DAVIS, Calif. — After getting their first win of the season in last weeks opening tournament, UC Davis beach volleyball is back for another weekend of action at the Battle of the Bay on Feb. 27 and 28. The Aggies begin the weekend in Berkeley on the 27th to play rival Sacramento State at 12:00 pm PT and host team #10 California at 2:00 pm PT. The weekend wraps up in Stanford against #1 Stanford at 10:00 am PT and Saint Mary's at 12:00 pm PT.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW

Feb. 27  — vs. Sacramento State (@ 12:00 pm) | Live Stats | @ucdavisbvb (X/Instagram)

Feb. 27  — at #10 California (@ 2:00 pm) | Live Stats | @ucdavisbvb (X/Instagram)

Feb. 28  — at #1 Stanford (@ 10:00 am) | Live Stats | @ucdavisbvb (X/Instagram)

Feb. 28  — vs. Saint Mary's (@ 12:00 pm) | Live Stats | @ucdavisbvb (X/Instagram)


GAME NOTES

• First of Many: In the final competition of the opening weekend, the Aggies won 3-2 over Colorado Mesa for their first victory of the season. This victory was the first for new Aggies head coach Ari Homayun.
• Top Flight Aggies: Playing in the first flight in all four matches last weekend, Kimi Waller and new Aggie Ella Erteltova played well with a win over Arizona and taking #1 TCU to three sets.
• 2025 Recap: The Aggies are coming off an 18-17 season a year ago, falling to Hawai'i in five sets in the first round of Big West Tournament bracket play.
• 2026 Preseason Poll: Ahead of the season, the Aggies were picked to finish fourth in the Big West preseason coaches poll, receiving 20 points.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS

• Sacramento State enters the weekend 3-1 after posting a winning record at last weekend's Corban Tournament.
• The Hornets were led by an undefeated weekend in the fourth flight by duo Kate Doorn and Mia Guevara, who went 4-0.
• The Aggies are a perfect 14-0 all-time over Sacramento State, winning two against the Hornets in 2025.
• Cal is 1-4 on the young season, playing in last weekend's Outrigger DUKE Kahanamoku Beach Classic in Hawaii.
• The Golden Bears are led by AVCA National Pair of the Week Emma Donley and Portia Sherman, who went 4-0 last weekend against No. 2 Stanford, No. 4 USC, No. 6 Texas and No. 7 LMU as Cal's top flight pair.
• UC Davis is 0-11 all-time against California.
• Stanford is 5-1 after the Outrigger DUKE Kahanamoku Beach Classic last weekend. The Cardinal moved up to No. 1 in the nation last weekend after beating former No. 1 UCLA 3-2 on Friday.
• In the second flight, Avery Jackson was named the Best Attacker at last week's tournament after going 4-2 with partner Brooke Rockwell.
• UC Davis is 0-9 all-time against Stanford.
• Saint Mary's is 3-1 on the season after wins over Southern Miss, Houston Christian, and Tarleton State in the Third Coast Challenge.
• Hannah Glick and Clarissa Klein serve as the most dangerous duo for the Gaels, clinching the winning point against the Texans last Saturday.
• UC Davis is 3-4 in the all-time series against Saint Mary's, losing a close 2-3 match last time out.

SEASON NOTES

• After an historic career with Hawai'i beach volleyball and becoming the all-time winningest coach at CSUN last season, Ari Homayun enters her first season as head coach for the Aggies in 2026.
• Joining her staff is former Redlands assistant coach Georgia Romine-Black, who spent three seasons with the Buccaneers, helping lead the team to the NAIA championships for the first time in program history in 2021.
• Despite the loss of all-conference player Kylie Miller, the Aggies bring back a number of contributors from last season, including Skye Smolinski, Kate O'Steen, and Kimi Waller.
• Coach Homayun has also recruited a solid class of freshman and transfers, including former Matador Morgan Gillinger, former Roadrunner Ella Erteltova, and freshmen Reagan Cook, Savannah White, Elle Black, and Kaitlynn Chastain.
• With UC Davis making the move to the West Coast Conference in 2027, this season marks its last in the Big West.

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 No. 1 in Agriculture and Forestry as well as No. 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/.