THIS WEEK
Match: No. 2 UC Irvine at No. 5 UCLA · Tuesday, Jan. 29 · 7:00 p.m. · Pauley Pavilion
TV: Pac 12 Network
Radio Live Stats
Match: No. 2 UC Irvine at No. 12 UC Santa Barbara · Wednesday, Jan. 30 · 7:00 p.m. · Robertson Gym
Live Stats Radio
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Second-ranked UCI travels to No. 5 UCLA Tuesday (Jan. 29) for a 7:00 p.m. match at Pauley Pavilion before heading to No. 12 UC Santa Barbara Wednesday (Jan. 30) for a 7:00 p.m. first serve at Robertson Gym.
Tuesday's match will be televised by the Pac-12 Network.
Newly renovated Pauley Pavilion is the site of the 2013 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship.
UCLA head coach John Speraw was the UC Irvine head coach from 2003-2012.
Bruin assistant coaches Brad Keller (2011) and Andrea Becker (2012) as well as statistician Rob Chai (2003-12) also served on the UCI staff during Speraw's tenure.
UCI trails UCLA (41-16) in the series records all-time. UCI all-time records only include three set matches.
The Anteaters have won four of the last five matches against the Bruins, including a 3-2 victory in the championship of the 2013 UC Santa Barbara Invitational earlier this year.
In the first match of the season, opposite Zack La Cavera led UCI against UCLA with a career-high 17 kills and four aces. Junior outside hitter Jeremy Dejno added 13 kills without commiting an error (.481) and recorded two aces and seven digs. Outside hitter Connor Hughes and middle blocker Scott Kevorken each recorded 10 kills with Kevorken totaling a match-best five block assists. All-American Kevin Tillie did not play in that match. Robert Page paced UCLA with 17 kills followed by Scott Vegas with 15 kills. Evan Mottram totaled a match-high 20 digs.
UCLA is 7-4 overall and 3-2 in the MPSF after a 3-0 victory at Pacific on Sunday.
UCI moved up one spot this week to No. 2 in the AVCA Coaches Poll. The Anteaters held the top spot for the first three weeks of the season. The Anteaters have been ranked in the nation's top 15 for 124 consecutive weeks.
The Anteaters have been ranked No. 1 in six different years (2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013). The Anteaters have held the No. 1 spot for 30 weeks all-time.
Tuesday's match is the beginning of a four-match road swing for the Anteaters, traveling to UC Santa Barbara, Stanford and Pacific following the battle with the Bruins. The Anteaters return home for a Feb. 14 contest against UC Santa Barbara.
UCI trails UC Santa Barbara 31-21 in the series records, but the Anteaters have won the last four meetings.
UCSB enters the week 3-5 overall and 1-4 in the MPSF. The Gauchos are looking to snap a four match-losing streak and will host Princeton on Tuesday before entertaining the Anteaters.
This will be the first meeting with the Gauchos this year, but UCI is 3-0 playing in Robertson Gym. The Anteaters captured the UCSB Invitational crown with wins over Cal Baptist, Long Beach State and UCLA to open the season.
The Anteaters enter the week 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the MPSF. UCI is on a two-match winning streak. UCI began the year winning four in a row then dropped three straight before regaining momentum with two wins over No. 9 Cal State Northirdge and No. 7 Long Beach State last week.
All-American Kevin Tillie led UCI in both matches, posting 17 kills versus the Matadors then a season-high 21 kills against the Forty-Niners.
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