UC Davis Women’s Volleyball falls to SDSU in home opener, defeats Cal Poly in rematch of 2025 Big West Championship Final

Both matches showed strong performances from new and returning players

On Sept. 3 and 5, the UC Davis women’s volleyball team had their first home games of the season, facing off against San Diego State University (SDSU) and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly).

In the home opener against the SDSU Aztecs, the Aggies put up a tough fight but ultimately lost in straight sets. In the first set, the Aggies fought hard, keeping the Aztecs within reach throughout the set. When the Aztecs went up 4-1 to start, the Aggies battled to tie it up at 5-5, with kills from Ally Chandler, a fourth-year human development major, and Isabella Umpierre, a first-year animal science major.

The set stayed even until the Aztecs created separation, going up 14-9. Davis worked to close the gap, earning five of the next six points with kills from Brooke Hibino, a fourth-year managerial economics major; Gianna Bogan, a first-year communication major; Allie Caldwell, a fourth-year sociology major; and Umpierre. Although the Aggies had set point twice, it was the Aztecs who were able to close it out with back-to-back kills by Layla Austin, winning the set 28-26.

In the second set, the score stayed tight until the Aztecs started to pull away around their 15-point mark. When the Aztecs had set point at 24-18, the Aggies held the Aztecs off with an impressive 5-0 run. However, the Aztecs were able to secure the set with a kill from Ella Schabort.

In the third set, the Aztecs built a lead through a series of runs that put them up 19-11 midway through the set. Once again, Davis tried to catch up with a 7-1 run that put them within three points of their opponents, but the Aztecs won 25-19.

Although the Aggies failed to win any sets, the match gave Davis’ new freshman players a chance to show their skills in front of a home crowd. Umpierre and Bogan led the team in kills, with 11 and 10, respectively, and Khloe Wong, a first-year nutrition science major, recorded 10 digs.

In their next match, the Aggies faced off against the Cal Poly Mustangs in a rematch of last year’s Big West Championship final. Despite the Aggies’ record-breaking 16-2 conference record last year, Cal Poly was the team that gave them the most trouble. One of the Aggies’ only two conference losses was against the Mustangs, as well as their loss in the Big West final. In this rematch, however, the Aggies were able to defeat the Mustangs in a five-set thriller.

The Aggies started the match strong with a 3-0 run in the first set, with two kills by Umpierre. They maintained a small lead for the entire set, closing it out 25-21. In the second set, an early 4-0 run by the Mustangs put them up 10-5. The Aggies were unable to close the gap, and Cal Poly took the set 25-18.

The third set went similarly, with the Mustangs getting ahead early and leading 14-7. However, the Aggies went on a 7-1 run, keeping the Mustangs within one point. The two teams were neck and neck until the very end when Cal Poly earned three of the last four points, putting the Aggies behind in sets.

The fourth set was close as well, with both teams trading runs throughout. Cal Poly took a slight lead at 23-20 when the Aggies scored five straight points. It started with a kill by Hibino, followed by back-to-back kills from Umpierre and then a kill by Caldwell. Rachel Dunagan, a fourth-year sociology major, finished it off with an ace, winning the set for the Aggies.

UC Davis was in a good position to start set five, earning a 10-4 lead. However, the Mustangs fought back with a 5-0 run, leaving them trailing by just one point. The Aggies were able to fend off Cal Poly, with a kill by Chandler and Mia Starr, a fourth-year human development major, ending the match.

The match featured strong performances from both returning and new players. Hibino and Umpierre tied for most kills with 15 each, followed by Bogan who recorded 14. Ximena Cordero Barr, a fourth-year landscape architecture major, led the team in digs with 22, followed by Dunagan who had 16.

After the dominant season the Aggies had in 2025, they are hoping to recreate their success in the Mountain West Conference. Mountain West play will begin on Sept. 24 in a pair of matches against the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Written by: Colina Harvey — sports@theaggie.org