UC Davis Athletics

Score: UC Davis 2, New Mexico 3 (25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 22-25, 14-16)
Location: Davis, Calif. (University Credit Union Center)
Records: UC Davis 8-8 (4-1), New Mexico 5-10 (3-2)

DAVIS, Calif. — Libero Ximena Cordero Barr reached a new milestone with her 1,000 career dig as UC Davis volleyball dropped a hard fought five set loss to New Mexico on Thursday, Oct. 8.

FIRST SERVE

• 1,000 digs makes Cordero Barr just the 12th player in program history to achieve that mark.
• She ended the night with 25 digs, her second game this season with 25 or more digs.
• At the setter position, Mia Starr orchestrated the offense with 50 assists, her second time this season where she's hit that mark.
• 18 of those assists went to Ally Chandler, who finished with a season-high in kills, her eighth game with double-digit kills this season.
• Defensively, Chandler also led the Aggies with nine total blocks.
• Isabella Umpierre and Brooke Hibino also had double-digit kills in the match, going for 16 and 13 respectively.
• In her first game back in 678 days, Reese Diersbock showed out with five kills and a block.

WHAT HEAD COACH DAN CONNERS HAD TO SAY

"I thought we fought hard, we didn't give up, but we were not executing at the level that we're capable of executing at."

 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• The Aggies started fast, wrangling in six of the first seven points with Chandler taking in the first four kills.
• As the Lobos looked to bounce back after tying the score at 10, Cordero Barr dropped in an ace and Diersbock and Chandler combined for a block to put their team at 15 and send the match into the first technical timeout.
• Both teams battled back and forth as a long service run put UNM up 22-19.
• Out of a timeout, Davis rallied back. Cordero Barr executed on the serve for six straight points, highlighted by a pair of kills by Diersbock, to give the home team a 25-22 victory.
• With New Mexico up 10-5 to begin the second, the Ags looked to bounce back with Starr and Allie Caldwell getting on the board.
• However, the road team continued to keep their opponent at arms reach, matching them point-for-point despite kills by Chandler and Hibino.
• Two straight aces from Chandler put them within one, but the Lobos took home the final three points to tie the match with a 25-21 win.
• The back-and-forth battle continued into set three, as both clubs refused to give up more than a two point advantage.
• Tied at 17, Khloe Wong stepped up in the service line and powered her team to a 6-1 run, complete with two more by Chandler.
• In the waning points, Hibino elevated for a pair of kills as Davis took a 2-1 lead from a 25-20 win.
• Set four was a mirror image of the second, with a fast start by New Mexico giving them a 10-5 lead.
• The Aggies fought back with offense by Diersbock and defense from Gianna Bogan, getting within two.
• With Rachel Dunagan on the serve, mistakes by the road team put Davis within two, 21-23, and forced a timeout.
• But this would be as close as it would get, as the Lobos would finish it up with a 25-22 win, setting up a winner take all set five.
• A tight set saw things tied at 12 late before New Mexico would drop in two quick strikes, putting them on the verge of victory.
• Hibino got another kill before an error from the road team knotted the action at 14, forcing extra points.
• As Chandler went on the serve, UNM brought in a kill before blocking an Aggie attempt, ending the game 16-14 with a 3-2 win.

UP NEXT: The Aggies will get another chance at the Lobos as the team prepares for a rematch on Saturday, Oct. 10. First serve will be at 12:00 pm PT with all of the action streaming on MW+.

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: 

UC Davis Athletics represents one of the nation's premier public universities on the NCAA Division I stage, with more than 650 student-athletes competing across 25 sports, including 16 programs in the Mountain West Conference. Located in California's quintessential college town, UC Davis combines championship-level athletics with the academic excellence of the nation's #8 public research university and is home to the nation's No. 1 programs in agriculture, veterinary medicine and sustainability. With a growing national media presence, bold investments in facilities and the student-athlete experience, and a tradition of developing champions in competition, in the classroom and beyond, the Aggies are elevating UC Davis on a national stage.