UC Irvine once again was a national contender, providing several highlights and impressive performances throughout 2025.

>UCI ended the year ranked fifth nationally. The Anteaters held their highest ranking of No. 2 for five weeks.

>The Anteaters were 21-7 overall, playing in the toughest conference in the country

>It's the seventh time in program history a team has compiled 21 wins or more

>14 wins came against nationally ranked teams

>All seven losses were to teams in the top 10, including six in the top 5

>UC Irvine was the only team to sweep No. 1 Long Beach State and did it on the road 

>The Anteaters ended the year winning 6 of the last 7 matches

>UCI started the year with 10-0 record, tying the school record set in 2003 when head coach David Kniffin was the starting setter

>UC Irvine finished third in the Big West with a 6-4 record

>UC Irvine had a school record six All-Americans

THE MAN

Hilir Henno ends his four year career as one of the most decorated players not only at UC Irvine, but in NCAA men’s volleyball.

Henno tied the NCAA all-time ace record with 255, joining UCSB’s Evan Patek. He is also third for all-time NCAA aces in a season with 87 in 2023. 

He fired 74 aces from the service line this season which ranks second behind his 2023 performance in the UCI season record book.

He is the career and match ace leader at UCI and the Big West. He fired nine aces twice in his career. 

The outside hitter graduates with 1,616 career kills in 3,325 attempts, which rank third and second, respectively all-time at UCI.

He holds the Big West record for most kills in a season with 557 in 2024.

He became the sixth student-athlete at UCI to be named a National Player of the Year, earning the AVCA honor in 2024.

He was the 2024 Big West Player of the Year, the first for an Anteater player and third UCI player to earn a conference Player of the Year, joining Jayson Jablonsky (2006) and Zack La Cavera (2015) who captured the MPSF top title.

He became the third Anteater to be named AVCA first team All-America three times and only the second player in Big West history to be named to the first team all four years.

HONORS, HONORS, HONORS

All-Americans 
Hilir Henno, First team
Nolan Flexen – Second team
Honorable Mention – Maxim Grigoriev, William D’Arcy, Micah Goss Shane Aitken

All-Big West
First Team – Hilir Henno, Nolan Flexen, Maxim Grigoriev
Honorable Mention -  William D’Arcy
All-Freshman – Micah Goss

AVCA National Player of the Week
Feb. 17 – Nolan Flexen
Mar. 31 – Hilir Henno

Offensive Player of the Week
Jan. 13 – Hilir Henno
Jan. 27 – Nolan Flexen
Feb. 3 – Hilir Henno
Feb. 17 – Nolan Flexen
Mar. 10 – Hilir Henno
Mar. 24 – Hilir Henno

Defensive Player of the Week
Jan. 27  - Micah Goss
Feb. 17 – Maxim Grigoriev
Apr. 14 – Shane Aitken 

Setter of the Week
Jan, 27 – Joe Karlous
Feb. 3 – Joe Karlous

Freshman of the Week
Jan. 27 – Micah Goss

HOME SWEET HOME

An average of 2,2127 fans packed the Bren Center this season, the fourth best average attendance in the country.

A school record crowd of 4,758 watched UCI play Long Beach State. It was the largest crowd from a school that wasn't Hawaii or BYU in 2025.

FEARLESS LEADER
Setter Joe Karlous returned to the full-time setting duties this season, leading UCI to a .341 hitting percentage, sixth-best nationally. The Anteaters hit .400 or better eight times this season.

The grad student dished 73 set assists versus USC which is a Big West record and the most in the country this season.

He ranked fifth in both set assists (9.56) and digs (1.67) among Big West players.

He earned All-American and All-Big West honorable mention honors in 2023.

AT THE PINS
UC Irvine had one of the most potent offenses in the country with outside hitter Nolan Flexen and opposite William D'Arcy.

Flexen ranked 10th in the Big West in kills (3.02) and eighth in points (3.68). He also ranked 11th in hitting percentage among Big West players (.297) and 15th in blocks (0.72), while averaging 1.13 digs and 0.28 aces overall. The senior had double-digit kills 14 times and hit over .400 seven times, including a career-best .643 (10-1-14) versus Daemen. He was named AVCA National Player of the Week (Feb. 18) and Big West Offensive Player of the Week twice (Jan. 27, 2025 & Feb. 17, 2025) this season. The senior led UCI to a win over USC with a career-high 27 kills and 12 digs. His 27 kills were third most in the Big West this year.

D'Arcy ranked 15th nationally in hitting percentage with a .375 mark, one of five pin hitters to be ranked nationally in the top 15. The junior started in 17 matches and averaged 2.14 kills and 1.01 digs overall this season. He recorded double-digit kills five times, including a career-high 21 kills at UC Santa Barbara. In the 3-0 win on the road against No. 1 Long Beach State, he was a catalyst of the victory, hitting hit .692.
 

IN THE MIDDLE
Junior Maxim Grigoriev and freshman Micah Goss patrolled the net and added offense from the middle.

Grigoriev had a team-high 12 total blocks (two solo) in a win over the Trojans. The 12 blocks are second most in the country and tops the Big West this season. He ranked third in the Big West in aces (0.46) and was eighth in blocking (0.84). He recorded four or more blocks in nine matches this year and hit over .500 10 times this season, including a season-high .667 twice in 2025.

Goss ranked sixth in the Big West in blocks (0.96) and 16th in aces (0.28). The freshman started every match in 2025, averaging 1.42 kills. He recorded three or more blocks in 16 matches this season, including a career-high nine versus BYU. Goss added at least one block and one kill in all but two matches.

UCI out-blocked opponents 21 times this season.

The Anteaters posted double-digit blocks five times in 2025, including a season-high 17.5 blocks in a win over USC at home.

Freshman Micah Goss is fifth in the Big West with a 1.01 blocking averaging followed by Grigoriev in seventh with a 0.87 mark.

FRESHMAN IMPACT
Along with Goss, several other freshman made an impact this season. 

Redshirt freshman Shane Aitken was a rock on defense, impressing coaches who rewarded his efforts with an All-America honorable mention nod. He ranked seventh in the Big West in digs with a 1.48 average. He shined in serve reception as a freshman with a .928 mark. The libero recorded a career-best 13 digs at UC Santa Barbara and was honored as Big West Defensive Player of the Week on Apr. 14 for his performance.

Freshman Tim Ennis started seven times and averaged 1.24 kills and 1.19 digs overall. He had a career-high 10 kills, hitting .526 (10-0-19) in a win at CSUN. The outside hitter played in 37 sets, recording at least two kills and one dig in all but one match he played.

Redshirt freshman Aidan Rigg showed off his skills this season coming off the bench to secure a win at UC Santa Barbara with a career-best 24 set assists, while adding five kills in five swings. Overall he added 143 set assists and 22 digs.