MUNCIE, Indiana – In a battle of undefeated teams, No. 3 UC Irvine swept No. 14 Ball State, 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-22) at Worthen Arena Monday.

The Anteaters improved to 3-0 to open the season and hand the Cardinals their first loss (2-1).

HEAD COACH DAVID KNIFFIN SAID:
"Monday matches are tough. There were two teams that played three matches in four days. It wasn't clean volleyball, but I think both teams learned and we are grateful for Ball State hosting us. We will watch some football and get some needed rest before the next chapter of this roadtrip."

SOPHOMORE OUTSIDE HITTER JOEL SCHNEIDMILLER SAID:
"I think we learned tonight. We are figuring some things out. I know we would have liked to play a little better, but it was good to get a win."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Reigning Big West Player of the Week Joel Schneidmiller led the Anteaters with 18 kills, while hitting .400 (18-6-30). He also added six digs and a block assist
>Opposite Karl Apfelbach had eight kills and an ace
>Setter Dante Chakravorti led UCI to its best offensive performance (.312), while recording 26 set assists and five digs
>Libero David Parker had a match best 11 digs
>Ball State was led by David Siebum with nine kills
>The Cardinals out-blocked UCI 6.5 to 3.0

TURNING POINTS
SET 1
>An 8-3 run, which included four kills by Joel Schneidmiller opened a 16-12 lead for the Anteaters
>The Anteaters would use a Cardinal service error and a soft dump over by Aaron Koubi to end the set 25-20

SET 2
>An ace and kill by Karl Apfelbach gave the Anteaters a 9-6 cushion
>Three consecutive Ball State attack errors pushed the margin to 15-10
>A kill by Austin Wilmot was followed by consecutive blocks, each assisted Scott Stadick, to get to set point 24-16
>Ball State would score the next four to make it interesting, but a Cardinal service error handed UCI the set, 25-20
>UCI hit .455 (14-4-22)

SET 3
>Ball State scored three straight to take an early 7-4 lead, but the Anteaters answered with an 9-2 spurt which included five kills by Schneidmiller to put UCI back in front 13-9
>Three straight points by UCI had the Anteaters rolling 22-15 before the Cardinals rallied, outscoring UCI 7-2 to edge to 24-22
>A Schneidmiller kill ended the set 25-22 an the match 3-0

NOTES
>This is UCI's first sweep of the season
>Schneidmiller has led UCI in kills in all three matches this season
>Parker has recorded double-figure digs in each match this year

UP NEXT
>The Anteaters will head to George Mason to participate in the Uvaldo Acosta Invitational where they will face Princeton on Friday (Jan. 11) and the host Patriots on Saturday (Jan. 12).