Score: UC Davis 3, UC Irvine 1
Set Scores: (27-25, 18-25, 25-13, 25-21)
Location: Davis, Calif. (University Credit Union Center)
Records: UC Davis 8-4 (4-0), UC Irvine 6-10 (1-3)
  
The short story: A balanced attack from UC Davis volleyball gives the team a 3-1 win over UC Irvine on Saturday, Oct. 4. The Aggies win their five straight match and remain undefeated in conference play.
 
FIRST SERVE

• A 4-0 start in The Big West marks the third time the Aggies have done so in program history, last starting 4-0 to begin the 2023 conference season.
• Ally Chandler, Jade Light, and Breeze Czapinski each hit double-digit kills. Chandler led the team with 14, while Light and Czapinski each had 13.
• Long rallies from both sides gave Ximena Cordero Barr a new career-high with 35 digs.
• 46 assists and 11 digs from Mia Starr give the junior her fourth double-double of the year.
• Haden Bones was excellent on the serve, collecting three service aces on the afternoon, also having 10 digs. She's now up to 20 aces on the season.

WHAT HEAD COACH DAN CONNERS HAD TO SAY

"We certainly were challenged. UC Irvine came out and played really good volleyball. They made it really tough for us to score; their defense was very good all day. I thought it was a gutsy win, I thought it was a gutsy performance by us. We just didn't back down, and we pushed, and I was really proud of that effort."

 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• As Chandler looked to set the tone early for the offense, the Anteaters quickly jumped out to a 12-6 lead.
• Allie Caldwell sparked the offense with her first kill of the day, with attacks from Light, Chandler, and Brooke Hibino responding to each Irvine point.
• Down 22-23, the first service ace from Bones tied it up at 25 apiece.
• A few points later, tied at 25, service from Chandler gave the Aggies the final two points of the set as they would win 27-25.
• Set number two started similarly to the first, with the Anteaters snatching momentum and jumping to a 15-8 lead halfway through the frame.
• Highlighted by an ace from Rachel Dunagan, Davis got hot on a 5-1 scoring run, but UC Irvine would claim set two 25-18 and tie the match 1-1.
• Under the serving of Cordero Barr, the Aggies flipped the script in set three, using the first two kills from Czapinski to go up 7-1 early.
• As the Anteaters crawled back in it, a 6-0 scoring run highlighted by service from Starr put UC Davis up by as much as nine.
• Service ace number three from Bones led the way down the stretch, with a Chandler kill putting the finishing touches on a 25-13 set win for the home team, putting them up 2-1.
• In the fourth, both clubs battled down the stretch, with neither team going up by more than two.
• Down 18-19, the Aggies went on their run, with three Czapinski kills highlighting five straight points.
• The Anteaters tried to respond, but the last two kills of the day belonged to Chandler, who won the set 25-21 to give her team a 3-1 victory.

UP NEXT: The Aggies' home stretch continues on Thursday, Oct. 9, when the team welcomes UC San Diego to the University Credit Union Center. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m. PT, and fans can watch live on ESPN+.
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