Aaron-Koubi-MVB-2019

Anteaters Fall To Warriors, 3-0

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Box Score IRVINE, Calif. – No. 3 UC Irvine had another rough night offensively as No. 2 Hawaii won 3-0 (25-13, 25-22, 25-20) at the Bren Events Center Saturday.
Hawaii dominated the net with 12 blocks to 4 as UCI hit a season-low for the second consecutive night, .155 (29-18-71).

For the first time this season, UCI dropped consecutive matches, going to 13-4 overall and 2-2 in the Big West. Hawaii, who hit .529 (45-8-70) on the night, rolls to 12-0 on the year and 2-0 in league action.

COACH DAVID KNIFFIN SAID
"Coming in to the weekend I was curious, coming out of the weekend the only question I have left is what do we want to do about it. When you play a good team like Hawaii they are going to expose you and everything you need to work on and we know what we need to work on now."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>UCI was led by outside hitter Aaron Koubi with 10 kills and an ace
>Outside hitter Joel Schneidmiller added nine kills with two aces
>Redshirt freshman Alexandre Nsakanda made his first career start and recorded eight kills, an ace and three digs
>Rado Parapunov had a match-high 16 kills for Hawaii, hitting .565 (16-3-23). He also added two aces and four block assists
>Hawaii's Stijn van Tilburg recorded 13 kills, while Patrick Gasman added seven total blocks

TURNING POINTS
SET 1

>The Hawaii block sparked a 5-1 start with UH rejecting three balls
>Four straight Anteater errors gave Hawaii a 16-10 lead
>Hawaii would out-hit UCI .556 to -.238 and win the set 25-13

SET 2
>A 5-1 run which included four Anteater miscues put Hawaii in front 7-3
>Joel Schneidmiller stepped to the service line and fired two aces plus a serve that forced a Hawaii attack error to tie the score at 7-7
>UCI would take its first lead of the match on a kill by Aaron Koubi, 9-8
>A block by Scott Stadick and Alexandre Nsakanda tied the set at 14-14 before a kill by Dalton Solbrig and an ace by Rado Parapunov created some separation for Hawaii, 16-14
>Two kills then an ace by Joe Worsley gave the Warriors a 21-17 advantage
>Hawaii would win the set on a kill by Parapunov, 25-22

SET 3
>Hawaii jumped out to an early 3-1 lead
>Three consecutive kills by Koubi gave UCI a 9-8 lead
>A UCI service error and a Hawaii block gave UH a 16-14 lead
>A kill by Koubi and an ace by Nsakanda that dribbled over the net knotted the score at 16 all
>Three straight points, two on blocks, went to the Warriors to put UH ahead 21-17
>A UCI service ended the set 25-20 and the match

 NOTES
>
UCI has not been swept in back-to-back matches since losing to Long Beach State 3-0 on Feb. 19, 2016 and Stanford on Feb. 26, 2016
>Freshman setter Brian Garcia made his first career start, recording six set assists
>With two wins, Hawaii takes home The Pineapple Orange Crate for the second year
>UCI had a season-low 14 digs

UP NEXT
>UCI will travel to No. 9 BYU for a pair of matches Mar. 8-9 from Smith Fieldhouse
 
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