Box Score  
IRVINE, Calif. – For the second consecutive night, UC Irvine played five sets, but tonight they came up on top, beating CSUN, 3-2 (24-26, 25-20, 28-30, 25-23, 15-9) at the Bren Events Center Saturday.

Freshman Emma Spindt and sophomore Carrissa MacDonald ignited the Anteaters off the bench in the final two sets. Spindt recorded a career-best three kills, thee digs and two aces, while MacDonald added two kills, two digs and an ace.

Libero Carly Richter had a career-high 20 digs as UCI had a season-best 78 digs.

UCI improves to 14-8 overall and 7-5 in the Big West. CSUN goes to 4-18 and 3-9 in league play.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Sophomore Joy Umeh led all players with 24 kills to go with seven block assists
>Middle blocker Onye Ofoegbu pitched in 16 kills and seven block assists
>Freshman Marianna Bertolone had eight kills and 11 digs, while freshman  Ellen Veargason posted seven kills
>UCI topped CSUN in blocks (11-7) and hitting (.228-.169) The Matadors bested the Anteaters in digs (81-78) and aces (9-6)
>Lexi McLoed had a team-best 18 kills for CSUN

TURNING POINTS
FIRST SET
>UCI took its first lead of the set on a block by Onye Ofoegbu and Joy Umeh, 10-9
>Kills by Umeh and Ofeogbu plus a Matador error gave UCI a 13-10 advantage
>A 3-1 run by CSUN narrowed UCI's lead to 16-15, but UCI would score the next three on back-to-back kills by Marianna Bertolone and a block by Umeh and Soana Leaea, 19-15
>UCI looked to be up comfortably at 23-19, but CSUN responded on a 7-1 run to close out the set, 26-24
>The final two points of the set were compliments of the CSUN block

SECOND SET
>Umeh had three kills while Ofoegbu had two kills and a block as UCI jumped out to an early 6-3 lead
>Kills by Bertolone and Umeh plus an ace from Kelly Negron forced a CSUN timeout, 12-7
>The Anteaters came out of the break and added three more, the last a block by Leaea and Umeh, 15-7
>A kill by Umeh and a block by Ofeogbu and Grace Colburn increased the UCI lead to 19-13
>A kill by Veargason and two CSUN attack errors, gave UCI set point, 24-19
>This time UCI did not falter with Bertolone recording the set winner, 25-20

THIRD SET
>A quick set over by Negron for a kill and an ace by Bertolone moved the Anteaters in front 9-7
>CSUN would catch UCI at 11-11
>A diving dig by Carly Richter resulted in a kill by Umeh, moving the Anteaters in front 17-15
>CSUN rallied on three straight points to move back in front 18-17
>Down 20-18, Umeh put away a pair of kills to knot the score then a block by Umeh and Ofoegbu gave UCI the 21-20 advantage
>CSUN would score three of the next four to hold set point 24-22
>The Anteaters would rally on a kill by Ofoegbu and two Matador errors to move back ahead 25-24
>A block and kill by the Matadors reversed the fortunes, 27-26
>The teams would trade points until CSUN used a kill and an Anteater attack error to win the set, 30-28

FOURTH SET
>Emma Spindt made her appearance known as she entered the match and fired two aces, 3-1
>UCI scored seven in  row, including kills by Umeh, Carrissa MacDonald and Ofoegbu and a block by Umeh and Ofoegbu, 10-2
>CSUN would score five of their own to get back in the set, 10-7
>UCI would create some separation on a 4-1 run that included a kill and block assist by Spindt, 15-9
>The Matadors would get within 22-21 until a Leaea kill stopped the momentum
>A kill by Umeh would end the set and force another, 25-23

FIFTH SET
>The teams would remain close until UCI had three straight points on kills by Spindt and Veargason and a Matador attacksailed just long, 9-6
>Three straight CSUN attack errors was followed by a kill by Umeh for the set 15-9

NOTES
>UCI is 3-3 in five set matches this year
>Umeh has recorded kills in double-figures 17 times, including 20 or more on five occasions

UP NEXT
UCI is on the road for a pair of matches next week, heading to UC Riverside Nov. 4 and UC Davis Nov. 6.