Box Score LA JOLLA, Calif. – No. 5 UC Irvine escaped RIMAC Arena with a 3-2 victory (24-26, 25-23, 25-22, 22-25, 17-15) over UC San Diego Friday night.

UCI put up big numbers with several players posting season or career-highs as the Anteaters improve to 16-5 overall and 3-1 in the Big West.

Freshman Joel Schneidmiller led UCI with 18 kills, while sophomore Scott Stadick had a season-high 14 kills to go with five total blocks. Karl Apfelbach posted a double-double with 13 kills, 11 digs, a career-high seven block assists and career-best nine total blocks. Freshman Austin Wilmot recorded a career-high 13 total blocks and libero David Parker tied his season-high with 13 digs. Setter Dante Chakravorti tallied 47 set assists and eight digs.

UC San Diego (9-12, 0-4) was led by Wyatt Harrison with a match-high 19 kills. Xander Jimenez added 14 kills and Alec Flowers had 12 kills. Ryan Lew had a match-high 16 digs.

The Anteaters had 21.5 blocks which is the second most this season compared to the Tritons' 7. UCI also held a .227 to .190 advantage in hitting percentage. UCSD owned the dig column, 63-43. Both teams had four aces.

In the first set, UC San Diego started with a 6-2 advantage and stayed on top until UCI strung together three points on kills by Stadick and Schneidmiller and a Triton attack error to take their first lead 19-18. Teams would go point-to-point until 24-24 when a UCI service error was followed by a UCSD block to give the Tritons the first set 26-24.

Another tight set saw Scott Stadick record three straight kills to end the game, giving UCI the 25-23 victory in the second frame.

UCI would win the third set 25-22 on a Joel Schneimiller ace then UC San Diego would win the fourth set, 25-22 on two consecutive UCI errors.

Trailing 4-2 in the fifth set, UCI had a kill and ace by Apfelbach and a Triton error to take a 5-4 lead. UCSD would score the next three to regain the lead 7-5 forcing an Anteater timeout. UCSD would lead 9-6 before the Anteaters came back, scoring the next five on a kill by Schneidmiller, a Triton attack error, an ace by Grant Friedman and back-to-back blocks, the first a solo block by Austin Wilmot to go up 11-9. UCSD answered with the next three, 12-11. The teams would trade points until UCI would end the match on kills by Apfelbach and Stadick.

UCI returns to action on Mar. 24 when they visit USC in a non-conference match at the Galen Center.

NOTES: UCI's 21.5 blocks is the second most in the country this year, behind the Anteaters' 22.5 against Fort Wayne...UCI's .227 hitting percentage is the lowest of the season...three of Wilmot's career-high 13 blocks were in the fifth set...Schneidmiller's 18 kills are one shy of his career-high...The Anteaters have won five straight matches.