POCATELLO, Idaho – After a year hiatus, UC Irvine showed no signs of being rusty as the Anteaters opened the 2021 season with a 3-1 (25-19, 25-22, 21-25, 25-22) victory over Idaho State in the first match of the Bengal Invitational at Reed Gym.

Career-highs by sophomores Onye Ofoegbu and Joy Umeh along with a double-digit kill performance by freshman Marianna Bertolone gave the Anteaters their first win since Nov. 15, 2019.

UCI dominated the net, out-blocking the Bengals 9-4. The Anteaters out-hit ISU .230-.112 and held a 62-48 dig advantage.

COACH ASHLIE HAIN SAID
"It was great to start the season with a win after almost two years off. Idaho State had a great crowd and played scrappy. We had some inconsistent moments but will learn from those and use it to improve."

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Ofoegbu, a sophomore middle blocker, led UCI with a career-high 19 kills and seven total blocks (3 solo, 4 assisted)
>Umeh had a personal best 18 kills in the season opener. The sophomore outside hitter also added four digs and two total blocks
 >Bertolone, an outside hitter, made her Anteater debut with 10 kills, an ace and five digs
>Freshman outside hitter Grace Colburn recorded seven kills and nine digs in her first match as an Anteater
>Setter Caitlin Kikta totaled a double-double with 22 set assists and 10 digs. The sophomore transfer also fired an ace in the win
>Setter Kelly Negron led UCI with 24 set assists, while libero Sofia Skukan had a career and team-best 13 digs
>Idaho State was led by Kennedee Tracy with 13 kills and Sadie Bluth with 12.

TURNING POINTS
FIRST SET
>Onye Ofoegbu controlled the net early, posting two solo blocks and a kill to help UCI jump out to a 5-3 lead
>After leading 11-7. OSU would score four straight, three on UCI errors, to even the score at 11-11
>UCI would answer with a 5-0 run which included three Ofoegbu kills and a block assist, 18-12
>Two kills by freshman Marianna Bertolone help pushed the UCI lead to 20-15 then she had an ace to move the score to 23-16
>Grace Colburn would end the set with a kill, 25-19 

SECOND SET
>Idaho State took control early leading 3-0 and 7-2
>A kill by Bertolone and a block by Kiani Stanton and Joy Umeh closed the gap to 12-8
>UCI would go on a 9-1 run, including seven in a row, to move in front 17-14. Umeh added four kills Ofoegbu had three in the run
>The Bengals would score the next three to knot the score at 17-17 only to watch UCI score the following three points, a kill by Ofoegbu, an ace by Caitlin Kikta and a kill by Ellen Veargason, to regain control 20-17
>Following an ISU timeout. Idaho State gained momentum and a UCI attack error once again saw the set deadlocked at 21-21
>The Anteaters would end the set scoring four of the last five points, the final one on a block, 25-22

 SET THREE
>A 6-1 spurt by Idaho State gave the Bengals the 10-8 lead
>The Bengals broke open the set on a 7-0 run to open a 19-10 advantage
>Idaho State would try to get UCI back in the set with three straight errors, but a UCI service error helped keep ISU on track and they would win the set 25-21 on a block

SET FOUR
>The teams remained close until Idaho State used a kill and a block to go up 15-12
>ISU would hold a 18-16 lead before the Anteaters had three kills by Umeh along with kills by Ofoegbu and Colburn plus a Bengal attack error to leapfrog ahead 22-18
>A kill by Marianna Bertolone ended the set 25-22 and the match

NOTES
>This is UCI's first opening day win since 2017 when the Anteaters upended Cal, 3-1 on the road
>Seven new players saw action today, including freshmen Soana Leaea and Indy DeSmet and transfers Carly Moreno and Ellen Veargason
>It was the UCI's first match since Nov. 23, 2019 as the Big West Conference did not play women's volleyball last year due to Covid-concerns

UP NEXT
UCI will have a quick turnaround, playing UTEP at 3:00 p.m. PT in the second match of the day.