SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — A 3-2 win over CSUN to start the Big West Championship helped UC Davis beach volleyball punch their ticket to the elimination round of the tournament on Thursday, Apr. 23. The Aggies will compete for a conference title and berth to the NCAA Tournament tomorrow.

Score (Game One): UC Davis 3, CSUN 2
Records: UC Davis 16-19, CSUN 10-22
Score (Game Two): UC Davis 0, Cal Poly 5
Records: UC Davis 16-20, Cal Poly 28-8
Location: San Luis Obispo, Calif. (UC Davis Beach Volleyball Courts)
 
THE RALLY

• A win in the fourth flight against CSUN gave senior Kate O'Steen her 50th career win as an Aggie.
• The duos of Emma Johnson/Alexandra Leal and Ava Berard/Kirra Martin also picked up wins against the Matadors to propel their team to a victory.
• The win from Johnson and Leal ultimately clinched the victory in the final finish.
• In the ones against Cal Poly, Kinley Lindhardt and Ella Erteltova nearly took the first set 19-21, but the Aggies would fall 0-5 to the Mustangs.

RESULTS

UC Davis 3, CSUN 2

1. Hannah Heflin/Maleya Miles (CSUN) def. Kinley Lindhardt/Ella Erteltova (UCD) 21-10, 21-17
2. Emma Johnson/Alexandra Leal (UCD) def. Tia Mendiola/Zaria Henderson (CSUN) 21-18, 21-17
3. Ava Rogers/Dylan Hall (CSUN) def. Kendal Steller/Shelby Santos (UCD) 21-13, 21-15
4. Skye Smolinski/Kate O'Steen (UCD) def. Jill Rodig/Ainsley Patrick (CSUN) 21-10, 21-13
5. Ava Berard/Kirra Martin (UCD) def. Haley Coggins/Daysha Halbert (CSUN) 18-13, 21-10

Order of finish: 4, 5, 3, 1, 2

UC Davis 0, Cal Poly 5

1. Ella Connor/Erin Inskeep (CP) def. Kinley Lindhardt/Ella Erteltova (UCD) 21-19, 21-11
2. Izzy Martinez/Logan Walter (CP) def. Emma Johnson/Alexandra Leal (UCD) 21-14, 21-11
3. Quinn Perry/Ashleigh Adams (CP) def. Kendal Steller/Shelby Santos (UCD) 21-13, 21-10
4. Julia Westby/Elise Lenahan (CP) def. Skye Smolinski/Kate O'Steen (UCD) 21-12, 21-13
5. Peyton Dueck/Katie Clevenger (CP) def. Ava Berard/Kirra Martin (UCD) 21-15, 21-11

Order of finish: 2, 5, 4, 1, 3

UP NEXT: Moving onto bracket play on Friday, Apr. 24, UC Davis will begin with a matchup against Cal State Bakersfield at 11:15 a.m. PT. Should they down the Roadrunners, the Aggies will move on to face Long Beach State at 1:45 p.m. PT. The championship match will be played at 3:15 p.m. PT.

ABOUT UC DAVIS ATHLETICS: 

UC Davis, ranked No. 2 among public universities by the Wall Street Journal in the value of a college degree, is home to 40,000 undergraduate students and 12,000 employees. Ranked top in the United States 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/.