DAVIS, Calif. — After splitting matchups against Santa Barbara and Cal Poly last weekend, UC Davis volleyball is back in the University Credit Union Center for matchups against UC Riverside on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 6:00 p.m. PT and Hawai'i on Thursday, Oct. 30, at 6:00 p.m. PT.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW
Oct. 28  — vs. UC Riverside | ESPN+ | Live Stats | Parking Info | @ucdaviswvb (X/Instagram)

Oct. 30  — at Hawai'i | ESPN+ | Live Stats | Parking Info | @ucdaviswvb (X/Instagram)


GAME NOTES

• Season Record: The Aggies are 13-5 on the season and 9-1 in conference play. The team won a five-set thriller at home on Thursday night against UC Santa Barbara before falling in four sets to Cal Poly on Saturday.
• Among The Best In The Nation: Still off to the best start in conference play in program history, the Aggies have continued to climb the NCAA RPI rankings throughout the season. After coming in at 64th last week, the team has now climbed up to 55th in the nation.
• 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 164 career wins — just 6 shy of becoming the winningest coach in program history. 
• Big West Standings: Despite a loss to Cal Poly on Saturday, the Aggies stay at the top of the Big West with a 9-1 record in conference play. Cal Poly and Long Beach State sit close behind UC Davis with conference records of 8-2.
• 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. Against Cal Poly on Saturday, she became just the 13th player in program history to record 1,000 kills in her career. With 3.96 kills per set, she sits second in the conference while also sitting fourth in the Big West with 265 total kills.
• Block Party: Middle Blockers Ally Chandler and Allie Caldwell have set the Aggies up for success on the defensive side of the net, with Caldwell sitting in first place with 70 blocks and Chandler close behind with 66. Each player also ranks in the top ten in the conference in blocks per set, with Caldwell sitting in first and Chandler ranking ninth.
• Super Setter: Senior Haden Bones has taken a step up at the setter position in 2025, leading the Aggies with 27 service aces on the season, also ranking second in the conference in aces per set (0.40)
• 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, putting up 678 assists and surpassing 2,500 assists in her career last week against UCSB. Among Big West setters, she ranks first with 10.12 assists per set.
• Breakout Season: After spending last season battling injuries, third-year player Brooke Hibino has started to shine for the Aggies, currently ranking third on the team with 142 kills on the year. Against Santa Barbara on Thursday, she set a new career-high with 18 kills in a five-set comeback win.
• 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

• UC Riverside is 7-13 on the season and 3-7 in conference play, losing to Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara last weekend.
• The Highlanders are led offensively by the fourth-best Big West hitter Sophia Ewalefo, who sits at the top of her teams ranks with 254 kills. She also ranks third on her team with 163 digs.
• Layla Hooks protects the net for UCR, putting up a team-high 40 blocks.
• UC Davis is 30-8 all-time against UC Riverside, sweeping the last contest in Riverside back on Sept. 23.
• Hawai'i is 8-13 and 4-6 on the season, sweeping Cal State Fullerton last Saturday.
• Freshman Cha'lei Reid is the leader in kills for the Rainbow Wahine, having 239 on the season with a career-high 26 against San Jose State in the preseason.
• Bri Gunderson has been the defensive anchor for her team, knocking down 77 total blocks. Miliana Sylvester is close behind her with 72 total blocks.
• The Aggies are 3-22 all-time versus the Rainbow Wahine. However, the team has won the last two in the Hawaiian Islands, including on Sept. 27, when they won in four sets.

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 164 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.