THIS WEEK
MPSF Match
No. 3 UC Irvine at No. 7 USC · Tuesday, Mar. 3 · 6:00 p.m. · Galen Center
Live Stats TV: Pac-12 Network
Non-Conference Match
No. 12 Ball State at No. 3 UC Irvine · Friday, Mar. 6· 7:00 p.m. · Bren Events Center
Live Stats Video
QUICK HITS
No. 3 UC Irvine starts the week, battling No. 7 USC Tuesday (Mar. 3) at 6:00 p.m. at the Galen Center.
The Anteaters return home to host No. 12 Ball State in the final regular season non-conference match Friday (Mar. 6) at 7:00 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.
Prior to the match on Friday, UCI will honor the life of Bob Newcomb with a special first-serve ceremony. Newcomb, a volleyball ambassador, not only founded the UCI men's program, but was an important member of the UCI faculty for more than 40 years.
UCI is 16-3 overall and enters the week in sole possession of first place in the MPSF with an 11-2 record.
UCI's 16 wins are the most in the country this year.
The Anteaters are on a season-high seven-match winning streak and have won 10 of the last 11 outings. It is the longest winning streak since UCI strung 11 in a row in 2013.
USC is 9-4 overall and 8-4 in the MPSF. The Trojans, who had last week off, have dropped three in a row.
The Trojans are 31-26 all-time versus UCI (UCI only counts NCAA eligible matches in the series records).
In the first meeting with the Trojans, USC came away with a 3-2 victory at the Bren. USC won the final set after UCI held a 7-2 lead. Zack La Cavera led the team with a career and match-high 21 kills, while Tamir Hershko recorded 17 kills. Josh Kirchner led the Trojans with 15 kills followed by Christopher Orenic with 14 kills and 10 digs and Robert Feathers with 12 kills and six total blocks. Micah Christenson recorded 52 set assists, five block assists and a match-high 15 digs.
Ball State is 9-7 overall and 4-3 MIVA. The Cardinals are coming off two losses at BYU. Ball State is currently tied for third with IPFW in the MIVA behind Loyola and Lewis.
UCI is 5-1 against non-conference opponents with the only loss coming against No. 2 Lewis without Zack La Cavera in the lineup.
Ball State leads the series with UCI, 3-2. The Anteaters won the last two meetings, including a 3-0 victory last year on the road.
UCI leads the nation in kills (13.77) and assists (12.94), is second in aces (1.77) and third in hitting percentage (.355).
Looking ahead after the Ball State match, UCI will play the next three matches on the road, heading to Pepperdine on Mar. 14 and BYU on Mar. 27 and 28.
The Anteaters have four players in the MPSF top 10 in serving. Zack La Cavera leads the team with 27 aces, followed by Kyle Russell (26), Michael Saeta (25) and Tamir Hershko (23).
The Anteaters have three players averaging over 2.80 kills per set, led by Hershko with a 3.84 kill average. Opposite Zack La Cavera is averaging 3.35 kills and outside hitter Kyle Russell averages 2.84 kills per game.
In the middle Jason Agopian is averaging 1.61 kills and 1.19 blocks per set, while Andrew Benz is averaging 1.32 kills and hitting at a .533 clip.
Entering the week, Hershko is second in the MPSF and is ranked 10th in the country with a 4.50 points per set average. He is second in the MPSF and ranked ninth nationally in kills.
La Cavera is forth in the MPSF in points (4.37) and ranked seventh in kills.
Setter Michael Saeta is second in the conference and is fourth nationally in set assists with a 10.77 mark.
Last week, UCI swept No. 9 UCLA and No, 8 UC Santa Barbara at home. The Anteaters fired nine aces to help beat the Bruins and recorded a season-high 14.5 blocks to top the Gauchos.
Hershko led UCI in both matches putting away 12 versus UCLA and 10 against UCSB. Agopian had seven block assists in each game last week.
All three of UCI's loses have come at home. The Anteaters are 8-0 playing away from the Bren, going 6-0 on opponents' home courts and 2-0 at neutral sites.
Libero
Michael Brinkley's defense was key to UCI's win over UCSB. The senior, a two-time All-American, ranks second in UCI career digs with 905. Brent Asuka (2006-09) holds the record with 1,156.
UCI remained at No. 3 in this week's AVCA Coaches Top 15 poll. The Anteaters have been ranked in the nation's top 15 for 161 consecutive weeks.
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