IRVINE, Calif. – CSU Bakersfield outlasted UC Irvine, 3-2 (15-25, 25-16, 25-23, 22-25, 15-13) in the first match of the UCI/adidas Invitational at the Bren Events Center Friday.

The Anteaters fall to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in five set matches this season. The Roadrunners even their season record 2-2.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Both teams struggled offensively with UCI hitting .139 and Bakersfield at .114
>CSUB out-blocked UCI 12-8 and was better from the service line, 6-2
>UCI was led by its middle blockers Makayla Wolfe and Idara Akpakpa with 12 and 11 kills respectively. Akpakpa had a team-best four block assists while Wolfe added three
>Freshman Abby Marjama totaled eight kills and a career-best 14 digs
>Libero Haley DeSales posted a career-high 21 digs
>Desiree Sukhov paced CSUB with 15 kills, while Krista Hernandez had a match-high 33 digs

TURNING POINTS
SET 1
>The Anteaters started with an 8-3 advantage that was capped by a kill and block by Makayla Wolfe
>CSUB would close to 9-7 before three Roadrunner errors put UCI back to a comfortable 12-7 lead
>A kill by Idara Akpakpa ended the set 25-12 with a kill in the middle

SET 2
> Bakersfield scored seven unanswered points, three on a pair of kills and a block by Briannah Mariner, 7-2
>Another 5-0 run, which included four Anteater errors gave the Roadrunners a 19-7 lead and put the set out of reach

SET 3
>CSU Bakersfield would hold a 20-16 lead, before the Anteaters used a service error, a block by Wolfe and Cassie Stewart and a kill by Abby Marjama forcing a Roadrunner timeout
>The teams would trade points until the set ended with a kill by Desiree Sukhov giving CSUB the 25-23 victory

SET 4
>UCI scored the first four points then rolled off three straight points to lead 7-2
>With UCI leading 19-15, Bakersfield would out-score the Anteaters 5-1 to tie the set at 20-20
>Three straight points by UCI with the first two coming from blocks by Akpakpa and Loryn Carter pushed UCI back in front 23-20
>The Anteaters would take the set 25-22 on a Bakersfield service error

SET 5
>An ace by Desiree Sukhov push the Roadrunners out to a 6-2 lead in the final set
>The Anteaters would score the next three on kills by Makayla Wolfe, Ali Koumelis and Cassie Stewart to get within 6-5, but CSUB responded with the next points (8-5)
>A block by Bakersfield's Rafa Bonifacio put the Roadrunners at match point and following a kll by the Anteaters a service error handed CSUB the 15-13 vctory.
 
NOTES
>Makayla Wolfe's 12 kills were a season-high
>Cassie Stewart (7) and Merin Kolte (3) posted career-highs in kills, while Loryn Carter had a career-best five block assists
>Setter Ali Koumelis made her second start of the year and recording a season-high 43 set assists and a 15 digs
>Haley DeSales has recorded digs in double-digits in all but one match this season
 
UP NEXT
>UCI will battle Georgia at approximately 7:00 p.m. tonight at the Bren Center