The 2003 team remains the most successful in program history.

The team qualified for the NCAAs for the second time in school history and logged their first-ever NCAA Tournament win, a thrilling 3-2 victory over Missouri.

While they would lose to No. 7 UCLA in the second round, the Anteaters finished the season 24-10 overall, the most wins in UCI history. 

UCI, which at one time owned or shared first place in the Big West standings for five weeks, won seven of its last eight matches of the regular season to finish in a three-way tie for second place for the Anteaters’ highest-ever conference finish at 12-6. 

On the road to the NCAA Championships, the Anteaters toppled then No. 16 UC Santa Barbara to snap a 37-match losing streak, defeated No. 25 Long Beach State for the first time since 1983 at the Pyramid and then again at Crawford Court for UCI’s first season sweep against the 49ers since 1982. The Anteaters also shocked No. 20 Pacific with a straight-set victory for the first time in UCI history and also broke a 14-match losing streak against Cal Poly, handing head coach Charlie Brande his first win against the Mustangs.

Outside hitter Kelly Wing was named third team All-America by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, UCI’s first such honoree in women’s volleyball. Wing also became UCI’s all-time career leader in attempts and kills.

Wing and Sami Cash and Ashlie Hain were named first team All-Big West, while Dana Kurzbard was named to the honorable mention squad. 

UCI will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 2003 team on Friday during the match versus Hawaii.

Here’s a timeline of important matches during the season.

8/30/03 VS. HOFSTRA, W 3-1
Outside hitter Kelly Wing led all players with 27 kills as the Anteaters defeated Hofstra 28-30, 30-24, 30-24, 30-22 in the first match of the UCI Tournament at Crawford Court. Sami Cash and Terbrie Taylor both registered career-high kills with 15 and 11, respectively while Taylor recorded 10 digs for her first career double-double (kills/digs).The Anteaters out-dug the Pride 69-49. Libero Brenda Waterman led a quartet of Anteaters in double-figure digs with 22 while defensive specialist Keegan Featherstone and setter Ashlie Hain added 12 and 10 digs, respectively. Hain also had the team-high 62 set assists. 

9/6/03 VS. ARKANSAS-LITTLE ROCK, W 3-0
Anteater middle blocker Sami Cash rewrote the UCI records with an .867 match hitting percentage as UC Irvine handed Arkansas-Little Rock a 30-18, 30-20, 30-16 loss at the UTA/La Quinta Invitational. Cash was errorless, successful in 13 of 15 attempts to top former Anteater Rebecca Larsen's 2002 percentage of .786. Cash also led all players with four block assists. Outside hitter Kelly Wing had a match-high 16 kills and reached the 1000 kill mark while serving up three of UCI's 12 service aces. Setter Ashlie Hain put up 41 assists and seven digs while libero Brenda Waterman had the match-high 14 digs for the Anteaters.

9/6/03 VS. TEXAS-ARLINGTON, W 3-1
Outside hitter Kelly Wing was named UTA/La Quinta Invitational Most Valuable Player after leading the Anteaters to the tournament title with a 30-16, 30-20, 22-30, 30-24 win over host Texas-Arlington Saturday. Wing had a 20-kill, 14-dig, 3-service ace performance, recording her fourth double-double match of the season. Opposite Dana Kurzbard amassed a career-high 15 kills and hit .714 (13 kills, 0 errors, 21 attempts) to place fifth in the UCI match records. Outside hitter Terbrie Taylor and middle blocker Sami Cash added 14 and 13 kills, respectively. Libero Brenda Waterman led all players with 22 digs while setter Ashlie Hain had 61 assists and 13 digs.

9/13/03 VS. FLORIDA STATE, W 3-2; 
The Anteaters improved to 9-3 on the season in dramatic fashion, defeating Florida State 28-30, 30-27, 30-27, 30-24, 15-7 at Crawford Court, to finish second in the Doubletree/Sunset Showcase. Setter Ashlie Hain became UCI’s all-time career assist leader with her 14th assist of the match to surpass Teri Zartman’s (1997-2000) total of 2,986. All-tournament team selection Kelly Wing led all players with 19 kills while Sami Cash added 12 and came up with a seven total blocks, one shy of a career-high. Opposite Dana Kurzbard, also an all-tournament team member, recorded six block assists and 10 kills. With the match tied at two games apiece, FloridaState jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the deciding game. However, two Seminole miscues and a kill by Kurzbard knotted the game at three points. UCI took its first lead at 5-4 on an attack error by Santos. After trading points, Cash came up with key solo blocks and defensive specialist Keegan Featherstone added an ace to give UCI a 9-5 advantage. The Anteaters never looked back. At 10-5, Wing delivered the next four points for the Anteater sand paired up with middle blocker Amanda Vazquez on match point to block FSU’s Aisha Carr and seal the win. 

9/27/03 VS. NO. 20 PACIFIC, W 3-0
UC Irvine shocked the 20th-ranked Tigers, sweeping them for the first time in school history as the Anteaters recorded a 30-28, 30-26, 30-27 win at Crawford Court. UC Irvine provided a balanced attack with Kelly Wing (13), Terbrie Taylor (12) and Sami Cash (11) all recording kills in the double-digits. Wing also provided five service aces to lead all players while Taylor had a match-high four block assists. Cash was errorless for the second consecutive night, connecting on 11 of 21 attempts for a .524 average. Setter Ashlie Hain controlled the tempo of the match, dishing out 47 set assists and recording 14 digs on the defensive end, while libero Brenda Waterman had 15 digs for the team-high. The Anteaters took control of the match in game one, jumping out to a 7-1 lead before a UCI service error would interrupt the Anteater scoring. Pacific rallied to catch UCI at 8-8. However, the Anteaters capitalized on UOP attack errors to open up a five point lead at 15-10. Pacific again narrowed the gap to one point twice, the second coming at 26-25, but a UOP ball handling error and consecutive service aces by UCI outside hitter Jennifer Moser put the game out of reach. In game two, UCI again took the early lead at 4-1 before Pacific knotted the game at nine points apiece. UCI defensive specialist Keegan Featherstone and Hain came up with key digs as UCI opened a three-point margin and went on to take the second game. Pacific opened game three with a two-point lead, its first of the match, but the Anteaters quickly came back, as Wing served for seven consecutive points, including two aces. Pacific chiseled away at the lead and took the advantage at 15-14. However, the lead would be brief as UCI recorded the next three points on kills by Taylor and Cash. The two teams traded points and the Tigers threatened again at 28-27, but Wing connected with Hain on consecutive plays to seal the win. 

10/11/03 VS. NO. 25 LONG BEACH STATE, W, 3-2
UC Irvine defeated the 25th-ranked 49ers 30-28, 27-30, 31-29, 30-16, 23-21 at the Pyramid for the first time since 1983 when the Anteaters took a 3-2 win at Long Beach State. Outside hitter Kelly Wing led all players with a career-high 35 kills and added 12 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. Sophomore Terbrie Taylor put in 16 kills and 11 digs for her fourth double-double while libero Brenda Waterman had a match-high 23 digs. Setter Ashlie Hain dealt out 67 assists and amassed 14 digs. Middle blocker Sami Cash led all players with seven block assists and eight total blocks as the Anteaters out-blocked LBSU 16.5-13.0. 

10/17/03 VS. NO. 16 UC SANTA BARBARA, W 3-2; CLAIMS SOLE POSSESSION OF FIRST PLACE IN BIG WEST 
UC Irvine snapped a 37-match losing streak against the Gauchos, recording a 30-28, 29-31, 33-35, 30-25, 15-11 win over No. 16 UC Santa Barbara at Crawford Court. The win over UCSB was UCI’s first since 1984. Libero Brenda Waterman recorded a career-high 31 digs and became only the fourth UCI player to reach the 1000-career milestone. Waterman has accumulated 1,014 digs to pass Scotleen Risley’s total of 1000 (1989-92). Outside hitter Kelly Wing recorded 33 kills, a career-high 23 digs and a UCI match record 89 attempts, overtaking Ali Wood’s 1989 record of 84. Setter Ashlie Hain climbed into third in the UCI match records with a career-highs 79 assists while totaling a personal-best 23 digs. With the win, UC Irvine improved to 16-4 overall and claimed sole possession of first place in the Big West with a 7-1 record while the Gauchos fell to 10-6 overall and 6-2 in conference action. Middle blocker Trisha White gave UCI a tremendous performance, totaling a career-high 18 kills while Dana Kurzbard connected on 14 of 31 attempts with just three errors to finish the night with a .355 hitting percentage. Middle blockers Sami Cash and Amanda Vazquez each poured in 12 kills and Vazquez recorded a career-high seven block assists, leading the Anteaters to a 13.0-11.0 block advantage over UCSB. 

11/8/03 VS. LONG BEACH STATE, W 3-1
After losing four straight to Cal Poly, Pacific, CSUN and Utah State all by the score of 1-3, UCI would beat Idaho in four sets before hosting Long Beach State. The Anteaters would topple LBSU, 3-1 (30-24, 26-30, 30-28 and 30-25) in a key Big West match at Crawford Court. The Anteaters (18-8, 9-5) beat then-Forty-Niners (14-7, 9-5) for only the fifth time overall (5-40) and the second time this season (3-2 on Oct. 11 in Long Beach). Blocking was the key for the Anteaters who out-blocked Long Beach, 16-4 at the net. UCI hit .299 to the Forty-Niners .232. Junior Kelly Wing led four UCI players in double-digit kills with 21 and tallied her ninth consecutive double-double with 14 digs. Outside hitter Terbrie Taylor had 18 kills and a career-high seven total blocks. Middle blocker Sami Cash and opposite Dana Kurzbard each had 12 kills apiece. Cash had eight block assists on the evening.

11/14/03 VS. CAL POLY, W 3-2
UC Irvine outside hitter Kelly Wing shattered a UCI match record with 43 kills to lead the Anteaters to a 30-22, 21-30, 25-30, 30-24, 17-15 win over Cal Poly at Mott Gym. Wing, who rewrote the recordbooks earlier this season with 35 kills against Long Beach State, committed just 14 errors in 80 attempts to hit .363 on the evening. Libero Brenda Waterman also set a school match record with 32 digs, surpassing her previous record of 31 which she recorded twice this season. The win over Cal Poly is the first for the Anteaters under head coach Charlie Brande and snaps a seven-match losing streak against the Mustangs. Sophomore Terbrie Taylor offered 19 kills and five block assists while junior Sami Cash rounded out the double-digit kills with 10. Setter Ashlie Hain dealt out 73 assists and recorded 11 digs for her 20th double-double match of the season. Sophomore middle blocker Amanda Vazquez led all players with eight total blocks and seven block assists as both teams recorded 13 blocks. The Anteaters contained Cal Poly, holding the Mustangs to a .188 hitting percentage.

11/22/03 VS. CAL STATE FULLERTON, W 3-0; FINISH TIED FOR 2ND IN BIG WEST CONFERENCE, BEST IN UCI HISTORY
UC Irvine (21-9, 12-6) finished in a three-way tie for second place in the Big West Conference with a 32-30, 30-28, 30-20 win over Cal State Fullerton at Crawford Court. The Anteaters’ second-place finish is the highest in UCI history and last season’s squad placed fifth for the next highest finish. UCI’s 21 wins also tie the school record set by the 1981 and 1982 squads. UC Irvine outside hitter Kelly Wing put away 25 of 46 attempts, hitting .370 to lead all players. The junior also totaled 17 digs for her 20th double-double match of the season. Outside hitter Terbrie Taylor added 13 kills. UCI out-dug the Titans 71-47 and libero Brenda Waterman (15), defensive specialist Keegan Featherstone (13) and setter Ashlie Hain (11) all had double-figure digs. Hain’s 47 set assists were a match high.

11/28/03 VS. SAN JOSE STATE, W 3-1; SETS NEW RECORD FOR SCHOOL WINS
Head Coach Charlie Brande’s Anteaters defeated San Jose State 30-26, 30-19, 26-30, 30-21 at the Baden Thanksgiving Tournament hosted by Long Beach State. UC Irvine improved to 22-9 overall, setting a UCI record for wins in a season. The previous record was held by the 1981 and 1982 Anteater squads, which posted identical 21-16 overall records. Outside hitter Kelly Wing led all players with 31 kills and had just five errors to hit .388 for the match. Opposite Dana Kurzbard was errorless, putting away 13 of 21 attempts for a .619 hitting percentage. Middle blocker Sami Cash had 11 kills and two errors to hit .529. Outside hitter Terbrie Taylor rounded out the double-figure kills with 10. Middle blocker Amanda Vazquez recorded career highs with 10 block assists and 11 total blocks to lead UCI to a 16-5 block advantage and libero Brenda Waterman was solid in the back row amassing 23 digs for a match-high. Setter Ashlie Hain’s 64 assists led all players and the junior also put in 10 digs. 

11/29/03 VS. TEXAS-CHRISTIAN, W 3-1; WING BECOMES UCI ALL-TIME KILL LEADER
 Outside hitter Kelly Wing recorded a match-high 27 kills and became UCI's career kill leader, passing former Anteater great Popi Edwards' career total of 1,590. Wing, who now boasts 1,600 total kills, led UCI from an 0-1 game deficit to a 19-30, 30-23, 30-17, 30-16 win over Texas-Christian Saturday at the Baden Thanksgiving Tournament hosted by Long Beach State. Middle blocker Sami Cash was errorless in 15 attempts to record 10 kills and a .667 hitting percentage. Outside hitter Terbrie Taylor added 10 kills to the UCI offense. Setter Ashlie Hain put together her 24th double-double match of the season with 56 assists and 12 digs while libero Brenda Waterman led all players with 15 digs. UC Irvine’s defense out-blocked the Horned Frogs 17-6 with opposite Dana Kurzbard and middle blocker Amanda Vazquez recording 12 and 10 total blocks respectively. Kurzbard’s 12 total blocks are a career high and the junior also had a career-best 11 block assists. 

UCI would qualify for the NCAAs for the second time in school history (1988). Playing at UCLA for the NCAAs gave UCI's fan base an easy trip to watch the Anteaters and they gave them something to celebrate. Kelly Wing led UCI with 31 kills in the 3-2 victory over Missouri. Libero Brenda Waterman had a match-high 24 digs. Outside hitter Terbrie Taylor added 20 kills, while middle blocker Amanda Vasquez put away 16. Dana Kurbard had six block assists and setter Ashlie Hain had her 25th double-double of the season with 58 set assists and 12 digs.

The Anteaters would fall in three set to No. 7 UCLA in the second round. Wing had 18 kills and hit .350 with 13 digs. UCI would out-block UCLA 8-0.