Box Score IRVINE, Calif. – Junior Marianna Bertolone posted a career-high 24 kills, but it was not enough as UC Irvine lost to New Mexico in five sets (26-24, 20-25, 25-23, 20-25, 12-15) in a three hour and 10-minute match to conclude the first day of the adidas/UCI Invitational at the Bren Events Center.

Bertolone started the year with a double-double, recording a match-high 24 kills and 11 digs. The outside hitter also added two aces and a block assist.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Newcomer Isabella Scarlett made an immediate impact with 15 kills and a team-best five total blocks
>2022 Big West dig leader Campbell Jensen picked up where she left off with 23 digs
>Middle blocker Ofure Iselen posted a career-high eight kills and added three blocks
>Middle blocker Ella Gardiner totaled six kills and a three blocks, while outside hitters Hunter Riedl and Emma Spindt each pitched in seven kills
>Setters Nicole Feliciano and Indy De Smet both recorded double-doubles with 36 set assists and 10 digs and 17 set assists and 10 digs respectively. Feliciano also had two kills and two block assists in the loss
>In their debuts, defensive specialists Becca Sakoda had 11 digs and Lexi Gruszczynski tallied nine digs
>New Mexico was led by Uxue Guereca with 20 kills and 20 digs. Libero Angela Crosetti had a match-best 26 digs
>The Lobos out-hit UCI .229-.193. Both teams had nine blocks

FIRST SET
>The Anteaters went down 0-3, but bounced back quickly on kills by Ella Gardiner and Ofure Iselen and a Lobo error, 3-3
>UCI led 7-5 on a block by Marianna Bertolone and Isabella Scarlett before New Mexico rattled off four straight to take a 9-7 advantage
>Back-to-back kills by Hunter Riedl and Iselen plus a UNM attack error moved the Anteaters back in front 11-10
>A service error and another block by Scarlett and Gardiner helped UCI to a 16-14 lead
>A kill by Bertolone put UCI up 22-21 then New Mexico scored three unanswered for set point 24-22
>UCI rallied on a Lobo attack that went wide and a kill by Bertolone, 24-24
>Following a New Mexico timeout, a Lobo into the net was followed by a kill by Gardiner for the set winner, 26-24

SECOND SET
>A pair of Bertolone kills opened the set
>A quick 4-1 lead was erased when the Lobos had five in a row to move ahead 6-4
>A kill and ace by Bertolone gave UCI a 7-6 lead
>A 6-0 spurt by New Mexico gave them control, 13-9
>A kill by Scarlett narrowed the deficit to 18-19, but New Mexico scored seven of the final nine points to win 25-20

THIRD SET
>Tied 6-6, UNM used a pair of Anteater miscues and a kill to take a 9-6 lead
>Scarlett took over, recording three kills to tie the set at 11-11
>A kill and ace by Bertolone put UCI up 14-13
>A 3-0 spurt from the Lobos gave UNM a 17-15 lead
>Gritty defense helped UCI to a 4-0 spurt and a 20-18 lead. Bertolone added two kills and Scarlett had a kill and block in the run
>Three more unanswered, which were kills by Scarlett and Iselen and a Lobo attack error, moved the score to 23-20
>A behind the head flip by Nicole Feliciano gave UCI set point, 24-21
>Two Lobo points delayed the win which came from a New Mexico service error, 25-23

FOURTH SET
>Teams remained close until New Mexico had a pair of kills and a UCI miscue to take an 11-7 lead
>Seven straight by New Mexico opened a 15-7 lead
>The Lobos maintained control, but UCI made it interesting with a late 4-0 run to close to 20-23
>UNM would score the final two points, 25-20 to force a fifth set

FIFTH SET
>Three straight UCI errors helped New Mexico to a 6-2 lead
>Trailing 2-7, UCI scored seven in a row on a kill by Riedl, a Lobo attack error, three kills by Scarlett and two kills by Emma Spindt to take an 9-7 lead
>UNM would score the next two to knot the score at 9s
>More defense led to a Bertolone smash, 12-11
>New Mexico would score the final four points, three on kills by Athina Dimitriadis to win 15-12

NOTES
>Six new Anteaters saw action in the opener

UP NEXT
The three-day event continues Saturday with the Anteaters taking on Seton Hall at 5:00 p.m.