Box Score IRVINE, Calif. – Three UC Irvine players recorded double-digit kills as the Anteaters topped Long Beach State 3-1 (25-12, 25-23, 21-25, 25-22) at the Bren Events Center Thursday evening.

UCI improved to 14-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big West in the first event of the Black & Blue Rivalry series this year. Long Beach drops to 5-13 on the year and 2-3 in the conference.

For the ninth time this season, the Anteaters were led by junior Haley DeSales who collected a match-high 19 kills and 17 digs. It was a season-high in digs for the outside hitter as she recorded her sixth double-double of the year.

Opposite Harlee Kekauoha had 15 kills and 11 digs, while middle blocker Idara Akpakpa hit .588 with 11 kills and just one error in 17 attempts.

Setter Ali Koumelis totaled 44 set assists and eight digs and libero Luna Tsujimoto added 11 digs.

The Anteaters had seven aces and out-blocked LBSU 65-52.

Long Beach State was led by Brooke Earkman with 14 kills and Megan Kruidhof with 13 kills. The Forty-Niners out-blocked UCI 11.5-6.

UCI took control of the first set behind the serving of Haley DeSales who had an ace in a 5-0 run to put the Anteaters in front 7-2. A LBSU service error was followed by a Harlee Kekauoha kill, a Luna Tsujimoto ace, a Brianna Montgomery kill and a Beach attack error to increase the lead to 20-10. An ace by Kekauoha topped a 3-0 run that got the Anteaters to 23-11. Idara Akpakpa would record two kills to end the set, 25-12. UCI hit .458 (14-3-24), while LBSU hit just .130 (6-3-23).

A kill on an overpass and a block gave Long Beach State a 9-7 lead in the second set. A block by Danika Ferguson and Ali Koumelis knotted the score at 9-9, but the Forty-Niners would score the next six points to open a 15-9 lead. UCI returned the favor with their own 5-0 run which included two blocks and two aces to narrow the score to 15-14. The Anteaters would catch LBSU at 18-18 on back-to-back kills by Makayla Wolfe and Kekauoha. A block by Idara Akpakpa and a kill by DeSales put UCI in front 23-21 before another DeSales kill secured the win 25-23.

A Forty-Niner kill plus a UCI attack error gave LBSU the slight 16-14 lead they would maintain until DeSales had two consecutive kills to tie the score at 18-18. A Wolfe block on the next play gave UCI the 19-18 advantage then following a Long Beach timeout another DeSales kill moved the Anteaters to a 20-18 advantage. Long Beach would rally with the next two points to tie the set again at 20-20. The Beach would score the final five points to win 25-21.

Kills by Kekauoha and Akpakpa plus a Long Beach ball handling error gave UCI the 12-9 advantage in the fourth set. A block by Wolfe and Ferguson moved the lead to 17-11. The Anteaters led 21-15 before Long Beach made their move out-scoring UCI 7-1 to tie the set at 22-22 forcing an Anteater timeout. Out of the break, UCI scored the final three points to end the set 25-22 and the match, 3-1.

UCI returns to action Saturday (Oct. 7) as they entertain CSUN for a 7:00 p.m. match at the Bren Events Center.