RIVERSIDE, Calif. – For the first time this season, UC Irvine was swept in straight sets, falling to Grand Canyon 23-25, 19-25, 19-25 at the Big West/WAC Challenge held in Van Dyne Gym.

The Anteaters, who were out-hit .164 to .289, even their season record at 5-5, while GCU goes to 6-4.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>UCI was led by outside hitter Katie Smith with 12 kills
>Opposite Hunter Riedl added eight kills and nine digs, while middle blocker Ella Gardiner had seven kills and two block assists
>Middle blocker Soana Leaea hit .500 (6-0-12) with a team-best four total blocks (1 solo)
>Libero Campbell Jensen collected 17 digs and two aces
>Setter Nicole Feliciano recorded 28 set assists, eight digs, three kills, two block assists and an ace
>GCU's Anaelena Rameriz had a match-high 13 kills

FIRST SET
>GCU started with the early 6-2 lead until UCI answered with five in a row, using a kill and block assist by Ella Gardiner and an ace by Hunter Riedl, 7-6
>In a game of runs, Grand Canyon would score three straight followed by the Anteaters with three of their own then GCU with three more for the 15-11 lead
>Another run, a kill and ace by Nicole Feliciano and a kill and solo block by Soana Leaea tied it at 15-15
>A kill by Katie Smith was followed by a block by Riedl and Leaea to knot the score again at 22-22
>GCU would score three of the final four points for the 25-23 win

SECOND SET
>Back-to-back kills by Riedl gave UCI the 5-3 edge
>A kill by Feliciano, block by Feliciano and Leaea plus an ace by Indy De Smet put UCI up 9-8
>In another tight set, Smith had consecutive kills to tie it at 17-17
>At 19-19, GCU scored the final six points on a UCI service and attack error, a block, an ace and two kills for the 25-19 win

THIRD SET
>The Anteaters had an quick 3-0 start with kills from Smith and Riedl
>Another kill by Riedl move the advantage to 10-8
>A flood of five GCU points, including two aces, two UCI attack errors and a block, pushed the 'Lopes in front 13-10
>Down 11-14, kills by Riedl and Gardiner and a block by Gardiner and Smith rallied UCI to a 14-14 tie
>Grand Canyon answered with two more aces and a UCI attack error, 17-14
>Out of a UCI timeout, GCU had two more kills to stretch the lead to 19-14
>A block by Leaea and Kendra Duffey brought UCI within 19-23, but GCU would close out the match on a kill and UCI attack error, 25-19

NOTES
>Both teams had seven blocks, the third time this season UCI matched their opponent in blocks
>Amanda Leinbach had two aces to bring her season total to six

UP NEXT
UCI will take on host California Baptist tomorrow at 6:00 p.m.