With just a week before the season starts here are five things to get you thinking about the 2024 Anteaters.

BACKLINE BOSS
Junior Campbell Jensen has established herself as one of the elite liberos in the Big West. The honorable-mention All-Big West selection averaged 3.93 digs per set last season. She recorded double-figure digs 23 times last year, including 20 or more eight times. Jensen also ranked 14^th in aces with a 0.30 average. She fired a career-best five aces twice in 2023 which was tied for fifth most in the conference.

NO. 1
Setter Nicole Feliciano not only wears No. 1 on her jersey she was named the top Big West Freshman last year. The Freshman of the Year ranked third in the Big West in set assists with a 7.79 average and 18^th in digs at 2.52 per set. She totaled 14 double-doubles a year ago and was named Big West Freshman of the Week twice last season.

GOING TO THE GRAD STUDENTS
Outside hitter Hunter Riedl and middle blocker Ella Gardiner both completed their undergraduate degrees and return to the squad while pursuing advanced degrees.

Riedl led the Anteaters and was ninth in the Big West in kills with a 2.82 mark and 14^th in points at 3.06 per game average. The opposite recorded kills in double figures 14 times, leading the Anteaters in kills on 14 occasions. She pounded a career-best 23 kills against Cal Poly, which was tied for fifth most this season among Big West players a year ago.

Gardiner was 10^th in the Big West in hitting percentage with a .287 mark, while also averaging 0.75 blocks per set. She hit over .500 seven times in 2023 and recorded at least one block in all but two matches.

TROJAN HORSE
It probably won't be a surprise to opponents that Southern California transfer Katie Smith will be an important offensive weapon for the Anteaters. Smith played in 49 sets in 2023 at USC, averaging 1.51 kills per set. The outside hitter was a member of the Trojan teams that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament twice.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
UC Irvine will host the Big West Championship at the Bren Events Center Nov. 27, 29-20. This will be the first time UCI has hosted a women's postseason tournament at the Bren, but the men's team has been very successful as the host school in the past. The top six regular season squads advance to compete for a Big West title.