Box Score LA JOLLA, Calif. – After dropping the first set, No. 3 UC Irvine cranked up the offense to beat UC San Diego 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-18, 25-21) in the Big West opener at the RIMAC Arena.

Over the final three sets, UCI hit .575 (45-3-73) and did not commit an attack error in the second or fourth sets, hitting .692 (18-0-26) and .565 (13-0-23), respectively.

UCI hit .490 (56-8-98) for the match, the second best hitting performance of the year.

The Anteaters extend their winning streak to six straight and improve to 12-2 overall and 1-0 in the Big West. UCSD goes to 5-7 on the year and 0-1 in league play.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>UCI had four players record double-figure kills, led by opposite Karl Apfelbach's 15. The lefty also recorded three aces
>Middle blocker Scott Stadick had a season-high 12 kills to go with a match-best five block assists. The junior hit .667 (12-0-18)
>Outside hitter Joel Schnedimiler added 11 kills (.526) and middle blocker Austin Wilmot had 10 kills (.600)
>The Tritons were led by Wyatt Harrison with a match-high 17 kills. UCSD hit .265 (54-24-113) as a team.

TURNING POINTS
SET 1
>UCI lead 7-3 only to watch the Tritons score four in a row, including two blocks to tie the set at 7-7
>UCSD would hold a 21-19 lead before the Anteaters rallied with three in a row to knot the set at 21-21. Karl Apfelbach had a kill and ace in the rally
>UCI would lead 23-22 on an Austin Wilmot kill then UC San Diego scored the final three points on two kills and a UCI attack error to take the set 25-23

SET 2
>Kills by Apfelbach and Wilmot sent the team to the media timeout leading 15-12
>Joel Schneidmiller pounded three consecutive kills to move the Anteater lead to 18-13
>Schneidmiller would finish off the set with a kill 25-19
>The Anteaters did not commit an attack error in the second set .692 (18-0-26)

SET 3
>Tied at 8-8, UCI used two Triton errors and a kill by Schnidemiller to give the Anteaters an 11-8 advantage
>Consecutive kills by the middle blockers gave UCI a 17-12 lead
>A kill by Apfelbach and a block by Apfelbach and Stadick extended the margin to 23-17
>UCI would win the set 25-18 on kills by Schneidmiller and Stadick

SET 4
>An Aaron Koubi kill gave UCI a 12-8 lead before the Tritons rallied with four in a row to tie it at 12-12
>UCI would answer with a 5-1 run of their own which included aces by Jonny Bowles and Apfelbach. The run was capped by a block by Wilmot and Dante Chakravorti, 17-12
>A block by Wilmot and Brian Garcia ended the match 25-21

NOTES
>UCI out-block UCSD 9-4, the 11^th time this season the Anteaters have topped an opponent at the net
>Jonny Bowles recorded his fifth ace of the season
>Setter Dante Chakravorti added 52 set assists, guiding the Anteaters to over a .300 hitting percentage for the ninth time this season
>Libero David Parker had a match-best eight digs

UP NEXT
>The Anteaters and Tritons will meet again next Thursday (Feb. 14) at the Bren Events Center. First serve is 7:00 p.m.