THIS WEEK
Match: UC Irvine at Pacific · Friday, Mar. 2 · 7:00 p.m. · Spanos Center · Stockton, CA
Live Stats: http://livestats.prestosports.com/pacific/
Video: http://www.pacifictigers.com/sports/m-volley/2011-12/live_streaming/embedded_player
Audio: http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/uop.portal#
Match: UC Irvine at Stanford · Saturday, Mar. 3 · 7:00 p.m. · Maples Pavilion · Palo Alto, CA
Live Stats: http://www.gostanford.com/sports/m-volley/sched/stan-m-volley-sched.html
Pay Webcast: http://www.gostanford.com/allaccess/?media=291544
Audio: http://kzsulive.stanford.edu/
NO. 3 UC IRVINE STARTS LONG ROAD SWING UP NORTH: No. 3 UC Irvine will begin a six-match road swing at No. 12 Pacific Friday (Mar. 2) at 7:00 p.m. in the Spanos Center. The Anteaters then battle No. 2 Stanford Saturday (Mar. 3) at 7:00 p.m. in Maples Pavilion.
VERSUS THE OPPONENTS: UCI trails Stanford (30-12), but leads Pacific (22-10) in the series records.
Stanford has won the last five meetings against the Anteaters. UCI's last win versus Stanford came on April 17, 2009 in a 3-0 sweep in Palo Alto. The Cardinal is 12-3 overall and 9-2 in the MPSF.
In the first meeting this year, Stanford swept the Anteaters, 3-0. The Cardinal trailed 22-16 in the first set and rallied to take the first set 32-30 then the next two games 25-15 and 25-23. Kevin Tillie was the lone Anteater in double-digit kills with 10. Carson Clark followed with eight kills and Jeremy Dejno had six kills. Stanford was led by Brian Cook with 15 kills, hitting .591 (15-2-22). Brad Lawson and Steven Irvin recorded 12 kills each. Erik Shoji had 15 digs, while Eric Mochalski had a match-best eight total blocks. Stanford bettered UCI in hitting (.463-.220), blocking (9-5) and digging (33-24). UCI had 7 aces to Stanford's 2.
UCI has won the last nine against the Tigers. Pacific enters the match 5-11 overall and 3-8 in the MPSF. UCI defeated Pacific, 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-17) in the first meeting of the season at the Bren Center. Clark and Dejno each had 12 kills, while Tillie added 10 kills, hitting .643 (10-1-14). Pacific hit just .129 (24-16-62) overall was led by Taylor Hughes with eight kills.
NATION'S BEST SERVING TEAM: UCI ranks first in the country in aces with a 1.87 average.
The Anteaters, who have fired five or more aces in each of the last 10 matches, have had more aces than the opponent in 13 matches and have tied in the other two. UCI had a season-high 14 service aces against BYU on Jan. 14.
Senior Carson Clark leads the squad with 26 followed by Jeremy Dejno with 25. Clark became UCI's career leader earlier this season and currently has 148 all-time. Clark ranks second in the national in aces per set (0.52) and Dejno is fourth (0.47).
MORE NATIONAL STATS: UCI ranks second in kills (13.61) and assists (12.85) and fourth in hitting percentage (.356).
Daniel Stork ranks second in assists per game (11.73), while Jeremy Dejno is 10th nationally in hitting percentage (.356).
OFFENSIVE EFFICENCY: UCI have hit over .350 in seven matches this year. The Anteaters hit a season-high .474 (44-8-76) in the win over Pacific on Feb. 18.
ON THE ATTACK: UCI has several offensive weapons led by senior All-American opposite Carson Clark who is averaging 3.70 kills, 4.54 points, 0.52 aces and 1.68 digs. Outside hitter Jeremy Dejno averages 3.26 kills, 3.98 points and 0.47 aces, while Kevin Tillie is averaging 3.38 kills, 3.84 points and 1.47 digs. Senior outside hitter Kevin Carroll averages 2.56 kills per set and freshman opposite Zack La Cavera owns a 2.00 kill mark.
UCI MOVES BACK TO NO. 3 IN THE COUNTRY: UC Irvine moved up one spot to No. 3 in this week's AVCA Coaches Poll. The Anteaters have been ranked in the nation's top 15 for 109 consecutive weeks.
UCI is No. 3 in the lastest Asiscs/Volleyball Magazine poll for the third consecutive week.
MPSF STATS: UCI leads the MPSF in service aces with a 1.87 average. The Anteaters are third in hitting percentage (.357) and kills (13.56). The Anteaters are averaging 1.97 aces in MPSF matches only where they also top the league.
Carson Clark leads the MPSF in aces (0.52), is fifth in points (4.44) and seventh in kills (3.70). Clark leads the league in aces in MPSF matches only with a 0.62 mark.
Jeremy Dejno is third in aces (0.47), 12th in points (3.98) and 14th in kills (3.26). Daniel Stork is fifth in set assists (11.73).
Four UCI players are ranked in hitting percentage led by Scott Kevorken ranking fifth (.475).
MPSF statistics have different minimums than the NCAA rankings.
ANTEATERS POSTS PAIR OF SWEEPS LAST WEEK: UCI defeated Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State, 3-0 last week.
Versus Northridge, Chris Austin set the Anteaters to a .458 (46-8-83) hitting percentage for the match and totaled a career-high 41 set assists. Carson Clark hit .577, committing just one attack error and recording a team-best 16 kills. Kevin Tillie had 13 kills and a career-high eight digs.
Against Long Beach State, Tillie had a match-high 16 kills, a career-high eight digs and four block assists to lead the Anteaters. Jeremy Dejno recorded 10 kills and two aces, while Clark added nine kills, eight digs and two aces.
HOME COOKIN: UCI is averaging 1,274 fans per match at home this year. The Anteaters have played in front of 1,300 or more fans in the Bren on five occasions this season and are 7-3 when playing at home. UCI will not return home until Mar.30 when they entertain UC Santa Barbara and Mar. 31 when they battle UCLA.
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