IRVINE, Calif. – Alexandre Nsakanda led No. 5 UC Irvine in a 3-1 loss to No. 2 BYU Wednesday at the Bren Events Center.

The Cougars (7-0) won the first of two matches this week 25-17, 20-25, 25-19, 25-15.

Nsakanda had a team-high 15 kills, two aces, three block assists and a team-high eight digs for the Anteaters (3-2).

COACH DAVID KNIFFIN SAID
"It's good to see we can match up with the No. 2 team in the country. There are definitely some things we need to clean up on our side, but I like the direction we are going."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Outside hitter Joel Schneidmiller added 10 kills, six digs and three block assists
>Middle blocker Scott Stadick had a match-best seven total blocks to go with six kills
>The Anteaters were out-blocked for the first time this season, 11-8
>BYU's Gabi Garcia Fernandez led all players with 19 kills, hitting .517 (19-4-29) and recording three aces. Davide Gardini followed with 16 kills

TURNING POINTS
FIRST SET
>BYU jumped out early behind the serving of Davide Gardini which included two aces, 6-2
>A three point spurt by the Cougars extended the lead to 10-5
>A JB Kam kill narrowed the score to 19-14, but BYU would score the next two to stop the UCI momentum
>The Cougars would go on to win the set 25-17, hitting .519 (16-2-27)

SECOND SET
>A pair of kills by Schneidmiller and four Cougar errors, two of them blocks by Scott Stadick and Alexandre Nsakanda gave UCI the 6-2 advantage
>An ace by Nsakanda put the Anteaters up 12-5 and other by Joel Schneidmiller helped UCI to a 19-10 lead
>BYU made it interesting, going on a 6-1 run to close to 23-19
>The teams would side out to give UCI the 25-20 victory

THIRD SET
>The Cougars started with an 8-3 advantage and never relinquished the lead
>UCI rallied late, scoring four straight, all BYU errors, 24-19
>An Anteater service error handed the set to BYU, 25-19

FOURTH SET
>BYU would score eight straight to break open the set, 17-10
>Six unanswered by BYU which included two aces and two kills by Gabi Garcia Fernandez moved the margin to 23-11
>A kill by Zach Eschenberg ended the set 25-15 and the match

NOTES
>Both of UCI's losses have come to teams ranked higher than the Anteaters
>Stadick continued his streak of six or more total blocks in each match this year
>JB Kam added seven kills

UP NEXT
>The two teams meet again Friday (Jan. 24) at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Events Center.