The struggles away from Davis continue for the UC Davis volleyball team.
UC Davis fell in four sets to UC Irvine on Friday, extending their road-losing streak to five matches. During that stretch the Aggies have won just three sets.
The loss moved UC Davis to 18-6 on the season, and dropped to sixth in the Big West Conference at the record on 4-5.
The match got off to a good start for the Aggies, as they took the first set 25-21. UC Davis struggled from there, however, dropping the next two sets 25-19 and 25-13.
The Aggies made a valiant effort in the fourth frame, forcing match-point four times before Anteater Shaina Olsen tallied the final two points to give UC Irvine the match with a 30-28 set win.
Olsen finished the match with 19 kills and 12 digs.
UC Davis tallied 34 attack errors and posted just a .091 attack percentage in the game – well below its .175 season average.
The Aggies also struggled to control the net, posting just five blocks compared to UC Irvine’s 16.
Junior Allison Whitson led the Aggies with 16 kills. Sophomore Jenny Woolway paced the team with 14 digs, while junior Caroline Mercado added 13. Whitson and fellow junior Kaitlyn Plum posted 10 digs apiece.
Woolway also finished the contest with 36 assists.
UC Davis will return home to face UC Santa Barbara on Friday and Cal Poly on Saturday. The Aggies lost to both of those squads when they faced them on the road earlier this season.
– Trevor Cramer
