IRVINE, Calif. -- Setter Brett Sheward guided the Anteater offense to a pair of sweeps against No. 18 UC San Diego to earn Big West Offensive Player of the Week honors.

In the first meeting against the Tritons, No. 5 UC Irvine combined to hit .468, the second-best mark of the season. The Anteaters are now on a six-match winning streak, hitting over .460 twice in that span.

Sheward finished with 34 assists, five digs and a kill in each match last week. He also scored points from the service line with one ace in the first meeting and two in the second.

For the week, the graduate student averaged 11.33 set assists, 1.67 digs and 0.50 aces per set.

Sheward is currently leading The Big West with a 10.77 assists per set average which is second nationally. 

This is Sheward's second Big West weekly honor, claiming Defensive Player of the Week on Jan. 16, 2023 while playing at Hawai'i. 

Sheward will return to Hawai'i this week as UC Irvine competes in the OUTRIGGER Volleyball Invitational Thursday, Friday and Sunday.