FOLLOW THE ANTEATERS
LOBO INVITATIONAL
UC Irvine vs North Dakota  
Friday, Aug. 30 | 12:00 PM | Johnson Center
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UC Irvine vs Tulane
Friday, Aug. 30 | 4:00 PM | Johnson Center
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UC Irvine at New Mexico
Saturday, Aug. 31 | 1:00 PM | Johnson Center
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FIRST SERVE
The Anteaters start the 2024 season at the Lobo Invitational Friday and Saturday (Aug. 30-31) at the Johnson Center.

On Friday, UCI will face North Dakota at 11:00 a.m. followed by Tulane at 3:00 p.m. The Anteaters will take on host New Mexico Saturday at 12:00 p.m.

STORYLINES
UC Irvine was picked to finish sixth in the Big West preseason poll.

UCI finished 11-19 overall in 2023, including an upset of No. 25 UC Santa Barbara. 

A year ago, the Anteaters were 9-9 in Big West play which was tied for fifth in the league standings.

UCI ended the season with a 2-3 loss to Long Beach State in the first round of the Outrigger Big West Volleyball Championship.

VERSUS THE OPPONENTS
The Lobos are 3-0 against UCI. In a match that took over three hours, UCI dropped a 2-3 marathon to New Mexico last season at home.

Libero Angela Crosetti had a match-best 26 digs for New Mexico, while Campbell Jensen posted 23 for UCI. The Lobos out-hit the Anteaters .229-.193. Both teams had nine blocks.
UNM's Naomi Chankoumi is a familiar face playing for Cal State Bakersfield the last two seasons. The outside hitter had 11 kills, season-high six digs, and two blocks against UCI on Nov. 18.

Tulane has won the lone meeting between the two teams in 1997.

The Tulane match will feature two conference Freshmen of the Year. The Green Wave outside hitter Avery Burke earned American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, while UCI's Nicole Feliciano was tabbed Big West Freshman of the Year.
 
This will be the first meeting with North Dakota.

All-CONFERENCE RETURNERS
Opposite Hunter Riedl and libero Campbell Jensen were both named All-Big West honorable mention last season. Along with her freshman of the Year accolade, Nicole Feliciano was named to the All-Freshman team.

Riedl led the Anteaters and was ninth in the Big West in kills with a 2.82 mark. She was also 14^th in points at 3.06 per game average.

Jensen averaged 3.93 digs per set last season which ranked fourth among Big West players. 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.

Feliciano was 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.

IN THE MIDDLE
Middle blockers Ella Gardiner and Ofure Iselen will patrol the net.

Gardiner, who graduated in June but returned for graduate school, 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.

Iselen averaged 1.14 kills and 0.57 blocks over 42 sets last season.

AT THE PINS
Junior Kendra MacDonald and sophomore Emma Napoleon will also provide firepower at the pins.

MacDonald averaged 1.34 kills and 0.95 digs in 41 sets, while Napoleon averaged 1.93 in 58 sets.

NEWCOMERS
Grad transfer Katie Smith and freshmen Jessica Bates and Ava Gronemeyer join the Anteaters in 2024.

Smith transferred from USC after graduating in three years. She averaged 1.51 kills for the Trojans and was a member of two NCAA teams in Los Angeles.

Bates hails from Junipero Serra High School where she was the DII Player of the Year. The setter helped the JSerra to the 2023 CIF DII Championship.

Gronemeyer, who competed in both indoor and beach at Viewpoint High School, was a two-time All-Gold Coast League honoree.

UCI/ADIDAS INVITATIONAL NEXT
The annual UCI/adidas Invitational will take place September 5-8 at Crawford Hall, featuring Portland, Idaho State and Bradley.

The Anteaters home debut is Sept. 6 versus Idaho State at 7:00 p.m. UCI will then take on Portland Sept. 7 at 1:30 p.m. and Bradley Sept. 8 at noon.