FOLLOW THE ANTEATERS
CSU Bakersfield at UC Irvine
Friday, Oct. 21 | 5:00 PM | Bren Events Center
Live Stats  ESPN+ 
 
UC Irvine at Long Beach State
Saturday, Oct. 15 | 7:00 PM | Walter Pyramid
Live Stats  ESPN+

FIRST SERVE
UCI will entertain CSU Bakersfield Friday (Oct. 21) and Cal Poly Saturday (Oct. 22) at the Bren Events Center. Both matches begin at 5:00 p.m.

Saturday is UCI's Breast Cancer Awareness match.

The men's volleyball team will host Hawaii in an exhibition match 30 minutes following the conclusion of the women's match. The arena won't be cleared and admission is complimentary.

STORYLINES
The Anteaters are 11-7 overall and 4-4 in the Big West.
 
UCI is 8-1 at home this season, suffering a five-set loss to UCSB as the only defeat.
 
UCI ranks 18^th in the country in opponents' hitting percentage with a .181 mark.
 
The Anteaters rank second in The Big West in kills (13.48), assists (12.61), blocks (2.52) and digs (15.57).
 
CSUB is 5-15 overall and 2-6 in Big West play.
 
They are looking for their first road win (0-5).
 
Last week, the Roadrunners dropped two 3-2 matches against Cal Poly and Hawaii at home.
 
As a team, the Roadrunners top the Big West in service aces with 111 on the year.
 
Last year, UCI lost 3-2 at Bakersfield and swept the Roadrunners at home.
 
In the win at the Bren, the Anteaters fired 12 aces. In the loss, CSUB came from two sets down to win. Joy Umeh had 22 kills and Onye Ofoegbu had a career-high 20 kills.
 
Cal Poly enters the week 10-8 overall and 7-1 in The Big West.
 
CP has won five in a row and is coming off a 3-1 win off of Hawaii.
 
The Mustangs are second in the conference in hitting percentage, .230.
 
A year ago,  UCI stunned the Mustangs in San Luis Obispo , 3-0.  UCI hadn't beaten Cal Poly since 2014 and had only taken three sets off the Mustangs during that span before a dominating performance, including a .345 hitting percentage (54-15-113). The Anteater defense out-blocked Cal Poly 9-2 and out-dug them 53-39. UCI held the Cal Poly offense to a .157 hitting percentage. Umeh had a team best 20 kills.
 
In Irvine, Cal Poly won 3-1. The Anteaters hit .115 for the match, while the Mustangs finished with a .233 clip.
 
The conference's two best blockers will be in action Saturday. CP's Meredith Phillips is second in the league 1.28 followed by UCI's Onye Ofoegbu at 1.21.
 
OFOEGBU IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Middle blocker Onye Ofoegbu is eight solo blocks and 15 block assists shy of breaking into the UCI all-time Top 10 list. She currently has 40 solos and 256 assists. The middle blocker is looking to catch Idara Akpakpa (2015-18) who is in 10^th for solos (48) and Taryn Robertson (2006-09) who is 10^th in block assists at 271.

LAST TIME OUT
Last week, UCI beat Cal State Fullerton 3-2 at home then lost in five sets at Long Beach State.
 
Versus the Titans, UCI was led by junior Joy Umeh with 17 kills followed by Ofoegbu with 15 kills and five block assists.

Marianna Bertolone recorded her fourth double-double of the year, recording 12 kills and tying her career-high with 15 digs. She also had two aces and two blocks.

Emma Spindt was one shy of her career-high, tallying 12 kills to go with nine digs, which ties her season-high.

UCI had 100 digs and Cal State Fullerton had 95, the top two marks in the Big West this season.
 
Against The Beach, Ofoegbu and Umeh each had a team-high 18 kills. Ofeogbu had a team-best seven total blocks (2 solo, 5 assisted).

JENSEN SCOOPS THEM UP
Campbell Jensen averaged 5.00 digs per set last week, upping her league-leading average to 4.72 per set.
 
The freshman posted a career-record 29 digs versus Cal State Fullerton, which is tied for fourth most this season in the Big West. She then had 21 versus Long Beach State to go with two aces.
 
Jensen has recorded digs in double-digit 12 times, including 20 or more on seven occasions.
 
SET THEM UP
Setters Kelly Negron and Indy DeSmet have guided the Anteaters with 6.12 and 4.22 set assist averages, respectively.
 
Negron had a pair of double-doubles last week, totaling 30 set assists and 12 digs in the win over Cal State Fullerton then had 28 set assists and 12 digs against Long Beach State.
 
DeSmet also posted double-doubles with a career-high 26 set assists and 20 digs versus the Titans before a 23 assists and 13 dig performance at Long Beach.
 
DeSmet leads the team in service aces with 13.