No. 14 UC Irvine Takes On No. 6 UC Santa Barbara This Week
March 28, 2022 | Men's Volleyball
THIS WEEK
No. 6 UC Santa Barbara vs No. 14 UC Irvine
Wednesday, Mar. 30 | 7:00 PM | Bren Events Center
Live Stats Watch
No. 14 UC Irvine at No. 6 UC Santa Barbara
Friday, Apr. 1 | 7:00 PM | Rob Gym
Live Stats Watch
FIRST SERVE
No. 14 UCI has a quick turnaround, hosting No. 6 UC Santa Barbara Wednesday (Mar. 30) at the Bren Events Center. The teams will then meet in Santa Barbara on Friday (Apr. 1 ) at Robertson Gym. First serve for both matches is 7:00 p.m.
STORYLINES
The Gauchos are 14-6 overall and 2-2 in the Big West.
UCSB snapped a nine-match winning streak with a pair of losses to Long Beach State last weekend.
The Anteaters and Gauchos met four times last season with UCSB winning all of them.
UCI upsets UCSB in the final two matches of the regular season in 2019. The two clubs did not play in 2020.
UCI is 8-11 overall and 1-3 in Big West action.
The Anteaters are 6-3 at home and 1-8 on the road.
The Anteaters dropped two matches to UC San Diego last week, 3-1 and 3-2, respectively.
UCI was without the services of starters Patrick Vorenkamp and Connor Campbell as well as Hilir Henno in the second meeting with UCSD.
UCI is 2-5 in five set matches this season.
SANI HAS A NIGHT
In the second match versus UC San Diego, Francesco Sani moved over to the opposite position and promptly put down 28 kills, the most kills in the Big West and eighth most in the country this year.
The sophomore went off in the second set, recording 10 kills and hitting .692. In the important fourth set, he hit .727 with eight kills and no errors in 11 swings.
The sophomore also had four digs and three total blocks.
Sani leads the squad and is 12th nationally with a 3.80 kill average. He ranks 15th in points per game with a 4.38 mark.
He has recorded kills in double-figures 16 times and has four 20+ performances.
WOLF-NIELSEN MAKES IMPACT
Middle blocker Aiden Wolf-Nielsen stepped in last week and averaged 1.11 blocks. He had a career-best eight total blocks (1 solo, 7 assists) in the second meeting with UC San Diego.
The sophomore had a season-high five kills in the first meeting with UCSD.
On the season, he is averaging 1.00 blocks and 0.91 kills.
SCORING WITHOUT KILLS
Over the last three matches, UCI has averaged 6.7 aces and 11.3 blocks.
UCI had a season-high 12 aces in the win over Long Beach State and then fired 10 two days later against George Mason. The 12 aces versus the Beach is the most in a conference match this season.
The Anteaters had a season-high 15.5 blocks versus George Mason as well as in the first meeting with Stanford.
CONSISTENTLY COLE
Cole Gillis has been a stable force on the outside.
The sophomore is third on the team averaging 2.24 kills per set. He has recorded kills in double-figures eight times including one double-double. Gillis also averages 1.03 digs.
The outside hitter has 18 aces, recording at least one ace in each of the last five matches.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
The Anteaters rank 12 in assists (11.68), 14th in blocking (7.74) and 17th in kills (12.08).
Connor Campbell ranks 11th in blocks at 1.06 and Hilir Henno is 15th in aces (0.49), 17th in kills (3.55) and 14th in points (4.39).
AGAINST THE TRITONS
In the first meeting with the Tritons, freshman Hilir Henno had a team-high 16 kills plus seven digs.
Outside hitters Cole Gillis had 13 kills in each match versus UCSD and totaled five aces over nine sets.
In the second meeting, junior Akhil Tangutur made the start and had a season-high 10 kills and five block assists.
Libero Cole Power tied his career-best with a match-high 14 digs.
No. 6 UC Santa Barbara vs No. 14 UC Irvine
Wednesday, Mar. 30 | 7:00 PM | Bren Events Center
Live Stats Watch
No. 14 UC Irvine at No. 6 UC Santa Barbara
Friday, Apr. 1 | 7:00 PM | Rob Gym
Live Stats Watch
FIRST SERVE
No. 14 UCI has a quick turnaround, hosting No. 6 UC Santa Barbara Wednesday (Mar. 30) at the Bren Events Center. The teams will then meet in Santa Barbara on Friday (Apr. 1 ) at Robertson Gym. First serve for both matches is 7:00 p.m.
STORYLINES
The Gauchos are 14-6 overall and 2-2 in the Big West.
UCSB snapped a nine-match winning streak with a pair of losses to Long Beach State last weekend.
The Anteaters and Gauchos met four times last season with UCSB winning all of them.
UCI upsets UCSB in the final two matches of the regular season in 2019. The two clubs did not play in 2020.
UCI is 8-11 overall and 1-3 in Big West action.
The Anteaters are 6-3 at home and 1-8 on the road.
The Anteaters dropped two matches to UC San Diego last week, 3-1 and 3-2, respectively.
UCI was without the services of starters Patrick Vorenkamp and Connor Campbell as well as Hilir Henno in the second meeting with UCSD.
UCI is 2-5 in five set matches this season.
SANI HAS A NIGHT
In the second match versus UC San Diego, Francesco Sani moved over to the opposite position and promptly put down 28 kills, the most kills in the Big West and eighth most in the country this year.
The sophomore went off in the second set, recording 10 kills and hitting .692. In the important fourth set, he hit .727 with eight kills and no errors in 11 swings.
The sophomore also had four digs and three total blocks.
Sani leads the squad and is 12th nationally with a 3.80 kill average. He ranks 15th in points per game with a 4.38 mark.
He has recorded kills in double-figures 16 times and has four 20+ performances.
WOLF-NIELSEN MAKES IMPACT
Middle blocker Aiden Wolf-Nielsen stepped in last week and averaged 1.11 blocks. He had a career-best eight total blocks (1 solo, 7 assists) in the second meeting with UC San Diego.
The sophomore had a season-high five kills in the first meeting with UCSD.
On the season, he is averaging 1.00 blocks and 0.91 kills.
SCORING WITHOUT KILLS
Over the last three matches, UCI has averaged 6.7 aces and 11.3 blocks.
UCI had a season-high 12 aces in the win over Long Beach State and then fired 10 two days later against George Mason. The 12 aces versus the Beach is the most in a conference match this season.
The Anteaters had a season-high 15.5 blocks versus George Mason as well as in the first meeting with Stanford.
CONSISTENTLY COLE
Cole Gillis has been a stable force on the outside.
The sophomore is third on the team averaging 2.24 kills per set. He has recorded kills in double-figures eight times including one double-double. Gillis also averages 1.03 digs.
The outside hitter has 18 aces, recording at least one ace in each of the last five matches.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
The Anteaters rank 12 in assists (11.68), 14th in blocking (7.74) and 17th in kills (12.08).
Connor Campbell ranks 11th in blocks at 1.06 and Hilir Henno is 15th in aces (0.49), 17th in kills (3.55) and 14th in points (4.39).
AGAINST THE TRITONS
In the first meeting with the Tritons, freshman Hilir Henno had a team-high 16 kills plus seven digs.
Outside hitters Cole Gillis had 13 kills in each match versus UCSD and totaled five aces over nine sets.
In the second meeting, junior Akhil Tangutur made the start and had a season-high 10 kills and five block assists.
Libero Cole Power tied his career-best with a match-high 14 digs.
Players Mentioned
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