DAVIS, Calif. — Coming back from the season's opening weekend in Colorado, UC Davis volleyball opens the University Credit Union Center for their first home tournament since 2021, hosting San Diego State on Thursday, Sept. 3 and Cal Poly on Saturday, Sept. 5.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW

Sept. 3  — vs. San Diego State | Watch on MW+ | Live Stats | @ucdaviswvb (X/Instagram)

Sept. 5  — vs. RV Cal Poly | Watch on MW+ |  Live Stats | @ucdaviswvb (X/Instagram)


GAME NOTES

• Last Time Out: UC Davis is 1-2 on the young season after playing three games in Northern Colorado and Colorado State last weekend. In the Sunday finale against No. 11 SMU, the Aggies pushed their opponent to five sets in what would have been the first ranked win in program history. Freshman Isabella Umpierre led the team with 18 kills and 10 digs for her first double-double, while Mia Starr had three total blocks.
• One Week, Two Awards: Following their first week of competition in the Mountain West, the Aggies saw two of three conference weekly awards go their way, with Umpierre winning the Freshman of the Week and Ximena Cordero Barr grabbing the Defensive Player of the Week. Umpierre made a large impact in her first three collegiate games, totaling 33 kills and 20 digs, while Cordero Barr led the defense with 43 total digs.
• A 2025 To Remember: Entering the season in a new conference for the first time since 2008, the Aggies swan song in the Big West was one to remember during the 2025 season, posting a league-best 16 wins while winning the conference title for the first time ever. With the team success came a number of individual accolades as well, as the program took home four of five Big West yearly awards at season's end. These included All-American Jade Light becoming the Player of the Year, Mia Starr being named Setter of the Year, Ximena Cordero Barr earning Libero of the Year, and Dan Conners becoming the Coach of the Year.
• Preseason Nods: Ahead of the team's inaugural Mountain West season, the Aggies felt the love from their new conference after being picked to finish second in the annual preseason poll, garnering 80 points and four first place points. Davis was also the only team who had two selections in the conference preseason team, with Mia Starr and Ximena Cordero Barr landing on the list.
• Strength In Consistency: Despite the loss of All-American Jade Light to graduation, UC Davis returns much of their production from the last two seasons in 2026. In addition to Starr and Cordero Barr, all-conference players Ally Chandler and Brooke Hibino also return for their fourth season. 100+ blocker Allie Caldwell is also back along with 2023 Big West All-Freshman player Reese Diersbock, who makes her return after missing all of last season to injury. Rounding out this talented group of seniors is Breeze Czapinski, who ranked second in kills on the team last year.
• A Talented Group of Freshmen: With back-to-back hugely successful seasons under his belt, Conners has brought in arguably one of his best recruiting classes to the Aggies for the 2026 season, with six freshmen joining the team. Among the class includes Ana Stojanovic from Canada, who has competed internationally for her country in FIVB and Norceca over the last couple years, Jada Johnson, the No. 1 opposite from Oregon, and Isabella Umpierre, the No. 2 right side from Florida. 
• Jumping Up The Rankings: After consistently rising through the Division I RPI rankings last season, Davis ended the year as the 49th ranked team in the nation.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS

• San Diego State is 2-1 so far on the season, beating IU Indy and UC Irvine in the Husky Invitational, falling to host Washington on Saturday.
• The Aztec offense is balanced between Layla Austin and Ella Schabort, with Austin leading the team with 41 kills and Schabort close behind with 32. Austin's best game came against the Anteaters, when she grabbed 18 kills.
• Defensively, Zara Stewart has collected 42 digs through the first three games as the team's libero. On the front net, Taelyn Bentley and Tessa Schouten tie for the team lead with eight blocks.
• UC Davis is 0-3 all-time against San Diego State, last losing 0-3 in a tournament back in 2016.
• Cal Poly is also 2-1 on the season, getting wins against Grand Canyon and Arkansas State last weekend in College Station.
• 2025 First Team All-Big West teamer Kendall Beshear has had a strong start to her junior campaign, collecting 42 kills, getting double-digits in all three games. Her best game came against Grand Canyon, where she had 16 kills along with three service aces and 10 digs for a double-double.
• Now in her third season as the Mustangs starting libero, Elif Hurriyet has 35 digs over the first three matches. Versus No. 8 Texas A&M on Saturday, she had her best game with 13 digs.
• Davis is 13-30 all-time against Cal Poly, going 12-23 when both clubs were conference opponents in the Big West. The Aggies fell to the Mustangs 1-3 in the Big West Tournament Finals last year, a match that sent Cal Poly to the NCAA Tournament all the way to the Sweet Sixteen.

SEASON NOTES

• 2026 marks year 13 for Aggies head coach Dan Conners. Last season, Conners made team history by passing Aggie Hall of Famer Kathy DeYoung with his 170 career win. He currently sits at 173 wins and counting.
• The staff now includes three new assistant coaches, all with a treasure trove of collegiate volleyball experience. Grace Doyle comes to Davis after five seasons as a player at Fresno State, where she led the team to the NCAA Tournament in 2023. Eric Beebe played as a setter for Long Beach State's men's team, competing in two NCAA Championship games. Rounding out the group is Greg Harasymowycz, who played three years at CSUN and has a long history of coaching for legendary UCLA head coach Al Scates, who Conners played for during his college career.
• The roster brings back a large number of contributors from last season, including Starr, Cordero Barr, Chandler, Caldwell, and Czapinski.
• Additionally, the coaching staff has brought in plenty of highly talented freshmen, including Stojanovic, Johnson, Umpierre, Gianna Bogan, Katelyn Sentous, and Khloe Wong.
• Following a record breaking 2025 season, Davis enters the Mountain West Conference in 2026 with the goal remaining to win another conference title and qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.

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/.