DAVIS, Calif. — With only two matches remaining in the regular season, UC Davis volleyball looks to secure their first-ever Big West Championship when it hosts CSUN and Cal State Bakersfield. The match against the Matadors is set for Thursday, Nov. 20, at 6:00 p.m. PT, and the Senior Night finale versus Cal State Bakersfield will be on Saturday, Nov. 22, also at 6:00 p.m. PT.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW
Nov. 20  — vs. CSUN | ESPN+ | Live Stats | Parking Information | @ucdaviswvb (X/Instagram)

Nov. 22 (Senior Night)  — vs. Cal State Bakersfield | Live Stats | Parking Information | @ucdaviswvb (X/Instagram)


GAME NOTES

• Season Record: The Aggies are 18-6 on the season and 14-2 in conference play. After dropping a matchup against Long Beach State last weekend, the team secured its program-record 14th conference win in a four-set victory over UC San Diego.
• Among The Best In The Nation: Up to 14 conference wins and 18 wins overall on the season, the Aggies have consistently been among the top teams in the NCAA RPI rankings. This week, UC Davis came in at 57th in the country.
• 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 169 career wins — tying him with DeYoung and putting him just one win away from becoming the all-time winningest coach in program history.
• Conference Record: In last Saturday's win against UC San Diego, UC Davis set a new program record with 14 conference wins, breaking the previous mark set in the record-breaking 2024 season. With two matches remaining on the docket, the Aggies look to secure their first Big West Championship in program history.
• Big West Standings: At 14-2 in Big West play, the Aggies continue to outpace Cal Poly at 13-3 in the standings to hold the top spot in the conference. With Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara each at four losses on the season, the Aggies are guaranteed a top-four spot in the Big West Tournament. With a win on Thursday and a Cal Poly loss to Cal State Fullerton, UC Davis would be guaranteed at least a share of the title.
• 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 94 blocks and Chandler close behind with 89. Each player also ranks in the top ten in the conference in blocks per set, with Caldwell sitting in first (1.24) and Chandler ranking ninth (1.00). With two regular-season games remaining, the duo looks to become the first pair of Aggies to have 100 or more blocks in a season since 2014.
• Super Setter: Senior Haden Bones has taken a step up as a defensive specialist in 2025, leading the Aggies with 33 service aces on the season, collecting four at UC San Diego on Saturday. She also ranks third in the conference in aces per set (0.37)
• Leading Libero: In her first season as the Aggies libero, Ximena Cordero Barr has been a difference maker for the defense, protecting the backcourt with 397 digs on the season. The former All-Freshman also ranks second in the Big West Conference with 4.46 digs per set.
• 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 915 assists and surpassing 2,500 assists in her career earlier this season. Among Big West setters, she ranks first with 10.28 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 fourth on the team with 193 kills on the year. Against Santa Barbara earlier this season, 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

• CSUN is 16-11 on the season and 9-7 in conference play, securing a reverse sweep against UC Irvine on Thursday before sweeping Fullerton on Saturday.
• The Matadors are led by a strong offensive attack headlined by Leah Miller, who has 262 kills on the season. Julia Bazylevych is close behind with 252 kills.
• On the defense, Iye Okolo and Tatiana Turgeon protect the net. Okolo leads the team in total blocks with 95, and Turgeon is the blocks per set leader at 1.06, also ranking fifth in the conference in that category.
• The Aggies and Matadors last played each other Oct. 18, with UC Davis getting the sweep down in Northridge.
• Cal State Bakersfield is 6-22 and 3-13 on the season. The Roadrunners play at UC Riverside on Thursday before making the trip to Davis.
• With 341 kills, Nicole Zake is the offensive leader for Bakersfield, collecting 33 kills across the two matches last weekend.
• The defensive backline has been protected by committee, with Julia Udell leading the way with 343 digs and Luiza Da Cruz close behind with 249 digs.
• The Aggies swept the Roadrunners in the team's last matchup on Oct. 17, down in Bakersfield.

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 169 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.