IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine suffered a straight set loss to Cal Poly Friday at the Bren Events Center.

The Mustangs won each set 25-23, out-hitting the Anteaters .254-.156.

UCI, the best blocking team in the Big West, did not record a block until the third set and were out-blocked 11-4 for the match. Four blocks is a season-low for the Anteaters.

It is UCI's second straight loss, falling to 9-7 overall and 3-2 in the Big West. Cal Poly improves to 11-5 on the season and 4-1 in league play.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Outside hitter Hunter Riedl led the Anteaters with 11 kills, eight digs and two aces
>Outside hitter Emma Napoleon provided a spark with nine kills in two sets
>Middle blocker Ella Gardiner recorded seven kills and a block assist
>Outside hitter Kendra MacDonald gave the Anteaters a lift with four kills, three aces, five digs and a team-high three block assists
>Libero Campbell Jensen and setter Nicole Feliciano each had 10 digs with Feliciano adding 35 set assists
>Maia Niemen collected a career-high nine digs and a kill
>Cal Poly was led by Breklyn Pullings11 kills and seven block assists, hitting .625 (11-1-16)

FIRST SET
>A quick kill and ace put Cal Poly on the board first but UCI answered with a pair of Hunter Riedl kills, 2-2
>The Mustangs would go on a 6-1 run which included three kills, two blocks and an ace to move out to a 9-4 lead
>UCI exploded for five in a row on two kills by Katie Smith, two Cal Poly miscues and a kill by Soana Leaea on an overpass, 13-12
>Back-to-back kills by Smith gave UCI a 20-18 lead only to watch consecutive Anteaters errors and a Mustang kill give Cal Poly the 21-18
>Smith tied the set at 23-23 before Cal Poly used a UCI service error and a block to take the set 25-23

SECOND SET
>Once again Cal Poly started out quickly, 3-0
> A pair of kills by Riedl inched UCI to 3-4, but the Mustangs answered with an ace and a kill.
> A Riedl ace put the Anteaters within 5-6 only to watch Cal Poly score the next three, 9-5
>Following the media timeout, UCI had a kill by Ella Gardiner, an ace from Riedl down the line and a kill by Emma Napoleon, 13-15
>A kill by Napoleon, an ace by Kendra MacDonald and a kill by Riedl forced a Cal Poly timeout, 19-21
>Consecutive kills by Riedl and Napoleon and an ace by Campbell Jensen were followed by a kill by Maia Niemen catapulting UCI in front 23-22.
>Cal Poly would call timeout then end the set on two kills and a block, 25-23
>Riedl led the Anteaters with six kills in the set

THIRD SET
>An early 6-0 run by UCI included kills by Napoleon and Ofure Iselen, consecutive aces by MacDonald and a block by Riedl and Iselen, 7-2
>Cal Poly would cap a 3-0 run with an ace to close to 6-8
>Three consecutive kills by the Mustangs and a win on a joust tied the set at 12-12
>Following a timeout, UCI had two blocks by Leaea and MacDonald and a kill by MacDonald, 15-12
>A block by the Mustangs was followed by three straight kills to give Cal Poly an 18-16 advantage
>Two errors by CP tied the set at 18-18 then two UCI errors and a kill put the Mustangs back in control, 21-18
>Kills by Gardiner and Nicole Feliciano kept the Anteaters in the set, 20-21
>Each team would score two in a row, the last a block by Gardiner and MacDonald, 22-23
>The teams would trade points to end the match with the Mustangs holding off the Anteaters 25-23, capping the night with a block

NOTES
>This is the first match back in the Bren Events Center for the team since Oct. 19, 2023
>It is only the second time UCI has been swept this season

UP NEXT
>UCI will be back in action tomorrow for a 4:00 p.m. meeting with UC Santa Barbara at the Bren Center