Aggie attack error
- The Aggies, following a deep breath, then went on a run, taking home six out of the next eight points to flip the score and hold a 16-14 lead
- In that stretch, Starr held serve and on back-to-back points the Ags got blocks from sophomore Reese Diersbock and senior Alexa Hogan, with Hogan smashing back two UC Riverside attacks
- From there the Aggies had control of the action, eventually finishing off the Highlanders on an UC Riverside attack error that gave UC Davis a 25-19 third set win
UP NEXT: The Aggies hit the road for a big matchup with Big West foe, Hawaii. UC Davis faces Hawaii on Fri., Oct. 11 with first serve set for 10 p.m. PT.
