Box Score SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Freshman Abby Marjama tied the UC Irvine match record for aces in the Anteaters' 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 16-25, 25-16) victory over Saint Mary's in the finale of the Utah Volleyball Classic at the Huntsman Center.

Marjama fired nine aces to match Tandie Wade's mark set against Nevada in 1996. The outside hitter also added seven kills and six digs to help UCI pick up their first win of the season (1-2). Saint Mary's is also 1-2 overall, upsetting No. 19 Utah in the previous match.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Outside hitter Loryn Carter led UCI with 11 kills
>Middle blocker Makayla Wolfe followed with nine kills and a match-high seven total blocks
>Freshman Sophie Wood started her second consecutive match at setter, recording 25 set assists, six digs and seven block assists
>As a team, the Anteaters recorded 12 aces

SET 1
>UCI scored the first two points then watched SMC peel-off the next nine (9-2), before Loryn Carter stopped the streak with a kill (9-3)
>UCI rallied from that point out-scoring the Gaels 12-4 to take a 15-13 advantage on three Harlee Kekauoha kills and six Saint Mary's attack errors
>With the scored tied at 15-15, the Anteaters used another big 7-1 run, which included two blocks and three consecutive aces by Abby Marjama to go up 22-16
>UCI would win the set 25-20 on a block by Carter and Idara Akpakpa

SET 2
>A kill by Makayla Wolfe was followed by back-to-back blocks by Akpakpa and Sophie Wood to open a 14-11 margin
>Saint Mary's would momentarily hold the lead at 20-19 before UCI would score the next three (22-20). The Gaels answered with a pair only to see UCI score two of their own to hold a 24-22 lead
>Following an attack error, Akpakpa ended the set with a kill from the middle, 25-23

SET 3
>Saint Mary's opened with an early 9-4 lead then extended the gap to 19-11 with a four consecutive kills
>The Gaels would end the set with three straight points, 25-16

SET 4
> UCI jumped out with the first four points, including Marjama's ninth ace of the night and continued to lead 10-4  
> The Anteaters never looked back and appropriately won 25-16 on an ace by Haley DeSales

NOTES
>For the tournament, Marjama totaled 14 aces over 12 sets
>UCI, who was last in the Big West a year ago in blocks, was better at the net in two of three tournament matches, including a 13.5-9 advantage against the Gaels

NEXT
UCI will host the UCI/adidas Invitational Friday and Saturday (Aug. 31-Sept. 1) at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters open against CSU Bakersfield at 10:00 a.m. before entertaining Georgia at 7:00 p.m.