FOLLOW THE ANTEATERS
UC Irvine at Cal Poly  
Friday, Sept. 29 | 7:00 PM | Mott Athletics Center
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UC Irvine vs UC Santa Barbara
Saturday, Sept. 30 | 7:00 PM | Thunderdome
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FIRST SERVE
UC Irvine heads to the Central Coast visiting Cal Poly Friday (Sept. 29) at 7:00 p.m. in Mott Athletics Center then UC Santa Barbara on Saturday (Sept. 30) at 7:00 p.m. at The Thunderdome.
 
The Anteaters are 1-1 on the road this season.

STORYLINES
The Anteaters split the opening weekend of the Big West season, beating UC Riverside, 3-0, then falling in a reverse sweep to UC Davis, 2-3 at home.

UC Irvine is 3-10 overall.
 
UCI is 0-3 in five set matches.
 
This week's matches features three of the best liberos in the Big West. UCSB's Macall Peed leads the league with a 5.02 average, while Cal Poly's Jolei Akima is second at 4.63 and UCI's Campbell Jensen, who topped the conference last season, is third at 4.24.
 
Jensen has recorded 20 or more digs five times this season, including a season-high 23 versus New Mexico.
 
Peed and Jensen are also important from the service line. Peed in fifth in ace average (0.37) and Jensen is seventh (0.35).
 
Jensen has fired a career-best five aces twice in the last two weeks. Her five aces are tied for second most in the Big West this season.
 
Cal Poly's Emme Bullis has the top mark with six aces versus Southern Mississippi.
 
Cal Poly leads the league in digs with 15.53 per set followed by UC Santa Barbara (15.51) and UC Irvine (15.35).
 
UCI ranks fourth in the Big West in kills (12.69) and assists (11.82).
 
The Anteaters totaled the most kills in a match with 89 in the season opener against New Mexico.
 
Cal Poly holds several match-highs in the Big West this season. They are tops in hitting percentage with a .438 mark versus Nicholls State and in aces with 15 against Southern Mississippi. The Mustangs and Gauchos share the top spot in in digs with 88.

Junior Marianna Bertolone leads the Anteaters and is 13^4h in the Big West in kills per set at 2.71 followed by Hunter Riedl is 16^th with a 2.65 average.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Cal Poly is 7-7 overall and 1-1 in conference play.

Last week, the Mustangs lost to Long Beach State in five and beat UCSD in five.

UCSB is one of three teams that started the Big West schedule 2-0 beating UC San Diego (3-0) and Long Beach State (3-1).

The Gauchos have won the last three outings and enter the week with a Big West best 12-2 overall record. The lone losses were to No. 6 Oregon and Drake. UCSB upset No. 23 Iowa State earlier in the season.

LAST WEEK RECAP
Against UCR, outside hitter Marianna Bertolone led UCI with 11 kills, hitting .391. The junior also added eight digs.

Middle blocker Isabella Scarlett was impressive against her old team, adding six kills and a team-high three block assists. The UCI grad student also had her first ace of the season.
UCI had several career-highs versus UC Davis, but could not overcome 18 blocks by the Aggies.
 
Hunter Riedl led UCI with 16 kills followed by Ella Gardiner with 14 kills, tying her career-best. Gardiner returned after missing three matches.

Outside hitter Emma Spindt tied her career-high with 13 kills, while outside hitter  Marianna Bertolone tied her career-high with 15 digs to go with nine kills.

Libero Campbell Jensen tied her career-high with five aces while totaling 19 digs and setter Nicole Feliciano recorded 39 set assists and a career-high 16 digs.
 
UCI out-dug (85-81) and out-aced (9-1) UC Davis, but the Aggies out-hit the Anteaters .253 (56-12-174) to .153 (67-36-203).