THIS WEEK
No. 5 UC Irvine at No. 8 Pepperdine · Saturday, Mar. 25 · 7:00 p.m. · Firestone Fieldhouse
Live Stats Video
THIS WEEK
After taking 13 days off, No. 5 UC Irvine returns to action traveling to No. 8 Pepperdine Saturday (Mar. 25) at 7:00 p.m. at Firestone Fieldhouse.
This is the lone match of the week for both teams.
ABOUT THE WAVES
Pepperdine leads the series record with UCI, 42-21, beating the Anteaters twice last year.
Pepperdine is 8-9 overall and 6-8 in the MPSF.
The Waves have won their last two matches, beating CSUN 3-2 and Stanford, 3-1 last week.
ON THE RECORD
UCI is 15-6 overall and 9-5 in the MPSF, clinching a spot in the MPSF play-offs.
The Anteaters have won seven of the last eight outings.
The squad is 9-3 away from Irvine and 6-3 at home.
STREAKING
UCI has won the last four matches, winning the last three in straight sets. The four consecutive victories are tied for the longest streak this season.
POST-SEASON PICTURE
With three weeks to play, the final quarterfinal hosting spots are up for grabs. Long Beach Stat and BYU have clinched a quarterfinal home match, while Hawaii, UCI, UCLA, Pepperdine and Stanford are all in the running to host a post-season match.
ROAD WARRIORS
The Anteaters are in the midst of a seven-match road swing, traveling the entire month of March.
Following the match this week, UCI has one final road contest at Stanford on Mar. 31 before returning home for the final two regular season matches.
WHAT A WEEK IT WAS
The last time UCI was in action, the Anteaters had three consecutive sweeps over St. Francis, Ball State and Ohio State on the road.
The win over then-No. 1 Ohio State snapped the Buckeyes' 42-match winning streak, something no other team could do the previous 399 days.
Three Anteaters had double-digit kills versus Ohio State led by Aaron Koubi's match-high 13. Seniors Tamir Hershko and Thomas Hodges each added 11 kills. Libero Dillon Hoffman recorded 14 digs and middle blocker Matthew Younggren had a team-high five total blocks.
Thomas Hodges was named MPSF Player of the Week, averaging 3.67 kills, 4.50 points, 1.22 digs, 0.44 aces and 0.78 blocks per set.
Michael Saeta was named AVCA National Player of the Week after hitting .750 with just one hitting error and averaged 10.67 set assists, 1.78 digs, 0.78 aces and 1.44 kills.
HERSHKO AND HODGES LEADS
Seniors Tamir Hershko and Thomas Hodges lead the team with a 3.07 and 2.79 kill average, respectively.
Hershko ranks 14th in the MPSF in kill average.
Hodges has recorded kills in double figures eight of the last nine matches, including the last four contests. He is second on the team in aces with 22.
SAETA IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Senior Michael Saeta's name dots the UCI record books.
The setter moved in to a tie for third in aces in a season with 50 and is second all-time at UCI with 148. He is also tied for second in aces in a match with five.
Saeta, who has 715 set assists this season, is also ranked seventh all-time in set assists with 2,349
He is second in the MPSF and fourth nationally in aces with a 0.61 mark. The senior is also ranked ninth in the league in assists (8.72). The lefty is averaging 1.57 kills, while hitting .393.
KOUBI CONTRIBUTES
Since Aaron Koubi has joined the Anteater starting lineup, UCI has gone 6-1. The outside hitter is third on the team, averaging 2.48 kills per set. He has four double-digit kill performances, including a career-high 20 in the win at CSUN.
IN THE NATIONAL STATISTICS
The team is fifth in the country in kills (13.02) and assists (12.27), eighth in hitting percentage (.309) and ninth in aces (1.48).
FRESHMEN IN THE MIDDLE
Freshmen Scott Stadick and Matthew Younggren have made an impact in the middle this season.
Stadick ranks seventh nationally in blocks (1.09) and eighth in hitting percentage (.428). The 7-footer is fourth on the team in kills with a 1.87 average. He has posted a career-best eight block assists five times this season.
Younggren is averaging 1.22 kills and 0.78 blocks per set.
HIGH FIVE
UCI is 7-0 when going the distance this season.
DIGGING MACHINE
Dillon Hoffman, who is one of the top liberos in the MPSF, is third in the conference with a 2.46 dig mark, but has recorded the most digs overall with 197. The senior ranks ninth nationally in dig average.
