Box Score IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine pin-hitters posted career-highs to lead sixth-ranked Anteaters to 3-1 victory over No. 5 BYU in a non-conference match at the Bren Events Center Friday evening.

UCI improves to 8-1 overall and extends its winning streak to six in a row. BYU snapped a five-match winning streak and goes to 5-2 on the year.

Opposite Karl Apfelbach posted a career-high 25 kills and six aces. His six aces rank tied for second in the UCI match record books.

Freshman Joel Schneidmiller had a career-high 15 kills, while hitting .565. He was just as good on the defensive side with a career and match-best seven block assists.

The Anteaters out-blocked BYU with a season-high 13 blocks to 7. Middle blocker Scott Stadick tied his season-high with seven total blocks, while middle blocker Matthew Younggren posted a season-high five block assists.

Outside hitter JB Kam came off the bench in the final two sets to record four kills with a .571 hitting clip.

Both teams hit .356 and each had 27 digs.

The Cougars had four players with double-figure kills led by Gabi Garcia Fernande's 17. Brendan Sander had 13 kills and two aces, while Price Jarman and Storm Fa'agata-Tufug each totaled 10 kills.

A 4-0 UCI run which included a block by Matthew Younggren and Joel Schneidmiller and a Karl Apfelbach kill helped the Anteaters open an 11-5 lead in the first set. The Cougars would close to 15-13 before the Anteaters answered with kills by Apfelbach and Schneidmiller and a block by Younggren and Schneidmiller to move the cushion back to 18-13. With UCI leading 21-19, Apfelbach took control with a kill and back-to-back aces to give the Anteaters set point. The Cougars would make a run, scoring the next three, but a service error handed UCI the 25-22 victory. Schneidmiller hit .833 in the first game with five kills on six attempts.

BYU, who trailed for most of the second set, made a late run, scoring three unanswered to take a 21-20 lead. UCI locked down the net with back-to-back blocks, the last a triple block by Apfelbach, Schneidmiller and Younggren to move back in front 22-21. Following a BYU timeout, Apfelbach extended the lead to 23-21. The teams would trade points until Apfelbach put away the winner, 25-23.

Kills by Brenden Sander and Gabi Garcia Fernande plus a UCI attack error gave BYU a 20-17 lead in the third set and the Cougars never relinquished the lead, taking the game 25-20.

Fueled by two aces from Apfelbach and two kills by JB Kam, UCI took a 15-11 lead in the fourth set. Behind the strength of Brenden Sanders serving, the Cougars scored to narrow UCI's lead to 22-21. A service error was followed by a solo block and kill by Scott Stadick to end the set 25-21 and the match 3-1.

The two teams tangle again tomorrow at the Bren Center beginning at 7:00 p.m.

NOTES: Apfelbach's previous high for aces was 2 before his team-leading 6 tonight…Zack La Cavera was the last Anteater to record six aces on Mar. 9, 2014 against Hawaii in five sets…It is the third time this season UCI has had more aces than the opponent…It is UCI's first win at home against the Cougars since 2010…Stadick has recorded six or more blocks five times this year.