Photo by: Matt Brown
Black & Blue Clash This Weekend
March 27, 2025 | Men's Volleyball
THIS WEEK
No. 5 UC Irvine at No. 1 Long Beach State
Friday, Mar. 28| 7:00 PM | Walter Pyramid
Live Stats Watch
No. 1 Long Beach State at No. 5 UC Irvine
Saturday, Mar. 29 | 6:00 PM | Bren Events Center
Live Stats Watch
FIRST SERVE
The volleyball world will have their eyes on this weekend's Black & Blue rivalry match between No. 5 UC Irvine and No. 1 Long Beach State. The teams will square off Friday (Mar. 28) in Long Beach at the Walter Pyramid at 7:00 p.m. then head to the Bren Events Center Saturday (Mar. 29) for a 6:00 p.m. start.
STORYLINES
No. 5 UC Irvine is 14-4 overall, winning the last four outings.
The Anteaters return to Big West action after opening 0-2 at Hawaii Feb. 28 and Mar. 2.
Middle blocker Micah Goss has just committed one hitting error over the last six matches, going 30-1-40 for a .725 attack mark.
UC Irvine is 5-3 on the road and 5-1 at home in 2025.
The Beach is 20-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big West, only dropping five sets all season.
The teams met three times last year with UCI sweeping LBSU at home then The Beach winning at the Pyramid (3-0) and in the Big West Championship match, 3-1 in Hawaii.
SERVICE GAME
The two teams are the best in the country from the service line. LBSU leads with a 2.54 average followed by UC Irvine with a 2.20 mark. Moni Nikolov owns a 1.15 mark followed by Hilir Henno at .770.
CHASING NCAA HISTORY
Hilir Henno currently has 228 career service aces and sits third all-time among NCAA players. He is 27 away from Evan Patak's record of 255 set from 2004-07. He is just seven away from moving into second past Loyola Chicago's Joseph Smalzer (234).
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK ALL IN ONE PLACE
All of the Big West weekly award winners will meet this week. UCI's Hilir Henno is the Offensive Player of the Week, while Long Beach State's Moni Nikolov and Skyler Varga were also honored. Nikolov was Freshman and Setter of the Week while Varga picked up the Defensive honor.
Henno earned the Offensive honor after averaging 4.33 kills, 6.33 points, 1.67 aces and 1.83 digs for the week, while hitting .541 in sweeps over Daemen and George Mason.
AROUND THE COUNTRY
Besides being, ranked second nationally in aces, the Anteaters are eighth in hitting percentage (.335), 10th in assists (11.74), and 11th in blocks (2.39) and kills (12.51) in the country.
Individually, Hilir Henno is second in points (5.36) and aces (.770) and fourth in kills (4.30).
Middle blocker Maxim Grigoriev is ninth in aces at .525.
LAST TIME OUT
UCI recorded a pair of sweeps on the East Coast last week, hitting .643 (40-4-56) against Daemen, the best mark by a Big West team this season and fourth best in the country in 2025.
Senir Hilir Henno led UCI in both matches, hitting .733 versus Daemen and recording 14 kills and a season-high six aces against RV George Mason.
HAVING A CAREER
Among all current Division I players, Hilir Henno is the career leader in aces with 228 and is second in kills (1,464) and total attempts (3,002). He is fifth in sets played with 365.
Hilir Henno became UCI's all-time leader in aces this season. He passed Carson Clark's (2009-12) old mark of 183 in the first match of the season. He became the Big West leader last season, passing UCSB's Ryan Wilcox.
He is also the UCI and Big West match record holder with nine aces, something he has done twice in his career.
BIG AT THE PINS
William D'Arcy has joined the starting lineup the last six matches. The 6-10 opposite is averaging 1.35 kills.
D'Arcy compliments the dynamic duo of 6-8 Hilir Henno and 6-9 Nolan Flexen.
Henno, the reigning AVCA Player of the Year, or Flexen have led the Anteaters in kills in each match this season.
Flexen ranks 18th nationally in points (4.37) and 23rd in kills (3.69).
Henno is ranked fifth in hitting percentage among Big West players with a .373 mark, while Flexen is 10th at .325.
Henno has recorded double-digit kills in all but one match this season.
ON DECK
UCI will visit UC San Diego Apr. 4 then return to the Bren Events Center to meet the Tritons on Apr. 5.
No. 5 UC Irvine at No. 1 Long Beach State
Friday, Mar. 28| 7:00 PM | Walter Pyramid
Live Stats Watch
No. 1 Long Beach State at No. 5 UC Irvine
Saturday, Mar. 29 | 6:00 PM | Bren Events Center
Live Stats Watch
FIRST SERVE
The volleyball world will have their eyes on this weekend's Black & Blue rivalry match between No. 5 UC Irvine and No. 1 Long Beach State. The teams will square off Friday (Mar. 28) in Long Beach at the Walter Pyramid at 7:00 p.m. then head to the Bren Events Center Saturday (Mar. 29) for a 6:00 p.m. start.
STORYLINES
No. 5 UC Irvine is 14-4 overall, winning the last four outings.
The Anteaters return to Big West action after opening 0-2 at Hawaii Feb. 28 and Mar. 2.
Middle blocker Micah Goss has just committed one hitting error over the last six matches, going 30-1-40 for a .725 attack mark.
UC Irvine is 5-3 on the road and 5-1 at home in 2025.
The Beach is 20-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big West, only dropping five sets all season.
The teams met three times last year with UCI sweeping LBSU at home then The Beach winning at the Pyramid (3-0) and in the Big West Championship match, 3-1 in Hawaii.
SERVICE GAME
The two teams are the best in the country from the service line. LBSU leads with a 2.54 average followed by UC Irvine with a 2.20 mark. Moni Nikolov owns a 1.15 mark followed by Hilir Henno at .770.
CHASING NCAA HISTORY
Hilir Henno currently has 228 career service aces and sits third all-time among NCAA players. He is 27 away from Evan Patak's record of 255 set from 2004-07. He is just seven away from moving into second past Loyola Chicago's Joseph Smalzer (234).
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK ALL IN ONE PLACE
All of the Big West weekly award winners will meet this week. UCI's Hilir Henno is the Offensive Player of the Week, while Long Beach State's Moni Nikolov and Skyler Varga were also honored. Nikolov was Freshman and Setter of the Week while Varga picked up the Defensive honor.
Henno earned the Offensive honor after averaging 4.33 kills, 6.33 points, 1.67 aces and 1.83 digs for the week, while hitting .541 in sweeps over Daemen and George Mason.
AROUND THE COUNTRY
Besides being, ranked second nationally in aces, the Anteaters are eighth in hitting percentage (.335), 10th in assists (11.74), and 11th in blocks (2.39) and kills (12.51) in the country.
Individually, Hilir Henno is second in points (5.36) and aces (.770) and fourth in kills (4.30).
Middle blocker Maxim Grigoriev is ninth in aces at .525.
LAST TIME OUT
UCI recorded a pair of sweeps on the East Coast last week, hitting .643 (40-4-56) against Daemen, the best mark by a Big West team this season and fourth best in the country in 2025.
Senir Hilir Henno led UCI in both matches, hitting .733 versus Daemen and recording 14 kills and a season-high six aces against RV George Mason.
HAVING A CAREER
Among all current Division I players, Hilir Henno is the career leader in aces with 228 and is second in kills (1,464) and total attempts (3,002). He is fifth in sets played with 365.
Hilir Henno became UCI's all-time leader in aces this season. He passed Carson Clark's (2009-12) old mark of 183 in the first match of the season. He became the Big West leader last season, passing UCSB's Ryan Wilcox.
He is also the UCI and Big West match record holder with nine aces, something he has done twice in his career.
BIG AT THE PINS
William D'Arcy has joined the starting lineup the last six matches. The 6-10 opposite is averaging 1.35 kills.
D'Arcy compliments the dynamic duo of 6-8 Hilir Henno and 6-9 Nolan Flexen.
Henno, the reigning AVCA Player of the Year, or Flexen have led the Anteaters in kills in each match this season.
Flexen ranks 18th nationally in points (4.37) and 23rd in kills (3.69).
Henno is ranked fifth in hitting percentage among Big West players with a .373 mark, while Flexen is 10th at .325.
Henno has recorded double-digit kills in all but one match this season.
ON DECK
UCI will visit UC San Diego Apr. 4 then return to the Bren Events Center to meet the Tritons on Apr. 5.
Players Mentioned
RS
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
MB
/ Men's Volleyball
MB
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
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