THIS WEEK
No. 3 UC Irvine vs No. 16 CSUN
Friday, Mar. 29 | 6:00 PM | Premier America Credit Union Arena
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No. 16 CSUN at No. 3 UC Irvine
Saturday, Mar. 30 | 6:00 PM | Bren Events Center
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FIRST SERVE
No. 3 UC Irvine will return to action traveling to No. 16 CSUN Friday (Mar. 29) at Premier America Credit Union Arena before returning home at host the Matadors Saturday (Mar. 30) at the Bren Events Center.
 
Both matches begin at 6:00 p.m.

STORYLINES
UC Irvine moved up to No. 3 in the country this week.

The Anteaters matched their highest ranking of the year, also hitting No. 3 in the poll on Jan. 8, 2024.
 
UCI is 15-6 overall and 4-0 in the Big West.
 
The Anteaters and The Beach are the only two undefeated teams in league play.
 
UCI last played on Mar. 15 with a 3-0 sweep at No. 18 UC Santa Barbara.
 
The Anteaters are No. 1 in the country in kills (13.48) and assists (12.73).
 
Outside hitter Hilir Henno leads the nation in kills (4.78) and points (5.55).
 
Henno is 12 aces shy of tying UCI career record of 183 held by Carson Clark (2009-12).
 
UCI has won the last four meetings with CSUN, the last three in 3-0 fashion.
 
The 16^th-ranked Matadors are 10-11 overall and 1-3 overall.
 
CSUN is 6-6 at home and 3-3 on the road this season.
 
The Matadors are seventh nationally in aces (1.71) and ninth in hitting percentage (.314).
 
CSUN is coming off a split at Hawaii, losing the first match, 1-3 and winning the second 3-1.
 
In the win, the Matadors hit .387 for the match with five aces and 11.5 total blocks. Three Matadors hit for double-figure kills led by Jalen Phillips' 17 kills on .355 hitting. Nir Eitan led the Matadors with seven blocks.

Donovan Constable was named Big West Offensive Player of the Week, while Kyle Hobus was named Big West Defensive Player of the Week for their efforts against Hawaii.

HELLO HENNO
Junior Hilir Henno leads the Big West and is ninth nationally in ace average with a .476 mark.
 
He is 12 aces shy of Carson Clark's career record of 183.
 
Against Saint Francis, Henno became the Big West career leader for aces bettering Ryan Wilcox's record of 135 from 2019-23.
 
Versus Princeton, he tied a UCI and Big West match record with nine aces. The nine aces are tied for third most in the country this season.

Henno has recorded double-figure kills in every match this season, including 20 or more eight times.

His 36 kills against Hawaii are third most in the country this season.

He is also third in the country in attacks per set at 9.16.

SHEWARD EFFECT
Setter Brett Sheward is second in the country in set assist average at 10.62 per set.
 
He is fourth in the Big West with a 1.77 dig average.
 
He posted 22 digs against Hawaii, the second most in the rally-scoring era at UCI and third all-time. The 22 are the most in the Big West this season and tied for third most nationally this season.
 
He has three double-doubles, totaling a career-high 58 set assists to go with 10 digs in the upset of then-No. 1 GCU. His 58 set assists were a career-high and tied for 11th most in the country this year.
 
THE MOST VERSITLE MAN ON THE COURT
Sophomore Maxim Grigoriev has played both in the middle and on the right side this season.

He is fifth in hitting percentage (.314) and eighth in blocks (.927) among Big West players.

He is fourth on the team in kills with a 2.39 average.

Grigoriev has recorded double-digit kills 10 times, including a career-best 17 in a win over USC.

He is second on the team in aces with 22

POWERING THRU
Libero Cole Power is second in the Big West and 13th nationally in digs (2.07).

He has a totaled double-digit digs seven times, including a career-best 15 in the win over GCU.