Score: UC Davis 2, California 3
Location: Davis, Calif. (University Credit Union Center)
Records: UC Davis 3-6, California 8-1
DAVIS, Calif. —
Brooke Hibino collected a career-high 21 kills for UC Davis volleyball in a five set match with California on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The Aggies took a lead after the third set but would ultimately fall in five to the Golden Bears.
FIRST SERVE
- Hibino became the first Aggie this season to collect 20+ kills in a match. The last player to do this was Jade Light in last season's home opener against Cal State Fullerton with 22.
- Isabella Umpierre was behind her in kills with 14. She also had 14 digs for a double-double, her third of the year.
- She was one of four Aggies to have 10+ digs in tonight's match, led by Ximena Cordero Barr with 22.
- Mia Starr also had 10 digs to go along with 51 assists for a double-double. 51 assists marks the third time in her career that Starr has had 50+ in a game, and the first time she's achieved that mark this season.
- Getting the start for the Aggies, Demi Cole had a breakout game with a career-best 12 kills, her first game in double figures in her career.
- She also tied for the team lead in blocks with three.
WHAT HEAD COACH DAN CONNERS HAD TO SAY
"Credit to Cal for putting consistent pressure on us throughout the match. We have to figure out how to play more consistently and play to our standard."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Both teams came out firing to begin the match, exchanging points all the way to the media timeout with Umpierre leading the charge for the home team.
- On the other end of the break, the battle continued on both sides of the net with Ally Chandler getting on the board to build the Aggies largest lead at 20-17.
- Up 23-21 after a Cal kill, Hibino turned on the jets with back-to-back kills, taking the ball from Starr to ice set one with a 25-21 victory.
- Set two began similarly to the previous one, with Hibino continuing to power the offense for Davis.
- A three to nothing run for the Bears gave them an 11-8 lead early, holding the advantage all the way down to the end.
- The Aggies took advantage of errors from their opponent to cut the lead down to two late, but a final push gave Cal a 25-21 victory and tied the match at one apiece.
- Down 4-6 early in set three, Davis used the service of Chandler for a 6-0 scoring run with a pair of kills from both Cole and Hibino.
- But the Golden Bears responded with a run of their own, rattling off five straight to retake the lead.
- Tied at 24 late in the frame, both clubs continued to battle. After Cal made it to 25, Umpierre kept her team alive with a kill before a mistake from the road team put the Aggies up by one.
- With Laela Burgess at the service line, Ana Stojanovic found an assist from Burgess to give her team a 27-25 win and a 2-1 advantage in the match.
- A 5-0 advantage from Cal put them out of arm's reach halfway through the fourth set before defense from the Aggies put them back within two, 11-13.
- However, another run of seven to nothing put the Bears in control of the set. Kills by Chandler and Cole looked to power the offense, but the road team would send the action to a deciding fifth set with a 25-15 victory.
- The Aggies took control of the fifth set early with the first three points, capped off by a kill by Hibino.
- Offense from both teams kept it close all throughout the final frame, with Hibino's 20th point tying it at 10 apiece.
- With Cal up 14-13 and looking to secure victory, Gianna Bogan rose up to a ball from Starr to hammer it down, taking another set into extras.
- After the Bears put another one on the board, Chandler and Umpierre defended the net for another point, with the score now tied at 15.
- A long rally went the way of the road team after that, with Cal getting the win off a service ace from Elise Lau, downing the Aggies 17-15 and winning the match 3-2.
UP NEXT: Davis will have a short turnaround as the team travels south for a pair of matches in Los Angeles over the weekend. The action begins on Friday, Sept. 18 against No. 19 USC at 7:00 pm PT. The match will be streamed live on Big Ten Plus.
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/.
