UC Davis Athletics

Score: UC Davis 1, USC 3
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Galen Center)
Records: UC Davis 3-7, USC 5-3

LOS ANGELES — In a match that had three of the four sets go into extra points, UC Davis volleyball battled No. 19 USC to the limit on Friday, Sept. 18.

FIRST SERVE

• Fresh off a career night on Wednesday, Brooke Hibino led the Aggie attack once again with 17 kills on the night.
• Isabella Umpierre was close behind her with 11 kills of her own.
• Hibino was also excellent in front of the net defensively, knocking down a career-high seven blocks.
• In the backcourt, Ximena Cordero Barr secured her second straight 20+ dig match with 20.
• Rachel Dunagan had a career night of her own with 19 digs.
• Mia Starr effectively set up the offense with 38 assists.
• She also collected a double-double with 11 digs, her sixth of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Davis saw their opponent take a lead to begin set one. Despite kills from Umpierre and Demi Cole, USC was the first to 15 heading into the media timeout.
• Down 8-15, the Aggies saw defense from Hibino and Ally Chandler to put them as close as five, but the Trojans pushed on for a 25-16 set victory.
• In the second, the Ags slowed the tempo to match each Trojan point, having a lead early at 6-5 off an ace from Starr.
• Each point from USC was met with a response from the road team. A double block from Hibino and Allie Caldwell was followed by a kill from Hibino and another ace from Starr, making Davis the first to 15 as they entered the timeout up 15-13.
• On the other side of the break, Gianna Bogan added to the tally to keep the lead at two for her team.
• Down 18-19, USC broke out a 5-1 scoring run to take the lead entering the final stretch of the game.
• Chandler sparked a 3-0 run to go up 23-22 after that.
• A few points later, with both clubs tied at 24, the set was sent to extras. USC made it quick however, as they used a service ace to claim set two 26-24 and climb to a 2-0 lead.
• Set three saw much of the same, with neither team able to go up more than three points, setting up another game with extra points.
• Offense from Bogan and Hibino kept the Aggies afloat as the points continued to climb into the 30's.
• With each club tied at 30 apiece, Umpierre took a ball from Starr to give her team set point.
• A few moments later, Bogan followed her up with a kill of her own to win 32-30 and extend the match to a fourth set.
• After USC opened the fourth with a 4-1 lead, Davis battled back on a 3-0 run to tie it up at six.
• Runs were the name of the game, as after the Trojans rattled off four of five, the Aggies responded with four of five to tie it up at 18.
• Moments later, with USC up 23-20, the road team sparked offense off of an error that was followed by kills by Chandler and Hibino to power to a 4-0 run and put them at set point.
• Following another point by SC that tied things at 24, another game was sent into extras.
• Kill number 17 from Hibino knotted it up at 26, but back-to-back attacks from the Trojans hit the floor, leading them to a 28-26 victory and a 3-1 win.

UP NEXT: The Aggies play their final non-conference match against former league opponent UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Sept. 19. First serve will be at 2:00 pm PT and all of the action will be streamed 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/.