Friday, October 2
Riverside, Calif.
6:00 PM
UC Irvine
at
UC Riverside
Photo by: Matt Brown
UC Irvine Heads to Riverside for Conference Matches at UCR, CBU
October 01, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
UC Irvine (3-10, 1-1 Big West) at
UC Riverside (4-9, 0-2 Big West)
Date:Â Friday, Oct. 2
Time:Â 6 p.m. (PDT)
Location:Â SRC Arena (3,168) - Riverside, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
UC Irvine (3-10, 1-1 Big West) at
California Baptist (3-10, 0-2 Big West)
Date:Â Saturday, Oct. 3
Time:Â 6 p.m. (PDT)
Location:Â Van Dyne Gym (987) - Riverside, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
IRVINE, Calif. -Â UC Irvine women's volleyball heads to the Inland Empire for a pair of Big West matches this weekend. The Anteaters make their way to UC Riverside for a 6 p.m. showdown on Friday, Oct. 2, before paying a visit to one of the newest members of the conference, California Baptist, on Saturday, Oct. 3 (6 p.m.).
FIRST SERVE
• UCI earned a Big West opening split at home last weekend. The 'Eaters fell to Black & Blue Rival Long Beach State prior to taking down Cal State Fullerton, 3-1. Junior libero Whitney Wallace extended her double-digit dig streak to 10 matches with 17 digs vs. LBSU and 21 against the Titans. UC Irvine also had a season-high 17.5 total team blocks in the win over CSF. Sophomore Abby Pekrul led the effort at the net with a career-best 10 block assists, which is tied for 13th in single-match school history.Â
• Redshirt freshman Brianna Brewer will see a familiar face on the opposite side of the net Friday as her sister, Andrea, is a senior outside hitter on the UC Riverside women's volleyball team. Andrea enters the weekend as the Highlanders' kill leader, averaging 3.15 per set. Brianna, who is coming off two seasons of injuries, has registered 2.17 kills in 24 sets played for the Anteaters.
• UC Irvine has a young team with nearly half of the roster comprised of true (5) and redshirt (3) freshmen. Six of the eight have started at least five matches. First-year middle Taylor Boice leads the freshman crew as she has started every match and is tops on the squad in blocks (0.96/set) and hitting percentage (.299). She also ranks second with 2.50 kills per set.
• Four-year starter and tri-captain Nicole Feliciano has been a steady presence for the 'Eaters. Feliciano is averaging 4.59 assists, 2.55 digs, 1.14 kills, and 0.50 blocks per set. She has five double-doubles on the year and 48 in her career. Last Saturday against Fullerton, the 5-foot-10 setter established season bests in assists (28) and digs (16), while adding three blocks and two aces. In a 3-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 18, Feliciano also had a career-high 11 kills to go along with 22 assists, seven digs, and three blocks.
• UCI ranks first in the 12-member Big West with 15.08 digs per set. The Anteaters are also third in opponent hitting percentage (.184) and fifth in blocks (2.13/set).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
UC Riverside (4-9, 0-2 Big West) started its Big West slate with straight-set losses at Utah Valley and Sacramento State. The Highlanders, who were on the road for their entire non-conference season, will be making their home debut on Friday. Senior outside hitter Andrea Brewer leads UCR with 3.15 kills per set, while junior libero Misu Nguyen has registered 3.36 digs per set.Â
California Baptist (3-10, 0-2 Big West) also fell on the road to Sacramento State, 3-0, and Utah Valley, 3-2, last week. Freshman outside Nalanie Neal, who made her return to the lineup after missing six matches with an injury, is tops on the squad with 3.85 kills and 2.22 digs per set.
SERIES RECORDS
UC Irvine leads in its all-time series with UC Riverside, 45-16. The Anteaters swept the Highlanders in both conference meetings last year.
UCI and California Baptist are tied in their short all-time series, 2-2. The 'Eaters won the most recent meeting, 3-0, on Sept. 21, 2024, in Riverside.
WALLACE NAMED DEFENSIVE POW
Whitney Wallace earned her first career Big West Defensive Player of the Week award on Sept. 21 after finishing with 18 digs in a 3-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana and a match-high 25 in a four-set loss to tournament host UNLV at The Rebel Challenge. She extended her double-digit dig streak to 10-straight outings with 17 vs. LBSU and 21 vs. Cal State Fullerton last weekend. Her 5.43 dig average in the first two Big West matches was tops in the conference. Wallace has five 20+ dig performances this season, four of which have come in the last six contests where she is averaging 5.78 digs/set. During that stretch, she had a career-high 30 digs against San José State (Sept. 13), which ranks second in the Big West and is tied for 17th in all of NCAA Division I in five-set matches this season. The junior transfer, who spent the last two years at Oklahoma, has settled in as the Anteaters' starting libero with a team-leading 199 digs (4.06/set). She is one of only three Big West players averaging more than 4.00 digs per set.Â
HANG TEN
Freshman Vani Tatoulian and sophomore Abby Pekrul have both recorded 10 blocks in a match this season. Tatoulian was the first 'Eater to reach double digits since Ofure Iselen on Oct. 5, 2024, when she had 10 total blocks (9 block assists, 1 solo) against San José State on Sept. 13. Pekrul then racked up a career-high 10 block assists in last Saturday's win over Cal State Fullerton.Â
TRIP'S TURN
Junior Madison Triplett has started every match and leads the team with 2.58 kills per set. Triplett reached double figures in kills in four of her last five outings. The 5-foot-9 outside hitter had a season-high 17 kills vs. San José State on Sept. 13, before putting away 13 vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 16 at UNLV, and 12 vs. Fullerton.
IN THE MIDDLE
Freshman Taylor Boice has also started every match and leads UC Irvine in blocks (0.96/set) and hitting percentage (.299), while ranking second in kills (2.50/set). The 6-foot-1 middle has seven 10+ kill matches, including a season-high 18 against New Mexico State on Sept. 3.Â
STEADY AS THEY COME
Senior Nicole Feliciano is a fourth-year starter who has played in 100 of 104 matches during her time at UC Irvine. The 5-foot-10 setter ranks fifth in program history with 2,821 career assists, sitting 165 back of Teri Zartman in fourth. Feliciano is also the Anteaters' active leader with 48 double-doubles. Last Saturday, she established season-bests of 28 assists and 16 digs in a 3-1 win over Cal State Fullerton, while she had a career-high 11 kills to go along with 22 assists in another four-set victory against Southeastern Louisiana. Feliciano was the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year.
STARTING STRONG
Redshirt freshman Brianna Brewer, who missed the last two seasons with injuries, and true freshman Memphis Burnett have combined for several impressive performances on the left side. In her first career match, Brewer put down 11 kills vs. New Mexico State before finishing with a team and season-high 13 at Fresno State. Burnett had a season-best 10 kills on .318 hitting against LMU on Sept. 11, and notched a season-high 11 digs and six blocks vs. Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 26).
COMEBACK SEASON
Last season, the Anteaters lost starters Kendra MacDonald (OH) and Jessica Bates (S/OPP) to season-ending injuries early in the campaign. MacDonald is hoping to make her 2026 debut in conference, while Bates has started all but three matches this year. The 5-foot-11 setter/right side tallied a career-high 24 assists and 21 digs to go along with nine kills vs. Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 18. Outside hitter Brianna Brewer is also on the mend after missing 2024 and 2025 with injuries.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
UC Irvine was picked to tie for sixth in the 2026 Big West Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Anteaters' placing mirrored where they have finished in the regular-season standings in each of the last three years. Defending Big West champion and NCAA Regional finalist Cal Poly received 11 first-place votes and 121 points to sit atop the 12-team poll. This week's opponents, CBU and UCR, were picked ninth and 10th, respectively.
HOMEGROWN
All 17 players on UCI's roster are from California. Five also grew up locally in the Orange County area: Jessica Bates (San Clemente), Memphis Burnett (Ladera Ranch), Kaia Ciszewski (Irvine), Nicole Feliciano (Laguna Niguel), and Lois Hansen (Yorba Linda).
RUNS IN THE FAMILY
Taylor Boice and Whitney Wallace both come from volleyball families. Boice's grandmother started and owns Southern California Volleyball Club (SCVC) in Redondo Beach, and her parents played collegiately at Pepperdine. Her father also spent one season as an assistant men's volleyball coach at UC Irvine. Wallace's brother and father played volleyball at UC Santa Barbara, while her mother played at Santa Clara. Her father was also a collegiate coach, serving as an assistant at Pepperdine when Boice's mother was on the team. He then spent 20 years as the head coach at Santa Clara.
UP NEXT
UCI is back in the Bren next weekend, hosting new Big West foes Utah Valley (Oct. 9) and Sac State (Oct. 10).
UC Riverside (4-9, 0-2 Big West)
Date:Â Friday, Oct. 2
Time:Â 6 p.m. (PDT)
Location:Â SRC Arena (3,168) - Riverside, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
UC Irvine (3-10, 1-1 Big West) at
California Baptist (3-10, 0-2 Big West)
Date:Â Saturday, Oct. 3
Time:Â 6 p.m. (PDT)
Location:Â Van Dyne Gym (987) - Riverside, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
IRVINE, Calif. -Â UC Irvine women's volleyball heads to the Inland Empire for a pair of Big West matches this weekend. The Anteaters make their way to UC Riverside for a 6 p.m. showdown on Friday, Oct. 2, before paying a visit to one of the newest members of the conference, California Baptist, on Saturday, Oct. 3 (6 p.m.).
FIRST SERVE
• UCI earned a Big West opening split at home last weekend. The 'Eaters fell to Black & Blue Rival Long Beach State prior to taking down Cal State Fullerton, 3-1. Junior libero Whitney Wallace extended her double-digit dig streak to 10 matches with 17 digs vs. LBSU and 21 against the Titans. UC Irvine also had a season-high 17.5 total team blocks in the win over CSF. Sophomore Abby Pekrul led the effort at the net with a career-best 10 block assists, which is tied for 13th in single-match school history.Â
• Redshirt freshman Brianna Brewer will see a familiar face on the opposite side of the net Friday as her sister, Andrea, is a senior outside hitter on the UC Riverside women's volleyball team. Andrea enters the weekend as the Highlanders' kill leader, averaging 3.15 per set. Brianna, who is coming off two seasons of injuries, has registered 2.17 kills in 24 sets played for the Anteaters.
• UC Irvine has a young team with nearly half of the roster comprised of true (5) and redshirt (3) freshmen. Six of the eight have started at least five matches. First-year middle Taylor Boice leads the freshman crew as she has started every match and is tops on the squad in blocks (0.96/set) and hitting percentage (.299). She also ranks second with 2.50 kills per set.
• Four-year starter and tri-captain Nicole Feliciano has been a steady presence for the 'Eaters. Feliciano is averaging 4.59 assists, 2.55 digs, 1.14 kills, and 0.50 blocks per set. She has five double-doubles on the year and 48 in her career. Last Saturday against Fullerton, the 5-foot-10 setter established season bests in assists (28) and digs (16), while adding three blocks and two aces. In a 3-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 18, Feliciano also had a career-high 11 kills to go along with 22 assists, seven digs, and three blocks.
• UCI ranks first in the 12-member Big West with 15.08 digs per set. The Anteaters are also third in opponent hitting percentage (.184) and fifth in blocks (2.13/set).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
UC Riverside (4-9, 0-2 Big West) started its Big West slate with straight-set losses at Utah Valley and Sacramento State. The Highlanders, who were on the road for their entire non-conference season, will be making their home debut on Friday. Senior outside hitter Andrea Brewer leads UCR with 3.15 kills per set, while junior libero Misu Nguyen has registered 3.36 digs per set.Â
California Baptist (3-10, 0-2 Big West) also fell on the road to Sacramento State, 3-0, and Utah Valley, 3-2, last week. Freshman outside Nalanie Neal, who made her return to the lineup after missing six matches with an injury, is tops on the squad with 3.85 kills and 2.22 digs per set.
SERIES RECORDS
UC Irvine leads in its all-time series with UC Riverside, 45-16. The Anteaters swept the Highlanders in both conference meetings last year.
UCI and California Baptist are tied in their short all-time series, 2-2. The 'Eaters won the most recent meeting, 3-0, on Sept. 21, 2024, in Riverside.
WALLACE NAMED DEFENSIVE POW
Whitney Wallace earned her first career Big West Defensive Player of the Week award on Sept. 21 after finishing with 18 digs in a 3-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana and a match-high 25 in a four-set loss to tournament host UNLV at The Rebel Challenge. She extended her double-digit dig streak to 10-straight outings with 17 vs. LBSU and 21 vs. Cal State Fullerton last weekend. Her 5.43 dig average in the first two Big West matches was tops in the conference. Wallace has five 20+ dig performances this season, four of which have come in the last six contests where she is averaging 5.78 digs/set. During that stretch, she had a career-high 30 digs against San José State (Sept. 13), which ranks second in the Big West and is tied for 17th in all of NCAA Division I in five-set matches this season. The junior transfer, who spent the last two years at Oklahoma, has settled in as the Anteaters' starting libero with a team-leading 199 digs (4.06/set). She is one of only three Big West players averaging more than 4.00 digs per set.Â
HANG TEN
Freshman Vani Tatoulian and sophomore Abby Pekrul have both recorded 10 blocks in a match this season. Tatoulian was the first 'Eater to reach double digits since Ofure Iselen on Oct. 5, 2024, when she had 10 total blocks (9 block assists, 1 solo) against San José State on Sept. 13. Pekrul then racked up a career-high 10 block assists in last Saturday's win over Cal State Fullerton.Â
TRIP'S TURN
Junior Madison Triplett has started every match and leads the team with 2.58 kills per set. Triplett reached double figures in kills in four of her last five outings. The 5-foot-9 outside hitter had a season-high 17 kills vs. San José State on Sept. 13, before putting away 13 vs. Southeastern Louisiana, 16 at UNLV, and 12 vs. Fullerton.
IN THE MIDDLE
Freshman Taylor Boice has also started every match and leads UC Irvine in blocks (0.96/set) and hitting percentage (.299), while ranking second in kills (2.50/set). The 6-foot-1 middle has seven 10+ kill matches, including a season-high 18 against New Mexico State on Sept. 3.Â
STEADY AS THEY COME
Senior Nicole Feliciano is a fourth-year starter who has played in 100 of 104 matches during her time at UC Irvine. The 5-foot-10 setter ranks fifth in program history with 2,821 career assists, sitting 165 back of Teri Zartman in fourth. Feliciano is also the Anteaters' active leader with 48 double-doubles. Last Saturday, she established season-bests of 28 assists and 16 digs in a 3-1 win over Cal State Fullerton, while she had a career-high 11 kills to go along with 22 assists in another four-set victory against Southeastern Louisiana. Feliciano was the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year.
STARTING STRONG
Redshirt freshman Brianna Brewer, who missed the last two seasons with injuries, and true freshman Memphis Burnett have combined for several impressive performances on the left side. In her first career match, Brewer put down 11 kills vs. New Mexico State before finishing with a team and season-high 13 at Fresno State. Burnett had a season-best 10 kills on .318 hitting against LMU on Sept. 11, and notched a season-high 11 digs and six blocks vs. Cal State Fullerton (Sept. 26).
COMEBACK SEASON
Last season, the Anteaters lost starters Kendra MacDonald (OH) and Jessica Bates (S/OPP) to season-ending injuries early in the campaign. MacDonald is hoping to make her 2026 debut in conference, while Bates has started all but three matches this year. The 5-foot-11 setter/right side tallied a career-high 24 assists and 21 digs to go along with nine kills vs. Southeastern Louisiana on Sept. 18. Outside hitter Brianna Brewer is also on the mend after missing 2024 and 2025 with injuries.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
UC Irvine was picked to tie for sixth in the 2026 Big West Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Anteaters' placing mirrored where they have finished in the regular-season standings in each of the last three years. Defending Big West champion and NCAA Regional finalist Cal Poly received 11 first-place votes and 121 points to sit atop the 12-team poll. This week's opponents, CBU and UCR, were picked ninth and 10th, respectively.
HOMEGROWN
All 17 players on UCI's roster are from California. Five also grew up locally in the Orange County area: Jessica Bates (San Clemente), Memphis Burnett (Ladera Ranch), Kaia Ciszewski (Irvine), Nicole Feliciano (Laguna Niguel), and Lois Hansen (Yorba Linda).
RUNS IN THE FAMILY
Taylor Boice and Whitney Wallace both come from volleyball families. Boice's grandmother started and owns Southern California Volleyball Club (SCVC) in Redondo Beach, and her parents played collegiately at Pepperdine. Her father also spent one season as an assistant men's volleyball coach at UC Irvine. Wallace's brother and father played volleyball at UC Santa Barbara, while her mother played at Santa Clara. Her father was also a collegiate coach, serving as an assistant at Pepperdine when Boice's mother was on the team. He then spent 20 years as the head coach at Santa Clara.
UP NEXT
UCI is back in the Bren next weekend, hosting new Big West foes Utah Valley (Oct. 9) and Sac State (Oct. 10).
Players Mentioned
S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's VolleyballFriday, August 28
Wednesday, August 26
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