NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – UC Irvine topped CSUN, 3-1 (19-25, 25-20, 25-19, 28-26) in the Big West Conference opener at the Matadome Friday.

The Anteaters improve to 8-3 overall and extend their winning streak to four, the longest streak since October of 2018.

Freshman outside hitter Marianna Bertolone recorded her first career double-double with a team and career-high 12 kills and 10 digs.

Middle blocker Onye Ofoegbu matched Bertolone for the team lead in kills with 12, while totaling a match-high five blocks.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Outside hitter Joy Umeh added 11 kills and three blocks
>Freshman Grace Colburn and Ellen Veargason had seven kills, apiece
>Libero Carly Richter topped the squad with 13 digs
>Setter Kelly Negron had a team-best 23 set assists, two aces and eight digs
>Nieko Thomas paced CSUN with 12 kills
>Each team had 53 kills and 54 digs. UCI out-blocked the Matadors 7-6.5

TURNING POINTS
FIRST SET
>Grace Colburn was the first Anteater to record a kill to tie the score at 4-4
>Kills by Ellen Veargason and Joy Umeh plus an ace by Kelly Negron gave UCI its first lead 9-8
>4-0 run which included a block and kill by Onye Ofoegbu, 15-13
>After an Ofoegbu solo block, the Matadors would score four straight including back-to-back blocks to open a 21-17 lead
>Emma Spindt would record her first career kill at 19-23
>The final two points would be courtesy of the Matadors, 25-19
>The Anteaters hit -.029 (9-10-35) in the set

SECOND SET
>A pair of Ofeogbu kills and a Matador error gave UCI the 6-4 advantage
>A CSUN ace would tie the set at 7-7 and the teams would trade points until two kills each by Marianna Bertolone and Veargason, a kill by Colburn combined with a Matador attack error pushed UCI front 21-16
>The Anteaters figured out the offense hitting .471 (17-1-34) in a 25-20 win

THIRD SET
>A three point swing by UCI which came by way of kills by Umeh and Colburn and a Matador attack error, 4-2
>A pair of CSUN errors helped the Anteaters to a 10-7 advantage
>A kill and block by Ofoegbu would give UCI a 17-11 lead
>The Anteaters would hold a 21-13 lead before CSUN scored four in a row to edge to 21-17
>An ace by Negron gave UCI set point which would have to wait two points before Umeh put the ball down, 25-19

FOURTH SET
>UCI would hold an early 5-2 lead, but CSUN would chip away and tie it at 7-7
>UCI would get a kill from Bertolone then two Matador attack errors 10-7
>With the score tied at 14-14, UCI went on a 5-0 run to take control late 19-14
>After leading 20-16, CSUN rallied again scoring four in a row to get within 20-19
>Bertolone would stop the momentum, ending a long rally with a kill, 21-19
>A kill by Colburn that was called good after a review was followed by a block by Ofoegbu and Umeh, 24-21
>CSUN wouldn't go away, scoring the next three points to tie the set at 24-24
>The teams would exchange points until UCI ended the match on a kill by Bertolone and a Matador attack error, 28-26

NOTES
>Freshman Soana Leaea had a career-high three kills, hitting .750 (3-0-4)
>The Anteaters are 3-0 on an opponents' home court

UP NEXT
>UCI will travel to UC Santa Barbara tomorrow (Sept. 25) for a 6:00 p.m. match at The Thunderdome.