THIS WEEK 
No. 13 UC Irvine vs No. 10 BYU
Friday, Jan. 21 | 7:00 PM | Smith Fieldhouse
Live Stats
Watch: BYUtv
 
No. 13 UC Irvine vs No. 10 BYU
Saturday, Jan. 21 | 7:00 PM | Smith Fieldhouse
Live Stats
Watch: BYUtv

FIRST SERVE
No. 13 UCI will travel to No. 10 BYU for a pair of matches, taking on the Cougars Friday and Saturday (Jan. 21 & 22). Both matches from Smith Fieldhouse start at 6:00 p.m. PT.
 
STORYLINES
BYU leads the all-time series 49-20.
 
The teams last met in Provo in 2019. BYU won the first 3-1 then the Anteaters took the finale 3-1.
 
Since 2015, BYU is 80-13 at Smith Fieldhouse. Four of those losses have come at the hands of the Anteaters. UCI beat BYU twice in 2015, snapping the Cougars 36-home match winning streak which dated back to Feb. 1, 2013.
 
In 2020, the teams met in Irvine with BYU winning 3-1 twice.
 
The Cougars started the 2022 season 0-2, dropping two 3-0 losses at No. 4 Penn State. BYU's last match was Jan. 8.

The Anteaters are riding a two-match winning streak and are 3-1 overall.
 
UCI played at the Bren Events Center for the first time last week, defeating Harvard (3-0) and then-No. 12 Stanford (3-1).
 
On the season, UCI is averaging 12.67 kills per set, tops in the Big West

The Anteaters had 15.5 blocks in the first meeting with Stanford, the highest total in the conference this season.

UCI has totaled five or more aces in each match this season. The Anteaters only had five matches with 5-plus aces last season.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING
UCI ranks second in the country in set assists (12.27) and sixth in kills (12.67). The Anteaters are ninth in the nation in blocking with a 2.36 average.

Hilir Henno ranks third in the country in points (5.37) and 12^th in aces (0.733). He is fifth nationally in kills (4.20) followed by Francesco Sani in sixth (4.13). Connor Campbell ranks 10^th in blocking (1.33).

ANTEATERS SWEEP PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARDS
Opposite Hilir Henno was named Big West Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week, while middle blocker Connor Campbell earned Big West Defensive Player of the Week following UC Irvine's victories over Harvard and Stanford.

Henno was also honored as Off The Block's Opposite of the Week after averaging 4.57 kills, 1.57 digs, 1.00 blocks and 0.71 aces per set. Versus then-No. 12 Stanford, the opposite hit .457 on 18 kills in 35 swings with just two errors. He also added two aces, five digs and six block assists in the win over the Cardinal. His six block assists versus Stanford are tied for third most in the league this season.

Campbell earns his first career Big West weekly award after averaging 1.57 blocks and 1.00 kills in seven sets last week. The sophomore recorded a career-high eight block assists against the Cardinal, the best blocking night for a Big West player in 2022. Over the two matches, he recorded seven kills and 11 total blocks.

POTENT AT THE PINS
UCI has a trio of big arms to lead the offensive attack.
 
Freshman Hilir Henno leads the Big West Conference in points with a 5.37 mark. He ranks second in kills (4.20) and digs (2.47), fourth in aces (0.73) and ninth in hitting percentage (.328).
 
The opposite totaled a conference best 19 digs versus Stanford and his 22 kills in that same match are second best among Big West players.
 
Outside hitter Francesco Sani is third In the league in kills (4.13) and fourth in points (4.70). The sophomore had a career-high 24 kills against Stanford, the most by a Big West player this season.
 
Outside hitter Cole Gillis averages 1.80 kills, 0.53 digs and 0.53 blocks. The redshirt sophomore is second on the team, firing six aces.
 
AT THE NET
Sophomore Connor Campbell holds the top two block assists marks in the Big West, posting a career-high eight block assists at home versus Stanford and seven against the Cardinal on the road. He leads the Big West in blocking average at 1.33 per set. He is averaging 1.13 kills for the season.
 
Doug Dahm moved to the middle position this season and is averaging 0.80 blocks and 1.20 kills per set. He has recorded two or more block assists in each match this season.  Dahm follows Campbell in the league match-high with six blocks in the first meeting with Stanford.
 
ON DEFENSE
UCLA transfer Cole Power is averaging 2.07 digs per set, which is fifth among Big West players. He collected 13 digs in the rematch with Stanford, the second most in the Big West.

AT SETTER
Sophomore Dylan Zhai started the last two matches, averaging 9.00 set assists, 2.00 digs and 1.00 blocks.

After a year playing in the middle, Patrick Vorenkamp returns to the setting position. The redshirt junior is second in the conference with a 11.00 set assists average.
 
Vorenkamp's 52 set assists against Stanford are the most by a Big West player this season.