Provo, Utah –No. 5 UC Irvine did what no team has done since 2012, taking another 3-1 victory (23-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-18) over No. 6 BYU at Smith Fieldhouse Saturday.
The Anteaters won back-to-back matches at Smith Fieldhouse, a feat which hasn't been done since Stanford took two matches on Feb. 3 and 4, 2012.
With the win, UCI improves to 20-4 overall and 14-3 MPSF, while BYU is 13-9 overall and 10-8 in the MPSF.
UCI had another balanced offensive attack with four players recording double-digit kills led by opposite Zack La Cavera with 16 kills and six digs. Outside hitter Travis Woloson put away a career-high 14 kills and had three digs and two block assists. Outside hitter Kyle Russell and middle blocker Jason Agopian each had 11 kills. Agopian also had four digs and a team-high three blocks. Middle blocker Andrew Benz added seven kills and setter Roberto Frazzoni made his first start of the year and recorded a career-high 53 set assists and a season-high nine digs. Libero Michael Brinkley had a team-high 10 digs.
The Cougars were led by Matt Underwood with 15 kills and five digs. Jake Langlois had 11 kills, four digs and three blocks. Robbie Sutton totaled 34 set assists and a team-high eight digs.
BYU held a healthy 16-10 lead in the first set causing UCI to call timeout. The Anteaters rallied on a 7-2 spurt, which included five BYU miscues to draw within 18-17, but the Cougars would score the next three to stop the momentum. After trailing 24-20, UCI used kills by Jason Agopian and Zack La Cavera and a BYU attack error to narrow the score to 24-23, but Michael Hatch end the set 25-23 for the Cougars.
BYU held an early 7-4 lead in the second set before the Anteaters went on a 6-3 run to tie the game at 10-10. With the score tied 21 all, Kyle Russell had a kill and an ace to put the Anteaters up 23-21 and UCI would win the set 25-22.
In a tightly contested third set and Russell at the service line, a BYU service error, a pair of kills by Travis Woloson and a block by Woloson and Agopian gave the Anteaters the 20-16 lead. An error by the Cougars gave UCI the 25-19 win.
A BYU attack error plus a kill by La Cavera and an ace off the tape by Roberto Frazzoni opened a 7-4 lead in the fourth set for UCI. A kill by La Cavera, two by Woloson and a BYU error extended the gap to 12-6. Three consecutive kills by Russell, La Cavera and Agopian put the Anteaters in front 19-12 and they would go in to win 25-18. UCI hit .516 (21-5-31).
UCI returns home to host CSUN Wednesday (Apr. 1) at 7:00 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.
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