Box Score IRVINE, Calif. – Middle blocker Austin Wilmot tied his career-high in kills and tied his season-high in block assists to help No. 3 UC Irvine to a 3-1 victory over Concordia at the Bren Events Center Friday.

UCI won by match scores of 25-21, 23-25, 25-23, 25-22 and improve their season record to 7-2. Concordia snaps a three-match winning streak and goes to 3-7 overall.

Wilmot tied his career-high with 11 kills, hitting .611 without committing an error (11-0-18). He joined Karl Apfelbach with a match-best six block assists, a season-high for both players.

COACH KNIFFIN SAID
"It's great to be back home and playing in the Bren Center."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>UCI had a season-high 15.5 blocks
>Outside hitter Joel Schneidmiller led UCI with 16 kills, hitting .429 (16-4-28)
>Opposite Karl Apfelbach added 10 kills, while Scott Stadick was one shy of his season-high with nine kills
>UCI out-hit Concordia .320-.178
>Concordia's Jordan Hoppe had a match-high 19 kills
 
TURNING POINTS
SET 1
>UCI jumped out to an 11-6 lead while hitting .700 (7-0-10) and forcing a Concordia timeout
>The Anteaters would continue to lead 20-16 before the Eagles rallied to close to 20-18 and again at 21-19
>A block by Karl Apfelbach and Dante Chakravorti was followed by a kill by Aaron Koubi to move the margin to 23-19
>A thundering kill by Joel Schneidmiller ended the set 25-21

SET 2
>The teams would remain close until Concordia scored six straight points to take a 16-12 lead
>Kills by Koubui and Chakravorti narrowed the deficit to 16-15
>A kill by Scott Stadick and an ace by Schneidmiller knotted the set at 19 all
>Two kills and an ace gave the Eagles set point, 24-22
>Following a UCI kill, an Anteater serve sailed long to give Concordia a 25-23 victory

SET 3
>A pair of kills by Schneidmiller and an ace by Austin Wilmot put the Anteaters in front 20-17
>A kill and block by Concordia brought the Eagles to 23-22 but a Stadick kill stopped the momentum
>UCI would win the set on a Concordia service error 25-23

SET 4
>Three Concordia errors started the set then a kill by Apfelbach extended the advantage to 5-1
>A 5-1 run by the Eagles gave Concordia an 8-7 lead
>A kill by Koubi was followed by a UCI block party of four stuffs in a row, including two solo blocks by Schneidmiller, to regain control 16-10
>Schneidmiller took over offensively as well with three kills to increase the lead to 18-12
>Concordia would not go away quietly, edging to 25-22 before a service error ended the set 25-22

NOTES
>This was UCI's first home match of the year
>Schneidmiller has recorded double-figure kills in each match this year and has recorded at least one ace in all but one match
>Middle blocker Patrick Sohacki made his season debut
>Chakravorti, Schneimiller and Koubi all shared the team lead in digs with nine
 
UP NEXT
>UCI will entertain No. 6 Pepperdine on Sunday (Jan. 27) at 5:00 p.m. in the Bren Center