Provo, Utah – No. 5 UC Irvine snapped No. 6 BYU's 36-home match-winning streak with a 3-1 (20-25, 25-19, 29-27, 25-23) victory at Smith Fieldhouse Friday.

UCI improves to 19-4 overall and 13-3 in the MPSF and becomes the first team to beat the Cougars at home since Feb. 1, 2013. BYU goes to 13-8 on the year and 10-7 in league play.

Opposite Zack La Cavera led UCI with a match-high 19 kills, nine digs and three block assists. Outside hitter Tamir Hersko added 15 kills, while middle blocker Jason Agopian put away 11 kills and outside hitter Travis Woloson had 10 kills and seven digs. Middle blocker Andrew Benz hit .500 with seven kills and four total blocks. Libero Michael Brinkley recorded a season-high 18 digs and setter Roberto Frazzoni had 41 set assists and seven digs.

BYU was led by Jake Langlois with 17 kills followed by Phil Fuchs with nine kills. The Cougars hit .189 (48-23-132) for the match.

BYU took the first set 25-20 after the Anteaters hit .211 with six serving errors.

In the second set, UCI used two kills by Zack La Cavera and consecutive back-row violations by the Cougars to take a 14-11 lead.  La Cavera's fifth kill of the set gave UCI a 25-19 victory.

The Anteaters would lead 13-11 in the third set before BYU would go on a 4-0 run which included three UCI attack errors to jump in front15-13. Kills by Jason Agopian and La Cavera would tie the set at 15-15.  The teams would be tied at 19-19 and would match each other point for point until a kill by Hershko was followed by a Cougar attack that sailed wide to end the set 29-27 for the Anteaters.

A pair of kills by La Cavera, one by Agopian and a BYU error would push the Anteater advantage to 6-2 in the fourth set. A solo block by Andrew Benz extended the UCI lead to 13-5. The Cougars would make it interesting closing to 24-23, but a Hershko kill would end the set 25-23 and the match 3-1.

The teams will meet again tomorrow with a 7:00 p.m. PT first serve from Provo.

_________________________________________________________

For UC Irvine Athletics ticket information, please call (949) 824-5000 or e-mailathletics.tickets@uci.edu. For more information click here.

For information on how you can help support UC Irvine Athletics, please call (949) 824-6933 or e-mail aaf@uci.edu. For additional information, click here.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and by downloading the UCI Front Row app, available free to all Anteater fans through iTunes and Google Play, to view schedules, results, and up-to-the-minute news.