The UC Davis women’s volleyball team continued its strong play at home, moving to 5-1 on the year at the Pavilion.
After the Aggies’ two-game sweep this weekend they move to 4-0 on the season in Big West Conference play.
Holmes was very encouraged about how the team played throughout the weekend.
“We made a lot of improvement and worked hard as a team all weekend,” Holmes said. “We worked hard in practice and I think the results are a result of that.”
UC Davis is on a seven-game win streak and is now 12-4 on the season.
Friday – UC Davis 3, Cal State Northridge 1
To have a freshman starting for a collegiate volleyball team is pretty impressive.
To do what Aggie freshman Jenny Woolway did Friday night is remarkable.
Woolway had a career game Friday night as UC Davis topped the Cal State Northridge in four sets. She posted 52 assists and a career high 25 digs to lead the Aggies to victory.
“I think [Woolway] is a breath of fresh air,” Holmes said. “I love the way she plays with no constraint and is just ready to go out and play. She’s been doing great and she’s been crafty running the offense the way she does.”
It was a total team effort for the Aggies to top the Matadors. Sophomore outside hitter Allison Whitson led all players with 16 kills. Junior Betsy Sedlak had nine kills against one error, boosting her conference-leading hitting percentage to .476.
“We played really well against Cal State Northridge,” Holmes said.
UC Davis stormed out of the gates, winning the first two sets before falling in a close third game. The Aggies stormed to 19 kills and 28 digs in the fourth and final set to take the match.
Saturday – UC Davis 3, UC Irvine 0
The first set was a marathon.
The second and third sets were a jog.
After a 56-point opening set that saw eight lead changes, UC Davis settled down and cruised to the 3-0 victory.
In the long first set, UC Davis found itself down 23-20 and bound for an early loss. A crucial Adams kill, however, gave the Aggies the momentum they needed to take the first game.
“Our blocking and kills really shifted the momentum,” Holmes said. “It was an important win for us and set the tone for the rest of the match.”
After the dramatic first set, the Aggies seemed to be on cruise control for the rest of the event.
UC Davis won the next two sets 25-17 en route to its seventh straight victory.
Holmes feels the Aggies’ ability to fight back in the first set is what makes them a good team.
“One of the strengths of a very good team in tight situations where game can go either way, they never give up,” Holmes said. “We play calm and mature in those situations. We just have a very good team.”
The first-place Aggies are currently on a tear, but Holmes isn’t worried about the team getting over-confident.
“We talk about being humble and respecting our opponent before every game,” Holmes said. “If we put in the time and work hard before every game, I feel we should be confident, however.”
UC Davis will defend first place next weekend on the road where it will play Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State.
JASON ALPERT can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.
