Score: UC Davis 3, CSUN 2
Set Scores: (21-25, 25-17, 29-27, 15-25, 15-10)
Location: Davis, Calif. (University Credit Union Center)
Records: UC Davis 19-6 (15-2), CSUN 16-12 (9-8)
  
The short story: UC Davis volleyball made history on Thursday, Nov. 20 in the University Credit Union Center. The Aggies' five-set win over CSUN marked win number 170 for head coach Dan Conners, making him the program's all-time winningest coach. With their 15th conference win, Davis has also secured a share of the Big West regular season championship for the first time in program history.


 
FIRST SERVE

• Conners' 170 wins surpass Cal Aggie Hall of Famer Kathy DeYoung, who held the program record for nearly 40 years.
• Offensively, the Ags were led by Breeze Czapinski, who's 16 kills mark the third time this season the hitter has gone for 15+ kills.
• Jade Light was close behind with 15 kills, Ally Chandler rounded out the double-digit leaders for the Aggies with 11 kills.
• Light collected her tenth double-double of the season, adding 13 digs to her total.
• Chandler also led the net protection with five total blocks.
• Mia Starr collected a team-high 51 assists on the night, just the second time she's had 50+ assists in a match this season.
• Long rallies led Ximena Cordero Barr to a career-high 36 digs on the night, surpassing her previous high of 35.

WHAT HEAD COACH DAN CONNERS HAD TO SAY

"I'm proud of the team and their effort tonight. It took a lot of guts to come back. Being able to figure it out in the fifth and really get after it shows the grit and tenacity this team has. So I'm super proud of them."

"I just want to thank all of the Aggie alumni who were a part of this celebration, but also all of the alumni who have been here through all of the years. Kathy DeYoung set such a high standard for this program, and I'm just so humbled and proud to be a part of it."

 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Kills from Czapinski got four of the first eight points for the Aggies, but CSUN entered the media timeout up 15-11.
• The second half of the first set saw contributions from a number of different players, including a double block from Brooke Hibino and Kendall Rogers, but the Aggies fell 21-25.
• In the second, Davis got off to a quick start by knocking off the first five points of the set.
• The dominance continued with service from Haden Bones, helping elevate her team to a 15-3 lead at the halfway point.
• Despite small runs from the Matadors, the double-digit lead held late into the frame, with Davis up 22-11.
• But CSUN refused to back down, capitalizing on mistakes from their opponent to string together a 5-0 run.
• A few points later, the comeback would be halted by a kill from Rogers to give Davis a 25-17 win and tie the set at one apiece.
• Early in set three, the Matadors would flip the script, using a fast start to begin 10-4.
• Despite the deficit, the Aggies continued to battle, with a kill from Chandler cutting the lead to two, 12-14.
• Both teams battled back and forth into the redzone, with a solo block from Rogers tying things up at 21 apiece.
• The frame would go to extras after a CSUN kill kept things tied at 24.
• As both teams exchanged points, CSUN went up 27-26 and looked to close things out.
• But three straight from Light shut the door and gave her team a 29-27 win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
• The Matadors opened set four with five straight points before the Aggies responded quickly with four straight to come within one.
• Despite a pair of kills from Victoria Vanos, CSUN would quickly pull away to cruise to a 25-15 win, setting the stage for a decisive fifth set.
• An ace from Bones led the way to an early 3-1 Aggie lead in set five.
• CSUN responded to tie things up at five, but Czapinski would get the eighth point for her team, forcing both squads to switch sides of the court.
• Now on the opposite end, an ace from Cordero Barr elevated her team to an 11-7 advantage.
• After a 3-0 run from the Matadors put them within one, Light polished off the victory with kills number 14 and 15 to give Davis a 15-10 win and a 3-2 match victory.

UP NEXT: UC Davis is set to claim the full conference title when it hosts Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 6:00 p.m. PT for the regular season finale. It will also be Senior Night for the Aggies, with the team set to honor seniors Jade Light, Maike Bertens Deckart, Makena Morrison, Victoria Vanos, Kendall Rogers, and Haden Bones in a post-match celebration.
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