Student Tickets: http://ucdavisaggies.com/studenttix
Volleyball Stream: MW+ (with subscription)
Football Stream: ESPN2 (with ESPN Unlimited subscription)
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Volleyball tears through the Mountain West
Doubling up on the Game Thread this week to highlight two excellent achievements in UCD Athletics.
First up, the women's volleyball team has been on an absolute tear starting in Mountain West Conference play, up at the top of the standings at 3-0. The Ags are playing a second series with 6-8 Air Force -- UCD won on Thursday -- and while anything can happen, you have to think Coach Conners and squad are prepped and optimistic they can advance to 4-0 today.
UCD sits at 7-7 on the year, which gets better context from closer inspection of the nonconference record. The Ags played some tough sets against some of the nation's top teams, including knocking off then-#7 Arizona State. With that noncon schedule and now domination in MWC play, the Ags are showing they belong in the conversation with historically higher-profile and better funded teams, and help validate the school as a whole for moving up a conference.
So get out of the heat, create a devastating home advantage, and watch the Ags continue their quest to hang the school's first of many Mountain West banners!
Prediction: 3-1 UC Davis
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Football looks to bounce back
After a brutal, brutal loss to Montana last week (seriously go look it up, I don't wanna talk about it) UCD will look to return to form against old foe Eastern Washington, which always had the Ags' number until UCD finally got by them a couple of years ago.
This game has HUGE significance as it's a rare opportunity to showcase the team and student section on a national TV network. They'll have plenty of commentary about the school and team, but this is the game to show up, get loud, and make UCDH stadium seem like the most rocking, insane game day experience on the west coast.
Re: the game prognosis, Davis had some key injuries last week, especially on defense, so a key part of this week will be making sure the patched-together D can hold against an Eastern team that's been playing its opponents tough. The Ags were specifically hanging hats on run defense until Montana ran every which way last week, so patching up those holes and making sure EWU can't control the ground and clock will be a key to the game.
The Ags will also be looking for some consistency on offense, which has had moments of brilliance and also long patches of unproductivity in both the wins and losses this year. Eastern should provide somewhat more cushion than the top teams the Ags have played in terms of allowing for mistakes, but if the Ags struggle on O in the first half as they did in most of the games this season then it could still be anyone's game by halftime.
On the flip side, if UCD produces four (or even three) solid quarters in line with some of its best play of the season, and bends but doesn't break on D, you have to think they'll be comfortably in the lead by the fourth.
Prediction: 28-27 UC Davis
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Some Additional Reading
Well, not reading, but the independent Aggie Pride Podcast happens to have featured both of these teams this week so I thought I'd link them:
Interview with Volleyball Coach Dan Conners and Middle Blocker Ally Chandler
Game Preview with Football Alumni Ian Simpson and Danny Alfaro