DAVIS, Calif. — After beginning the season with 10 straight matches on the road, UC Davis volleyball will open their home slate at the University Credit Union Center on Thursday, Oct. 2, against Cal State Fullerton at 6:00 p.m. PT. The team will then debut their light blue Lake Tahoe-inspired uniforms when they welcome the UC Irvine Anteaters on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 1:00 p.m. PT.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW
Oct. 2  — vs. Cal State Fullerton | ESPN+ | Live Stats | Parking Info | @ucdaviswvb (X/Instagram)

Oct. 4  — vs. UC Irvine | ESPN+ | Live Stats | Parking Info | @ucdaviswvb (X/Instagram)


GAME NOTES

• Season Record: The Aggies are 6-4 on the season, getting a victory in their first two conference games against UC Riverside and Hawai'i. Their win in Hawai'i marks just the second time in program history that UC Davis has beaten the Rainbow Wahine on the road.
• Gunning Towards Aggie History: Cal Aggie Hall of Famer Kathy DeYoung set the precedent for UC Davis volleyball with 169 career victories, a program record that has stood for nearly 40 years. Now, head coach Dan Conners is closing in on that milestone, currently at 157 career wins — just 13 shy of becoming the winningest coach in program history. 
• Big West Standings: Following the first weekend of conference action, UC Davis is one of four teams that remain undefeated at 2-0 in The Big West, along with Long Beach State, UC Santa Barbara, and Cal Poly.
• History Repeats Itself: For the second time in three years, UC Davis volleyball has spent September playing exclusively road matches, with renovations being done on the University Credit Union Center. In 2023, the last time this happened, the team went 9-5 before their first home match on their way to qualifying for the inaugural Big West volleyball tournament.
• Road to 1,000 Kills: All-Big West Preseason attacker Jade Light has had another high-powered season after being named to the All-Big West Second Team in 2024. Currently, she leads the Aggies with 150 kills and 4.17 kills per set, also leading the Big West in the latter category. Now up to 860 kills in her career, Light looks to become just the 13th player in program history to hit 1,000 kills this season.
• Block Party: Middle Blockers Ally Chandler and Allie Caldwell have set the Aggies up for success on the defensive side of the net, with Chandler leading the team in total blocks with 39 and Caldwell sitting at the top of the conference in blocks per set with 1.22. Chandler has also stepped up in the hitting game, ranking second in the Big West in hitting percentage at .406.
• Super Setter: Senior Haden Bones has taken a step up at the setter position in 2025, leading the Aggies with 16 service aces on the season, also ranking second in the conference in aces per set (0.44)
• A Starr On The Court: After being named an All-Big West Honorable Mention a year ago, Mia Starr continues to impress in her junior season, already putting up 352 assists. Among Big West setters, she ranks second with 9.78 assists per set.
• Breakout Season: After spending last season battling injuries, third-year player Brooke Hibino has started to shine for the Aggies, ranking second on the team with 67 kills on the year so far. Against Hawai'i last Saturday, she set a new career-high with 15 kills, leading all players on the court in Davis' second-ever win on the Islands.
• 2024 Recap: UC Davis went 19-10 and finished third in the Big West.
• 2025 Poll: Aggies were picked third in the Big West preseason coaches' poll, receiving 75 points.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS

• Cal State Fullerton is 6-8 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. 
• With a three-set win over UC San Diego last week, first-year head coach Nicky Cannon led her team to their first Big West win since 2023.
• The Titans are led both offensively and defensively by middle blocker Ketesia Hall, who leads the team with 136 kills and ranks second in blocks with 39.
• UC Irvine is 5-9 on the season and 0-2 in the Big West. The Anteaters will play UC Riverside on Thursday before making the trip to Davis.
• Attacker Kendra Duffey leads the offense with 114 kills, while also leading the team in total blocks with 34 on the season.

SEASON NOTES

• 2025 marks the 12th season for UC Davis head coach Dan Conners.
• Conners' 2024 was one of historic significance, leading the Aggies to a career high 19 wins and a program best 13 conference wins. His 157 career wins put him in second place on the all-time Aggie wins list.
• The staff features two new assistants: Prima Glorioso, a former assistant at Menlo College and founder of Core Volleyball in Sacramento, serves as the team's director of operations, and Lana Radakovic, a former professional and collegiate player under Conners, coaches the team's middle blockers.
• Returning from last season is assistant coach Danielle (Dee) Davis, who leads recruiting while also serving as a mental performance coach.
• The roster blends a strong returning core of players, including Ally Chandler, Jade Light, Allie Caldwell, Mia Starr, and Ximena Cordero Barr.
• In addition, the 2025 squad includes three new players for the Aggies. Maike Bertens Deckart, a former NJCAA national champion, joins the team for her graduate season after two seasons with the Manhattan Jaspers. Freshmen Laela Burgess and Faith Rabb-Patterson also come to the Aggies after successful high school careers.
• This is UC Davis' final season in the Big West before joining the Mountain West in 2026, and the goal remains to qualify for the Big West Tournament and play Aggie volleyball into December.