THIS WEEK 
Non Conference Matches

No. 1 UC Irvine vs No. 10 Lewis · Wednesday, Jan. 1 · 5:00 p.m. PT · Neil Carey Arena
Live Stats  Video  

No. 1 UC Irvine vs No. 7  Loyola-Chicago  · Thursday, Jan. 2 · 5:00 p.m. PT · Gentile Arena
Live Stats   Video

No. 1 UC Irvine vs Ball State· Saturday, Jan. 4 · 4:30 p.m. PT · John E. Worthen Arena
Live Stats    Video & Audio    

QUICK HITS

No. 1 UC Irvine will begin 2014 on a tough Midwest swing starting with Lewis Wednesday (Jan. 1) at Neil Carey Arena at 5:00 p.m. PT then on to Loyola-Chicago Thursday (Jan. 2) at 5:00 p.m. at Gentile Arena and ending with Ball State Saturday (Jan. 4) at 4:30 p.m. at John E. Worthen Arena.

The Anteaters are 3-0 all-time against Lewis, winning all three meetings in Irvine. The teams last met on Mar. 8, 2010 with UCI claiming a 3-1 victory.

Lewis finished the 2013 season with a 20-10 record, losing 3-2 to Loyola in the championship of the MIVA Tournament.

UCI and Loyola are tied 3-3 in the series with the Anteaters taking the last three contests, including a 3-0 (26-24, 25-18, 29-27) victory in the 2013 NCAA semifinals.

UCI hit a blistering .500 (46-8-76) in the sweep of the Ramblers last year, the second best  offensive performance of the year behind a .515 performance against Pacific on April 6. Middle blocker Collin Mehring hit .818 on nine kills without an error in 11 attempts. Connor Hughes also totaled nine kills, while hitting .615. Opposite Zack La Cavera had seven kills and five digs and middle blocker Scott Kevorken added five kills and four block assists.

Loyola's Gentile Arena will host the 2014 National Championship on May 3.

Ball State leads the series with UCI, 3-1. The Anteaters won the last meeting 3-1 on March 11, 2000 in Irvine.

Ball State ended the 2013 campaign with a 3-1 loss to Loyola in the MIVA semifinals.

The Anteaters are the opening match for all three opponents this week.

Loyola-Chicago was the preseason favorite to win the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association by a vote of the league coaches. The Ramblers finished five points ahead of Lewis who was second. Ball State was picked to finish fifth.

UCI has been ranked in the nation's top 15 for 138 consecutive weeks.

The Anteaters have been ranked No. 1 in seven different years (2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014). UCI has held the No. 1 spot for 36 weeks overall.

The Anteaters are 1-0 this season, opening with a 3-0 victory over Concordia on Dec. 20.

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