IRVINE, Calif. – The senior class that led UC Irvine to the top echelon of the Big West Conference and a consistent post-season contender has graduated, but they have left a core of talented players to continue the legacy.

"We are going to be a different team this year," fourth year head coach Ashlie Hain said. "We are much more athletic, but we will be young and inexperienced so we need to see how we how quickly they learn, execute our system and understand our culture. It's a feisty and resilient group and we will need to develop an identity as a team. I am very excited about the future of UCI volleyball."

Powerful outside hitters Loryn Carter and Abby Marjama join veteran middle blocker Makayla Wolfe at the net for a formidable frontline.

Carter, a first team All-Big West honoree, led the Anteaters with a 2.89 kill average, good for ninth best among Big West players last season.

Marjama was named Big West Freshman of the Year as well as being selected to the honorable mention and All-Freshman teams.  She was second on the team in kills with a 2.70 average, but was eighth best in the Big West in conference-only matches with a 3.08 average. The sophomore led the conference in aces with a 0.46 average, firing a school record nine aces against Saint Mary's which was tied for second most in the country a year ago.

Wolfe, who ranked third in the Big West in hitting percentage with a .341 mark, averaged 2.05 kills and 0.89 blocks. She logged eight aces against Cal State Fullerton, which is second most in the UCI match record books.

Junior Cassie Stewart, redshirt freshman Kiani Stanton as well as newcomers Carrissa MacDonald, Joy Umeh and Sierra Davis will battle for court time.

In the middle, freshman Onye Ofoegbu will quickly make her presence known. The 6-3 freshman was a Volleyballmag.com Fab 50 honoree as well as an AVCA Phenom Watch List selection from Long Beach Poly High School. 

Sophomore Sophie Wood and freshman Kelly Negron will assume the setting duties. Wood, who saw action in 58 sets, averaged 2.28 set assists, 25 kills and 21 block assists in her initial campaign. Negron hails from Trabuco Hills High School where she was a two-time first team All-Southern Conference selection.

Defensively, senior Erin Alonzo, sophomore Lauren Russ, junior transfer Chloe Owens, junior Laura Butler and freshman Sofia Skukan will patrol the court from the back row.

Alonso played in 105 sets, averaging 2.32 digs, while Russ made an appearance in 96 sets with a 1.09 dig average.

Owens, a transfer from Cal Poly Pomona, averaged 2.89 for the Bronco team that advanced to the 2018 NCAA Division II Volleyball West Region semifinals.

The Anteaters went 16-13 overall and 10-6 in the Big West last season, finishing in third place. It was the eighth straight year that UCI recorded double-figure wins and for only the second time in school history the squad made back-to-back post-season appearances, playing in the National Invitational Volleyball Tournament.