Box Score IRVINE, Calif. – Three players recorded double-figure kills in fifth-ranked UC Irvine's 3-0 sweep of UC San Diego (25-21, 31-29, 25-18) in a Big West Conference match at the Bren Events Center Thursday.

Senior Aaron Koubi led all players with 12 kills, hitting .455 (12-3-22) and was followed by junior Karl Apfelbach and freshman Joel Schneidmiller with 11 kills each. Middle blocker Scott Stadick had a match-best four blocks, while setter Dante Chakravorti had 36 set assists and libero David Parker recorded eight digs.

UCI, who improves to 15-5 overall and 2-1 in the Big West Conference, led the Tritons in hitting percentage (.386-.245) and blocks (8.5-3.0). UCSD held the 27-25 advantage in digs.

UCSD (9-11, 0-3) was led by Xander Jimenez with 10 kills. Connor Walbrecht had 30 set assists, eight digs and four kills. The Tritons were without the services of country's kill leader Tanner Syftestad.

In the first set, UCI used four straight UCSD attack errors, two on blocks from Austin Wilmot and Joel Schneidmiller, to take a 7-4 lead. Three consecutive kills by Aaron Koubi moved the margin to 14-8. The Tritons rallied late with the help of back-to-back Anteater attack errors to close to 20-19, but a UCSD service error stopped the momentum. UCI would win the set 25-21 on a Scott Stadick kill.

A kill by Koubi and a block by Wilmot and Karl Apfelbach pushed UCI out to an 8-4 lead. Three more in a row, including kills by Koubi and Wilmot, made the Anteater advantage 13-8. The Tritons would tie the set at 21-21 on a pair of Alec Flowers' aces then took their first lead 22-21 on a UCI attack error. The teams would battle back and forth until a kill by Matthew Younggren was followed by a Triton attack error to give UCI the 31-29 win.

The Anteaters would hit .556 in the third set and win 25-18. UCI would make their move with the score tied at 16-16,when they went on a 5-0 run which included two kills and an ace by Karl Apfelbach to open a 21-16 lead. Dante Chakravorti ended the match with a dump.

These two teams will battle again tomorrow (Mar. 16) in La Jolla. First serve is slated for 7:00 p.m.

NOTES: It is the fourth time this season Koubi has led the team in kills...UCI has won four in a row...Apfelbach leads the team with 26 aces and has recorded at least one in 13 of the last 14 matches, including two tonight...six different Anteaters recorded a block...UCI has won the last 14 meetings with the Tritons...it is the eighth time this season Schneidmiller has posted double-digit kills...Austin Wilmot had three kills and three blocks on his birthday.