UC Davis Athletics

Score: UC Davis 3, UNLV 2 (25-21, 13-25, 20-25, 25-22, 16-14)
Location: Las Vegas, Nev. (The Pavilion)
Records: UC Davis 5-7 (1-0), UNLV 4-8 (0-1)

LAS VEGAS — A breakout 10 kill game from freshman Ana Stojanovic helped elevate UC Davis volleyball to the Aggies first ever league win as a member of the Mountain West Conference, taking a match in five sets over the UNLV Rebels on Thursday, Sept. 24. The team came back from down two sets to one in a thrilling match.

FIRST SERVE

• Tonight's five set match was the fifth of the season for UC Davis, already surpassing the four five-set contests the team played in 2025.
• 10 kills from Stojanovic surpasses her previous season-high of seven, making this her first contest with double-digit kills.
• Overall, the offense was led by Isabella Umpierre with 16 kills and Ally Chandler with 11.
• Umpierre also had 11 digs for a double-double, her fourth of the year.
• Ximena Cordero Barr served as leader of the defense once again, collecting a team-high 15 digs.
• Mia Starr had another strong game in front of the net with 39 assists.
• Defensively, she also delivered a high level performance with three total blocks, sitting just behind Chandler with four blocks.
• The service line played a key role in tonight's game, with the Aggies turning in seven service aces. Umpierre led the way in this category as well with three, matching her career-high from last Saturday's game against UC Santa Barbara.

WHAT HEAD COACH DAN CONNERS HAD TO SAY

"It wasn't the cleanest volleyball we've played this year, but we found a group at the end that was willing to fight and compete for every point. They came in off the bench and put everything on the line for their team."

 
HOW IT HAPPENED 

• Opening action in set one, Gianna Bogan made history as the first Aggie with a kill in a Mountain West conference match.
• A 6-1 service run gave UNLV an early lead before Khloe Wong stepped to the line for Davis, using a service ace on the way to an early 8-7 lead.
• Short runs in the middle of the set allowed the Aggies to hold a three point lead. Back-to-back kills from Brooke Hibino put the team over 20 points, heading into the final stretch up 21-17.
• The Rebels looked to put on pressure late, but a kill by Allie Caldwell followed by a kill by Chandler iced set one 25-21 for the road team.
• A pair of kills from Umpierre and Stojanovic led the way in set two, but an immediate scoring run from UNLV put them in the driver's seat for the majority of the frame.
• Down by as much as 10 late, Jada Johnson cashed in her first kill of the night, but the team would fall 13-25 and see the match tied at one.
• Halfway through set three, the Rebels kept their foot on the gas by building an 11-5 advantage.
• With their backs against the wall, the Aggies refused to give up. Using offense from their trio of freshmen, the team would stay within arms length of their opponent, getting as close as two, 19-21.
• Another kill by Caldwell put them over 20, but a late run by the Rebels gave them their second straight win, 25-20, heading into set four.
• The momentum from the previous frame served Davis well in the fourth, taking the first three points and matching the offense of UNLV all throughout the game.
• With every Rebel scoring run, the Aggies found a solution, with the highlight coming from a solo block by Chandler on conference preseason Player of the Year Jaida Harris, keeping her team up 20-18.
• Umpierre collected kill number 13 off a ball from Starr, clinching a 25-22 set four win, sending her team's first conference match into a decisive fifth set.
• After seeing the Rebels take an early 3-1 lead, Umpierre carried the team to a 6-0 service run, complete with two aces and three separate kills for Chandler, putting her in double-figures.
• Up 11-6, Davis saw the home team put in a late push on a 5-0 run, tying it up at 11 apiece and forcing a timeout.
• Out of the break, the Aggies drew up a play for Caldwell that resulted in a kill, but UNLV responded with a spike of their own.
• This back-and-forth affair continued through to the end. Deadlocked at 14, Chandler broke the tie with a kill to set up match point.
• The final serve belonged to Laela Burgess, whose service forced the Rebels into a controversial error. Despite a plea for review from the UNLV coaches, the referees ruled it an Aggie point, giving the team a 16-14 win, and paving the way for the first Mountain West victory for any UC Davis team.

UP NEXT: The weekend series against the Rebels wraps up on Saturday, Sept. 26 in The Pavilion. First serve will be at 1:00 pm PT and all of the action can be streamed 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/.