While the venue will be different to start the 2024 season, the high quality of volleyball will remain the same. UCI was ranked No. 4 in the AVCA preseason poll, the highest ranking since Feb. 3, 2020 and the highest preseason ranking since 2019. 

Exciting volleyball returns next week, here are a few things to look for in the new year. 

HERE WE GO
The fourth-ranked Anteaters will play three matches in five days at Crawford Court to begin the season. The Anteaters will entertain 20^th-ranked George Mason on Tuesday (Jan. 9) at 3:00 p.m. followed the next day (Jan. 10) by Saint Francis at 6:00 p.m. UCI rounds out the week hosting No. 14 Princeton on Jan. 13. 

The Patriots begin the season at UCSB's E-Bar Tournament facing Big West foes UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego and CSUN Jan. 4-6. In 2023, George Mason was 13-15 overall, ending in 4th place in the EIVA standings. They are tabbed third in the preseason poll. 

Saint Francis is receiving votes in the AVCA preseason poll after a 16-12 season. The Red Flash, who were picked third in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Preseason Poll, will play at Juniata and Ohio State prior to the meeting with the Anteaters.  

The Tigers open the year with two matches against Queens University of Charlotte before coming to Irvine. Princeton was picked second in the EIVA Preseason Coaches' Poll following a 14-12 overall season in 2023. 

KING OF THE HIL
Junior Hilir Henno returns after a first team AVCA All-American year in 2023. He was recently named to the Big West Coaches' Preseason Team and Off the Block's Preseason All-American Team. 

Henno led the country in ace average last season with an .880 mark, coming just two aces shy of the all-time NCAA record for aces in a season with 87.  

He enters the year three shy of tying the Big West career record held by UCSB's Ryan Wilcox (135). 

Henno was seventh in the Big West in hitting percentage (.296), third in points (4.56) and fifth in kills (3.46) among Big West players last season.  

MAXIMIZING POTENTIAL
Maxim Grigoriev, who was tabbed Big West Freshman of the Year in 2023, is looking to build on his impressive initial campaign but this year his talents may be found in the middle as well as the right side.  

Grigoriev averaged 1.02 blocks per set a year ago which ranked fourth in the Big West. He also averaged 1.03 kills. 

Grigoriev will join senior Connor Campbell in the middle and grad student Akhil Tangutur and sophomore William d'Arcy on the pins. 

FLEXING POWER ON THE OUTSIDE
UCI won't lose any firepower with the loss of Francesco Sani on the outside with the addition of transfer Nolan Flexen.  

Flexen, who transferred from The Master's University, was named the Named AVCA and NAIA Player of Year as well as first team All-American in 2023. The AVCA NAIA Freshman of the Year was also Golden State Athletic Conference Player of the Year after leading the nation in kills per set (5.3), hitting percentage (.451) and points per set (5.90). 

CHAMPIONHSIP MINDSET
Grad transfer Brett Sheward will not only bring his volleyball talents, but championship mindset. He won two national championships at Hawaii, playing at the libero position. A year ago, he ranked eighth nationally in dig average with a 2.20 mark.  

After playing at libero to close out his Hawaii career, Sheward will return to his roots and switch to the setter position this season with the Anteaters, complimenting returner Joe Karlous. Karlous was fifth in the Big West in set assists (9.21) and sixth in digs (1.83).  

SIDELINE SUCCESS
UC Irvine has a new, but familiar set of assistant coaches this season. Joining Ron Larsen who has served on both the men's and women's benches over the years, are Michael Brinkley and Scott Stadick. 

Brinkley, who was a member of UCI's national championship teams in 2012 and 2013, was a two-time first team All-American and three-time All-MPSF honoree. He ended his career with 1,099 digs which is second most all-time at UCI and fourth most by a MPSF player. 

Stadick graduated in 2021 as the program's all-time leader in solo blocks (101), block assists (496) and total blocks (596). The three-time AVCA All-American was also named first team All-Big West four times including the first team three times.