Score: UC Davis 2, SMU 3
Location: Fort Collins, Colo. (Moby Arena)
Records: UC Davis 1-2, SMU 3-0
FORT COLLINS, Colo. — After falling down 0-2 to start their match, UC Davis volleyball fought valiantly to push No. 11 SMU to five sets on Sunday, Aug. 30, ultimately dropping the match 2-3.
FIRST SERVE
- For the second straight contest, Isabella Umpierre went for double-digit kills, leading the team with 18.
- She also collected 10 digs, clinching her first double-double as a collegiate player.
- Ally Chandler also went for 10+ kills at 14 against the Mustangs, hitting at an efficient .345 percentage.
- Both players also collected a pair of aces. Khloe Wong was the third Aggie with two aces as the team collectively had nine in the contest.
- Mia Starr was all over the court offensively and defensively, gathering 50 assists for just the third time in her career while also having three total blocks.
- Ximena Cordero Barr was the leader in digs, getting 15 on the contest.
WHAT HEAD COACH DAN CONNERS HAD TO SAY
"Great effort and fun match today. Outcome wasn't what we were shooting for, but we played hard and never gave up. The team was competitive and steady the whole match and we still have a lot of room to grow."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After the Mustangs jumped to a 5-1 start in the first, Davis took advantage of errors to tie it up at five apiece.
- Opportunities emerged all throughout the set, as a kill from Umpierre gave her team its first lead at 10-9 and another from Chandler put them up two, 13-11.
- With SMU up 24-23 and looking for set point, Gianna Bogan took a pass from Starr to pull her team even, forcing both clubs to go to extras.
- The back-and-forth affair continued until Southern Methodist took two in a row, winning set one 27-25.
- Beginning set two, the Mustangs came out of the gate firing, shutting down any Aggie rally and building to a 13-7 lead halfway through the set.
- A quick 3-0 run with kills from Chandler and Brooke Hibino put Davis as close as four, but the momentum from their opponent pushed them to a 24-17 lead at the frame's set point.
- Another 3-0 run capitalized by an ace from Umpierre gave the Aggies some firepower to build off of, but SMU would take set two 25-20 and go up 2-0 in the match.
- That firepower helped Davis flip the script in set three, with a balanced attack from the likes of Starr, Chandler, and Breeze Czapinski creating an early 9-8 lead.
- Both teams battled point-for-point through most of the frame. As the Aggies clung to a 19-18 advantage, Allie Caldwell went up for a kill to generate a 3-0 run and give her team room to work with.
- This run proved to be a difference maker in the end, as an ace from Chandler would allow her team to claim a 25-20 victory and extend the contest to a fourth set.
- The offensive confidence for the Aggies bled into the next frame, with service from Rachel Dunagan setting the tone on an early 4-1 advantage.
- Throughout the period, Davis was able to stifle all runs by SMU, being up by as much as four due to kills by Umpierre.
- A 3-0 run from the Mustangs knotted things up at 19 apiece, but the Aggies immediately responded with kills by Chandler and Hibino on a 3-0 run of their own.
- Following that, four straight points by Southern Methodist gave them their first lead, 23-22, as they threatened to shut down their opponent for good.
- But after a service error, a kill by Starr and a block from Caldwell and Starr kept the team's hopes alive with a 25-23 victory, sending the match into a fifth and final set.
- Off service from Cordero Barr, the Aggies began set five with the first point.
- As SMU put together an early 6-3 advantage, the Ags began to put on the pressure with kills by Umpierre, Hibino and Starr creating a 5-0 run and 9-7 lead.
- The Mustangs came back with four straight of their own, getting just three points from victory before Umpierre slammed down her 18th kill to put Davis within one.
- With Southern Methodist on the brink of victory, UC Davis got one more chance off an error from their opponent.
- Down 12-14, both teams rallied valiantly, but the day would ultimately go to SMU, who took the fifth set 15-12 and ultimately won 3-2.
UP NEXT: With opening weekend behind them, the Aggies will prepare for their second tournament in as many weekends as they host San Diego State and Cal Poly in the Aggie Invitational from Sept. 3-5. Action will begin against the Aztecs on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 6:00 pm PT. The match will be streamed live 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/.
