UC Irvine Battles Texas Tech In NIVC Quarterfinals
December 05, 2017 | Women's Volleyball
FOLLOW THE ANTEATERS
National Invitational Volleyball Championship
Texas Tech vs UC Irvine
Wednesday, Dec. 6 | 2:00 PM PT| Fort Worth, TX | The Rickle
Live Stats Video
UCI's postseason journey continues as the Anteaters take on Texas Tech Wednesday (Dec. 6) at 2:00 p.m. PT in the third round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship at The Rickle in Fort Worth, TX.
The winner moves on to face either TCU or Green Bay in a semifinal match Thursday (Dec. 7) at 5:00 p.m. PT.
The format of the NIVC is a single elimination tournament played at campus sites all the way through to the championship match. The championship will be held on Dec. 12.
VERSUS THE RED RAIDERS
The Red Raiders are 17-14 overall, finishing 4-12 in the Big 12 Conference. Texas Tech beat SMU, 3-0 then swept Texas State to advance out of the San Marcos regional.
The Anteaters and Red Raiders have meet three times previously with Texas Tech holding a 2-1 advantage in the series. The last time the two teams met was on Aug. 31, 1990 at the Arizona State Tournament with the Red Raiders sweeping UCI on a neutral court. Tech also beat UCI, 3-2 in Irvine on Sept. 9, 1989. UCI's lone win came in 1983 at the BYU Preview Classic in Provo, Utah.
THE REST OF THE BRACKET
UCI is 1-1 against TCU in previous meetings, both meeting coming at the Long Beach State Tournament. UCI lost to the Horned Frogs, 1-3 in 2009 and came out on top 3-1 in 2003.
UCI and Green Bay have never meet.
NEWS & NOTES
The Anteaters are 24-7 overall, tying the school record for wins. The 2017 team matched the 2009 squad who went 24-10.
UCI is the only Big West school still playing with Cal Poly and Hawaii falling in the NCAA Tournament. Only Cal Poly (27-3) has more overall wins this season in the Big West. It is the first time since 2012 that three Big West schools (Cal Poly, UCI and Hawaii (20-8)) have registered a 20 + win seasons.
UCI advanced to the Elite 8 with a 3-0 sweep of Sacramento State then a 3-2 victory over Pacific in Stockton.
Harlee Kekauoha led the team against the Hornets with 14 kills, eight digs, two blocks and an ace, while Haley DeSales topped the squad versus the Tigers with 17 kills and 18 digs.
The win against the Tigers was UCI's second postseason victory, the most in program history. UCI's previous win beyond the regular season was a victory over Missouri in the 2003 NCAA Tournament in head coach Ashlie Hain's junior year.
The Anteaters were third in the Big West with a 10-6 mark, the highest finish since the club was second in 2009.
UCI is 6-1 on neutral court this season, winning both the Molten Classic and Marcia E. Hamilton Classic to start the year.
The Anteaters rank 30th nationally in aces with a 1.54 average. UCI fired 15 aces over two matches last week.
UCI's blocking has come alive at the end of the season. The Anteaters had a season-high 11 blocks in the win over Pacific. Sophomore Makayla Wolfe had a career-high four solo blocks in that match, including three in the fifth set. She recorded nine total blocks and leads the team with a 0.86 blocking average.
UCI ranks second in the Big West in kills (13.53), assists (12.59) and aces (1.54). The Anteaters are third in hitting percentage (.247).
UCI has held opponents to a hitting percentage .193 overall. Last week, the Anteaters beat Sacramento State holding the Hornets to a .062 hitting percentage. The next night, UCI held Pacific to a .173 mark.
Junior Harlee Kekauoha leads the Anteaters with a 3.36 kill average which ranks sixth best in the conference. She leads the Big West
and is ranked 33rd nationally with a 0.42 ace average. The opposite has recorded kills in double-figures 22 times this year.
Kekauoha became the 14th Anteater player to record 1,000 kills in her career. She ranks 13th in the UCI career records with 1,310 in her two+ years. She also ranks fifth in aces (128) all-time.
Two other players can be found in the career record books. Libero Luna Tsujimoto is fourth in digs with 1,336 and Ali Koumelis is 11th in set assists at 1,389. The duo also moved in to the top 10 in the season lists with 461 digs (9th) and 1,154 (10th) set assists this season.
National Invitational Volleyball Championship
Texas Tech vs UC Irvine
Wednesday, Dec. 6 | 2:00 PM PT| Fort Worth, TX | The Rickle
Live Stats Video
UCI's postseason journey continues as the Anteaters take on Texas Tech Wednesday (Dec. 6) at 2:00 p.m. PT in the third round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship at The Rickle in Fort Worth, TX.
The winner moves on to face either TCU or Green Bay in a semifinal match Thursday (Dec. 7) at 5:00 p.m. PT.
The format of the NIVC is a single elimination tournament played at campus sites all the way through to the championship match. The championship will be held on Dec. 12.
VERSUS THE RED RAIDERS
The Red Raiders are 17-14 overall, finishing 4-12 in the Big 12 Conference. Texas Tech beat SMU, 3-0 then swept Texas State to advance out of the San Marcos regional.
The Anteaters and Red Raiders have meet three times previously with Texas Tech holding a 2-1 advantage in the series. The last time the two teams met was on Aug. 31, 1990 at the Arizona State Tournament with the Red Raiders sweeping UCI on a neutral court. Tech also beat UCI, 3-2 in Irvine on Sept. 9, 1989. UCI's lone win came in 1983 at the BYU Preview Classic in Provo, Utah.
THE REST OF THE BRACKET
UCI is 1-1 against TCU in previous meetings, both meeting coming at the Long Beach State Tournament. UCI lost to the Horned Frogs, 1-3 in 2009 and came out on top 3-1 in 2003.
UCI and Green Bay have never meet.
NEWS & NOTES
The Anteaters are 24-7 overall, tying the school record for wins. The 2017 team matched the 2009 squad who went 24-10.
UCI is the only Big West school still playing with Cal Poly and Hawaii falling in the NCAA Tournament. Only Cal Poly (27-3) has more overall wins this season in the Big West. It is the first time since 2012 that three Big West schools (Cal Poly, UCI and Hawaii (20-8)) have registered a 20 + win seasons.
UCI advanced to the Elite 8 with a 3-0 sweep of Sacramento State then a 3-2 victory over Pacific in Stockton.
Harlee Kekauoha led the team against the Hornets with 14 kills, eight digs, two blocks and an ace, while Haley DeSales topped the squad versus the Tigers with 17 kills and 18 digs.
The win against the Tigers was UCI's second postseason victory, the most in program history. UCI's previous win beyond the regular season was a victory over Missouri in the 2003 NCAA Tournament in head coach Ashlie Hain's junior year.
The Anteaters were third in the Big West with a 10-6 mark, the highest finish since the club was second in 2009.
UCI is 6-1 on neutral court this season, winning both the Molten Classic and Marcia E. Hamilton Classic to start the year.
The Anteaters rank 30th nationally in aces with a 1.54 average. UCI fired 15 aces over two matches last week.
UCI's blocking has come alive at the end of the season. The Anteaters had a season-high 11 blocks in the win over Pacific. Sophomore Makayla Wolfe had a career-high four solo blocks in that match, including three in the fifth set. She recorded nine total blocks and leads the team with a 0.86 blocking average.
UCI ranks second in the Big West in kills (13.53), assists (12.59) and aces (1.54). The Anteaters are third in hitting percentage (.247).
UCI has held opponents to a hitting percentage .193 overall. Last week, the Anteaters beat Sacramento State holding the Hornets to a .062 hitting percentage. The next night, UCI held Pacific to a .173 mark.
Junior Harlee Kekauoha leads the Anteaters with a 3.36 kill average which ranks sixth best in the conference. She leads the Big West
and is ranked 33rd nationally with a 0.42 ace average. The opposite has recorded kills in double-figures 22 times this year.
Kekauoha became the 14th Anteater player to record 1,000 kills in her career. She ranks 13th in the UCI career records with 1,310 in her two+ years. She also ranks fifth in aces (128) all-time.
Two other players can be found in the career record books. Libero Luna Tsujimoto is fourth in digs with 1,336 and Ali Koumelis is 11th in set assists at 1,389. The duo also moved in to the top 10 in the season lists with 461 digs (9th) and 1,154 (10th) set assists this season.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's VolleyballAnteater Spotlights | Ep. 4 | Ally Bolden
Wednesday, December 03
NOT backing down 🙅♀️
Tuesday, December 02
Firing off on all cylinders, no dust 🗣️
Tuesday, November 25
𝑩𝒆 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒔 😌
Friday, November 21
