New Conference; Same Challenging Schedule
November 22, 2017 | Men's Volleyball
2018 Schedule (PDF)
IRVINE, Calif. -- Once again UC Irvine has forged one of the toughest schedules in the country as it enters the inaugural year of the Big West Conference.
"We are excited to be part of the first volleyball conference in the country," head coach David Kniffin said. "The impact of the Big West has been felt throughout the nation as the NCAA Tournament has expanded from six to seven teams as a result of our conference's automatic bid."
The Big West is the only conference to sponsor all three collegiate volleyball sports (men's, women's and women's beach).
"We pride ourselves in playing the best non-conference schedule in the country. It keeps us in the conversation for post-season play," Kniffin continued. "Even though we are in the Big West now, our schedule has maintained our existing iconic opponents and rivalries with cross conference play."
The Anteaters start the season with three important tests against non-conference opponents beginning in Provo, UT where UCI will face MIVA foes Lewis (Jan. 5) and Loyola-Chicago (Jan. 6).
"Lewis is a strong opening match. We will playing the top half of MIVA teams this season which will be a great challenge."
UCI will visit UCLA for a match on Jan. 10 before making their home debut against USC Jan. 12 at the Bren Events Center.
"Over the past 10 years, the matches against USC have been incredible. It's a good home opener for our fans."
The Anteaters will head back on the road for five more contests beginning with Pepperdine (Jan. 14). UCI will play three matches at Grand Canyon, facing NJIT (Jan. 19), Benadictine (Jan. 20) and the host Lopes (Jan. 20). A trip across Irvine to Concordia (Jan. 24) closes out the road swing.
"I like to play in a new gym every year so our trip to Grand Canyon and playing NJIT for the first time will expand our footprint across the country."
An exciting home stand follows as UCI battles BYU in the Bren Events Center on Jan. 26 and 27 then Stanford (Feb. 2), UCLA (Feb. 3) and Pepperdine (Feb. 14).
"The Bren Events Center is the best playing environment for college volleyball in California," Kniffin stated. "The BYU matches always draw well with both UCI and BYU out in full force. Those matches never disappoint and are always really balanced."
The new era of Big West volleyball kicks off with a challenging trip to Hawaii for a pair of matches on Feb. 23-25.
"We are excited to play one of the inaugural Big West Conference matches. This will be a great first look at our conference."
Another pair of MIVA opponents come west to play the Anteaters with IPFW on Mar. 7 and Ball State on Mar. 8. Both matches will be played in Crawford Hall.
Two more non-conference matches against Stanford (Mar. 10) in Palo Alto and George Mason (Mar. 13) at the Bren Events Center precede the bulk of the Big West schedule.
The final Big West slate features a unique home and away weekend series, playing on back-to-back nights.
"You can never overlook a Big West opponent because that is your only opponent of the week."
UCI will host UC San Diego on Jan. 15 then travel to La Jolla to take on the Tritons on Jan. 16
After a trip to USC (Mar. 24), UCI will travel to Long Beach State (Mar. 30) then host the Forty-Niners Mar. 31. A series against CSUN at home on Apr. 6 then on the road Apr. 7 and one versus UC Santa Barbara on the road on Apr. 12 then the regular season-finale at home against the Gauchos on Apr. 14 rounds out the home matches.
The first ever Big West Tournament will take place at Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid Apr. 19-21. With a specific venue determined for the Championship, Kniffin is sure this will be a dynamic event.
"I'm excited that there is a chance to create an incredible tournament environment. Fans can make plans in advance because they know where we will be playing and it is close so our fans can easily come watch."
Tickets On Sale Now | All tickets are now available for the 2018 Men's Volleyball Season. Visit www.ucirvinesports.com/mvbtickets for more information or to buy today!
Season Tickets – Season tickets still offer the best value for fans. Tickets start at just $68 with steeper discounts available for UCI Faculty, Staff and Retirees.
Mini-Plans – 5 and 3 game mini-plans are available for fans who can pick the games they'd like to attend this season. 3 game plans are just $19.50 and 5 game plans are $32.
Flex Tickets - Great value, combined with the flexibility to adapt to your busy schedule. Flex Tickets allow you to choose the games that work for you as you go. Flex tickets are un-dated tickets that can be exchanged online for any regular season game(s) based on availability. Purchase 10 or more for just $6.50 each.
Single Game Tickets – Single game tickets are now available for all home games. Fans can save a minimum of $2 per ticket by purchasing in advance, online. Single game tickets start at just $8.
Group Tickets – Groups of 15 or more people can save 40% on tickets by purchasing together. Visit our group page or call to learn more about our group experiences which include video board recognition, on-court photo, postgame pass & serve and more! Group fundraising opportunities are also available.
IRVINE, Calif. -- Once again UC Irvine has forged one of the toughest schedules in the country as it enters the inaugural year of the Big West Conference.
"We are excited to be part of the first volleyball conference in the country," head coach David Kniffin said. "The impact of the Big West has been felt throughout the nation as the NCAA Tournament has expanded from six to seven teams as a result of our conference's automatic bid."
The Big West is the only conference to sponsor all three collegiate volleyball sports (men's, women's and women's beach).
"We pride ourselves in playing the best non-conference schedule in the country. It keeps us in the conversation for post-season play," Kniffin continued. "Even though we are in the Big West now, our schedule has maintained our existing iconic opponents and rivalries with cross conference play."
The Anteaters start the season with three important tests against non-conference opponents beginning in Provo, UT where UCI will face MIVA foes Lewis (Jan. 5) and Loyola-Chicago (Jan. 6).
"Lewis is a strong opening match. We will playing the top half of MIVA teams this season which will be a great challenge."
UCI will visit UCLA for a match on Jan. 10 before making their home debut against USC Jan. 12 at the Bren Events Center.
"Over the past 10 years, the matches against USC have been incredible. It's a good home opener for our fans."
The Anteaters will head back on the road for five more contests beginning with Pepperdine (Jan. 14). UCI will play three matches at Grand Canyon, facing NJIT (Jan. 19), Benadictine (Jan. 20) and the host Lopes (Jan. 20). A trip across Irvine to Concordia (Jan. 24) closes out the road swing.
"I like to play in a new gym every year so our trip to Grand Canyon and playing NJIT for the first time will expand our footprint across the country."
An exciting home stand follows as UCI battles BYU in the Bren Events Center on Jan. 26 and 27 then Stanford (Feb. 2), UCLA (Feb. 3) and Pepperdine (Feb. 14).
"The Bren Events Center is the best playing environment for college volleyball in California," Kniffin stated. "The BYU matches always draw well with both UCI and BYU out in full force. Those matches never disappoint and are always really balanced."
The new era of Big West volleyball kicks off with a challenging trip to Hawaii for a pair of matches on Feb. 23-25.
"We are excited to play one of the inaugural Big West Conference matches. This will be a great first look at our conference."
Another pair of MIVA opponents come west to play the Anteaters with IPFW on Mar. 7 and Ball State on Mar. 8. Both matches will be played in Crawford Hall.
Two more non-conference matches against Stanford (Mar. 10) in Palo Alto and George Mason (Mar. 13) at the Bren Events Center precede the bulk of the Big West schedule.
The final Big West slate features a unique home and away weekend series, playing on back-to-back nights.
"You can never overlook a Big West opponent because that is your only opponent of the week."
UCI will host UC San Diego on Jan. 15 then travel to La Jolla to take on the Tritons on Jan. 16
After a trip to USC (Mar. 24), UCI will travel to Long Beach State (Mar. 30) then host the Forty-Niners Mar. 31. A series against CSUN at home on Apr. 6 then on the road Apr. 7 and one versus UC Santa Barbara on the road on Apr. 12 then the regular season-finale at home against the Gauchos on Apr. 14 rounds out the home matches.
The first ever Big West Tournament will take place at Long Beach State's Walter Pyramid Apr. 19-21. With a specific venue determined for the Championship, Kniffin is sure this will be a dynamic event.
"I'm excited that there is a chance to create an incredible tournament environment. Fans can make plans in advance because they know where we will be playing and it is close so our fans can easily come watch."
Tickets On Sale Now | All tickets are now available for the 2018 Men's Volleyball Season. Visit www.ucirvinesports.com/mvbtickets for more information or to buy today!
Season Tickets – Season tickets still offer the best value for fans. Tickets start at just $68 with steeper discounts available for UCI Faculty, Staff and Retirees.
Mini-Plans – 5 and 3 game mini-plans are available for fans who can pick the games they'd like to attend this season. 3 game plans are just $19.50 and 5 game plans are $32.
Flex Tickets - Great value, combined with the flexibility to adapt to your busy schedule. Flex Tickets allow you to choose the games that work for you as you go. Flex tickets are un-dated tickets that can be exchanged online for any regular season game(s) based on availability. Purchase 10 or more for just $6.50 each.
Single Game Tickets – Single game tickets are now available for all home games. Fans can save a minimum of $2 per ticket by purchasing in advance, online. Single game tickets start at just $8.
Group Tickets – Groups of 15 or more people can save 40% on tickets by purchasing together. Visit our group page or call to learn more about our group experiences which include video board recognition, on-court photo, postgame pass & serve and more! Group fundraising opportunities are also available.
UCI Men's Volleyball | 5.11.2026 | NCAA National Championship Postgame Interview
Tuesday, May 12
UCI Men's Volleyball | 5.10.2026 | NCAA Championships Sunday Press Conference
Sunday, May 10
UCI Men's Volleyball | 5.9.2026 | NCAA Championships Semifinals Postgame Interview
Sunday, May 10
UCI Men's Volleyball | 5.8.2026 | NCAA Championships Intro Press Conference
Saturday, May 09
