UC Davis Athletics

Score: UC Davis 3, Air Force 1 (25-15, 23-25, 25-16, 25-18
Location: Davis, Calif. (University Credit Union Center)
Records: UC Davis 8-7 (3-0), Air Force 6-9 (2-2)

DAVIS, Calif. — With her 11th assist on the day, Mia Starr made history by moving to second all-time on the UC Davis volleyball career assists list. Her 45 total assists helped the Aggies knock off Air Force in four on Saturday, Oct. 3.

FIRST SERVE

• Starr's milestone allowed her to pass former Aggie Denise Bilbaeno with her 3,550th assist of her career. She now sits over 1,000 assists away from No. 1 Jenny Woolway, who tops the list at 4,680 assists.
• Overall, her 45 assists gave her 45+ for the fifth time on the season and for the second straight contest.
• The offense was led by freshman Isabella Umpierre, who collected 15 kills, the fifth time she's had 15 or more in a game this year.
• Umpierre also had 10 digs for a double-double, also the fifth time she's done that as a freshman.
• Other double-digit killers included Brooke Hibino with 14, Ally Chandler with 11, and Gianna Bogan with 10.
• Defensively, Ximena Cordero Barr protected the backline with 16 digs.
• In front of the net, it was Allie Caldwell leading the way with eight total blocks, a season-high.
• As a team, Davis played at a high level on the service line, dropping in 12 total aces.

WHAT HEAD COACH DAN CONNERS HAD TO SAY

"We're starting to find our consistency. We have the ability to play at an extremely high level. We wavered a little bit in that second set, and Air Force is a very good team and plays very consistently, but I think our level is higher. So if we can play our game, we can take on a lot of teams."

 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• For the second straight game, the Aggies came out of the gate firing, capturing five of the first six points with the highlight coming from an ace by Umpierre.
• Chandler and Khloe Wong each got aces of their own a few moments later, pushing their team to a dominant 15-6 start heading into the technical timeout.
• The Falcons looked to collect themselves on a 3-1 service run, but it was offense by Chandler and Caldwell that kept them at bay, with the second kill from Caldwell giving Starr the assists record and helping lead the team to a 25-15 victory.
• Set two was much closer, with the Air Force defense slowing the Davis offense and staying within arms reach of the home team.
• Offense by the freshmen kept the Aggies afloat throughout the first part of the game, with neither team taking more than a two point lead.
• Tied at 22 late, two straight kills by Grace Fiaseu put Air Force on the brink of victory.
• Chandler got one back to close the gap, but the Falcons put set two to rest 25-23 and tie the match at one apiece.
• The third set began as a mirror image to the second, with both clubs sitting tied at nine early.
• From there, the Aggies saw the offense come to life on kills by Bogan and Chandler creating a 5-1 run and pushing the home team up as much as seven.
• With Rachel Dunagan on the serve, Davis wrapped up the third set in dominant fashion, with Caldwell and Hibino getting a block, Umpierre getting a kill, and Umpierre and Caldwell getting another block. Three straight points gave the Aggies a 25-16 win and put them on the brink of victory.
• Starting the fourth set tied at four apiece, the Ags pulled away early, collecting four of five on the Falcons.
• Chandler came to life in the fourth, highlighting a 4-0 run with two kills and a service ace.
• Up 19-13, Davis saw their opponent begin to strike back on another 4-0 service run, getting within two.
• Following a timeout, the home team wrapped it up by taking in six of the last seven points, with an ace by Dunagan marking a 25-18 win and a 3-1 victory for the Aggies to keep them undefeated in conference play.

UP NEXT: Davis stays home next weekend for a two game swing against New Mexico on Oct. 8 & 10. The first match against the Lobos on Thursday, Oct. 8 will begin at 6:00 pm PT. Tickets begin as low as $10 and the match will also be streamed on MW+.

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: 

UC Davis, the No. 2 ranked public university by the Wall Street Journal, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked #1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as #1 in Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis is located in a true California college town nestled between world-class destinations such as the San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley and Lake Tahoe. Over 650 Aggie student-athletes compete in 25 Division I varsity sports, with 16 sports transitioning to the Mountain West Conference beginning in 2026–27. 

For more information, visit https://ucdavisaggies.com/.