UC Irvine Returns To Action Hosting Matadors, Forty-Niners
March 24, 2014 | Men's Volleyball
THIS WEEK
MPSF Matches
Cal State Northridge vs No. 8 UC Irvine · Wednesday, Mar. 26 · 7:00 p.m. · Bren Center
Live Stats Video
No. 4 Long Beach State vs No. 8 UC Irvine · Friday, Mar. 28 · 7:00 p.m. · Bren Center
Live Stats Video
QUICK HITS
After taking 11 days off, No. 8 UC Irvine will host Cal State Northridge Wednesday (Mar. 26) and No. 4 Long Beach State Friday (Mar. 28). Both matches begin at 7:00 p.m. at the Bren Center.
There are only five matches left in the regular season and UCI will play four of the final five at home.
UCI has won five of its last six matches and is 14-9 overall and 11-8 in the MPSF.
The Matadors enter the week 7-14 on the year and 6-12 in the MPSF. CSUN lost to Pepperdine and USC last week.
Cal State Northridge holds a 26-24 series advantage over the Anteaters, but UCI has won the last nine meetings, including a 3-1 victory in Northridge earlier this year.
La Cavera collected a match-best 20 points on 18 kills, one ace and two block assists. Dejno recorded 14 kills followed by Hughes and Kevorken with 10 kills each. Sam Holt had 16 kills and Greg Faulkner had 10 to lead Cal State Northridge.
Friday's match is part of the "Black & Blue Rivalry" presented by Duke's of Huntington Beach.
Long Beach State is 15-6 overall and 12-8 in the MPSF. The Forty-Niners had won eight in a row until dropping a 3-0 loss to Pepperdine and a 3-1 loss to USC last week. LBSU will head to UC San Diego on Thursday before meeting the Anteaters on Friday.
LBSU leads UCI, 33-21 all-time in the series records. Long Beach State has won the last meetings, taking the first contest of the year 3-0 at the Pyramid. (UCI does not include matches that don't count as official NCAA matches in the series records)
UCI was led by Zack La Cavera with 15 kills and six digs, while Scott Kevorken was errorless with seven kills on 12 attempts. Taylor Crabb led Long Beach State with a match-best 19 kills. Dalton Ammerman added eight kills and seven digs. LBSU out-blocked UCI 9-5 and out-hit the Anteaters .351-.230.
LBSU's senior outside hitter Dalton Ammerman is the brother of UCI video coordinator Ryan Ammerman. The eldest Ammerman set the Anteaters to the 2009 NCAA Championship and was named NCAA Tournament MVP.
The MPSF race is heating up with three weeks remaining to decide the top eight teams that will advance to the post-season.
BYU 16-2
Pepperdine 14-5
UC Santa Barbara 12-6
Long Beach State 12-6
USC 13-8
UCLA 11-7
Stanford 11-7
UC Irvine 11-8
Hawaii 11-9
Cal St. Northridge 6-12
Cal Baptist 2-16
Pacific 1-17
UC San Diego 1-18
The last time the Anteaters were out on the court, UCI beat Cal Baptist (3-0) and lost to No. 3 BYU (0-3) on the road.
Versus the Cougars, the Anteaters struggled offensively hitting a season-low .146 (30-18-82) as the Cougars held a 14-3.5 blocking advantage.
Outside hitter Connor Hughes led UCI in both matches hitting .500 (16-2-26) with his season-best 16 kills against Cal Baptist and posting 10 kills and two aces versus BYU.
Opposite Zack La Cavera leads the team with a 3.51 kill average. Nationally, the junior ranks ninth in aces (0.41) and 17th in points (4.25).
UCI ranks eighth in the country in aces (1.36) and ninth in hitting percentage (.301). The Anteaters are 10th in kills (14.05) and 11th in assists (12.28).
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