Sacramento State volleyball defeated UC Davis on the road, taking all three sets on Tuesday evening (26-24, 25-20, 25-15).

The win improved Sac State’s team record to 11-1, which continues to be one of the best starts in school history. The win also snapped a four-year losing streak to UC Davis, whose record now lies at 4-7.

This battle of the causeway was the home opener for the Aggies and the match was held in the Hickey Gym, which has not hosted a match since 1995 due to renovations of their current facility. It’s fitting that the Hornets won their 11th match in 12 tries in a stadium that has not been played in since 1995, because Sac State has not had a better start to the season since that exact year.

“I’m just really proud my team and we just continue to work hard,” said Sac State coach Ruben Volta. “They’re a focused group and really fun to coach.”

Outside hitters Lauren Kissell and Sloan Lovett were both strong players in the sets. Kissell ended the night leading the team in kills with 16 and also led with a hitting percentage of .438. Lovett had 14 kills of her own, as well as a hitting percentage of .355.

“They both had really good nights, they attacked so aggressively and offensively they’re really hard stop,” Volta said of their performance.

Madeline Cannon, who had come off of an MVP tournament performance this weekend in Fresno, led the team in blocks with six.

UC Davis offered the most resistance in the first set, but Sac State prevailed with a score of 26-24. Kissell and Lovett both collected five kills. UC Davis let a four-point lead evaporate and Sac State didn’t looked back.

The competition was not nearly as tight in the second set as Sac State took the lead after starting down 0-1 and kept it for the entirety of the set. The Hornets eventually won 25-20.

The Hornets did not slow down, winning the last set 25-15. They jumped out to an early 5-1 lead, forcing UC Davis coach Dan Conners to call a timeout. Sac State would not be denied, however, and closed out the set with a 10-point lead.

The UC Davis offense struggled as the match went on, eventually ending the night with a hitting percentage of .067 and 24 attack errors. Their defense collected six blocks and 41 digs.

Sac State dominated the stat line with 12 blocks, a .222 hitting percentage and 54 digs as a team.

The Hornets lead the overall series against UC Davis 51-21.

They look to continue their great start as they come back home to host the Sacramento State Invitational starting this Friday and Saturday. They start the tournament against Nevada State Friday at 7 p.m. They finish the tournament facing Kent State at 12:30 p.m. and Santa Clara University at 7:30 p.m.