FOLLOW THE ANTEATERS
UC Davis at UC Irvine
Thursday, Oct. 24 | 6:00 PM | Bren Events Center
Live Stats  Watch: ESPN+

UC Irvine at UC Riverside
Saturday, Oct. 26 | 4:00 PM | SRC Arena
Live Stats  Watch: ESPN+

FIRST SERVE
UC Irvine will host league-leading UC Davis Thursday (Oct. 24) at 6:00 p.m. at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters will travel to UC Riverside Saturday (Oct. 26) for a 4:00 p.m. match at the SRC Arena.

STORYLINES
UC Irvine is 11-8 overall and 5-3 in the Big West.

The Anteaters rank sixth in the country in total blocks (213.5) and are 23^rd nationally in blocking average with a 2.67 mark.

Senior Ofure Iselen leads the Big West with a 1.42 blocking average. She has recorded eight or more total blocks four times this season.

Last week, UCI played a pair of five-setters, beating Long Beach State before losing to UC San Diego.

The Anteaters have played nine five-set matches this season, going 5-4.

Against the Beach, UCI owned the service line firing a season-high 14 aces, which are second most in the Big West this season.

Graduate students Katie Smith and Hunter Riedl led UCI with 15 kills each.

It was the first win in Long Beach since 2018, earning Black & Blue Rivalry points for the Anteaters.

Versus the Tritons, the Anteaters recorded a season-high 97 digs, which is third most by a Big West team.

Smith once again paced UCI with 18 kills.

UC Davis is 12-5 overall and are on top of the Big West standings at 7-1.

After beating UCLA, 3-1 in September, the Aggies dropped the conference opener to Long Beach State, 1-3, the lone league loss.

The Aggies have won seven straight including beating Cal State Bakersfield (3-1) and CSUN (3-2) last week.
 
UCD and UCI are the top two digging teams in the Big West with the Aggies and Anteaters averaging 15.24 and 14.89 respectively.

 Olivia Utterback leads the Aggies with a 3.54 kills and 4.15 points average, third best in the Big West in both categories.

UC Riverside enters the week 6-15 overall and 1-7 in the Big West.

The Highlanders were swept by CSUN then earned their lone league victory against Cal State Bakersfield, 3-1, last week.

UCR will travel to Cal State Fullerton Thursday before entertaining the Anteaters.

UC Riverside's Tiffany Sheridan is 11th in the conference with a 2.95 kill average.

JENSEN HONORED BY BIG WEST
Libero Campbell Jensen is the reigning Big West Defensive Player of the Week.

It is the first Big West weekly award of the season for a UCI player and the first Defensive honor for Jensen who has previously received three Freshman of the Week nods in 2022.

For the week, Jensen averaged 4.70 digs, 0.60 aces and 0.60 assists per set in five-set matches with Long Beach State and UC San Diego.

In the win over The Beach, she had 15 digs and tied her career-high with five aces.  

Versus UC San Diego, she tied her career-high with 32 digs, the third most in the Big West this season. Her 32 digs are also tied for sixth most in a match for a UCI player.

Jensen is sixth in digs among Big West players with a 3.78 average.

VERSUS THE OPPONENTS
UCI and UC Davis split a pair of matches last season, each winning in five sets on the other's home court.

In the last meeting in Davis, middle blocker Ella Gardiner led UCI with 10 kills and a match-best six total blocks (2 solo, 4 assisted).

The Aggies led in all statistical categories, holding a 14-9 block advantage as well as in aces (10-2), hitting percentage (.190-.121) and digs (77-76), but the Anteaters picked up the victory.

Last year, UCI opened the conference schedule with a 3-0 win over UC Riverside then the Highlanders won 3-1 in Riverside.

FELICIANO ENTERS RECORD BOOK
Following the weekend action, Nicole Feliciano entered the UCI career record book at 10^th with 1,567 set assists. She is chasing UCI head coach Ashlie Hain who sits on top of the list at 5,698.

Last week, she recorded two double-doubles, averaging 8,90 set assists and 2.70 digs. Versus UC San Diego she tied her career-high with 48 set assists to go with 16 digs and two aces.

For the season, the sophomore is fifth in the Big West in set assists (8.63) and 10^th in digs (3.13).

SMITH LEADS BIG WEST IN ACES
Outside hitter Katie Smith leads the Big West in aces with a 0.42 average. She has recorded at least one ace in eight of the last nine matches.

Smith led UCI offensively in both matches last week, putting away 15 kills against LBSU and 18 versus UC San Diego.

The graduate student is averaging 2.86 kills which 14^th best in the Big West. She is also averaging 2.03 digs per set.