Box Score LONG BEACH, Calif. – UC Irvine lost the first set then battled back to win the next three (19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-22) in a Black & Blue Rivalry win at the Walter Pyramid Friday.

The Anteaters have won eight of the last 10 outings and improve to 9-7 overall and 3-1 in the Big West. Long Beach goes to 10-8 on the year and 2-3 in league matches.

UCI HEAD COACH ASHLIE HAIN SAID
"I thought we fought hard at the end of the third and fourth sets and was happy to see us respond. Long Beach State played one of the best matches I've seen them play and I'm proud of our team effort today."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Blocking was a key to the victory as UCI won the battle of the net with 12.0-9.5 advantage
>UCI had four players in double figure kills, led by outside hitter Loryn Carter with 13
>Middle blocker Makayla Wolfe totaled 11 kills, one shy of her season-high. She also added three aces and three blocks
>Middle blocker Idara Akpakpa recorded 10 kills, hit .571 (10-2-14) and tied her career-high with nine total blocks (3 solo, 6 asissts)
>Opposite Harlee Kekauoha was one shy of a double-double with 10 kills and nine digs
>Long Beach State was led by Kashauna Williams with 15 kills

TURNING POINTS
SET 1
>Long Beach State jumped out to a 6-1 lead on the strength of Hailey Harward's three aces
>UCI scored three consecutive points to narrow the Forty-Niners lead to 19-18, but LBSU scored the next two and closed out the set with a 25-19

SET 2
>A five-point run which included three blocks pushed UCI's margin to 14-8
>A 4-0 run that was capped by a Loryn Carter kill put the Anteaters ahead 21-12
>Idara Akpakpa ended the set 25-17 with a kill
>Akpakpa hit .667 (5-1-6) with five total blocks in the set

SET 3
>A 6-1 spurt for LBSU gave the Forty-Niners an 8-3 lead
>A kill by Wolfe and ace by Kekuoha and a block by Wolfe and Marjama closed the gap to 6-8
>A LBSU error, an ace by Wolfe and a kill by Carter knotted the score at 10-10
>After UCI trailed 22-20, the Anteaters would rally on a kill by Carter, an Akpakpa solo block, a kill by Kekauoha, a LBSU bad set and a block by Akpakpa and Kekauoha to end the set 25-22

SET 4
>LBSU would go on a 5-1 run to move in front 17-14
>A kill and ace by Marjama knotted the set at 18-18
> At 21-21, UCI had consecutive kills by Carter and Kekouha, 23-21 then a kill by Akpakpa would end the set 25-22 and the match 3-1

NOTES
>It was the first time this season UCI has had four players in double-figure kills
>Haley DeSales posted a match-best 15 digs
>UCI's 12 blocks is the fifth most this season
>With the win, UCI wins the first three points in the Black & Blue Rivalry presented by Duke's of Huntington Beach.
>This is only the second win for the Anteaters after dropping the first set.

UP NEXT:
UCI will travel up the 405 freeway to CSUN tomorrow (Oct. 6) for a 7:00 p.m. start at the Matadome