Friday, October 23
La Jolla, Calif.
6:00 PM
UC Irvine
at
UC San Diego
October 21, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
UC Irvine (8-11, 6-2 Big West) at
UC San Diego (9-10, 5-3 Big West)
Date:Â Friday, Oct. 23
Time:Â 6 p.m. (PDT)
Location:Â LionTree Arena (4,000) - La Jolla, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
UC San Diego (9-10, 5-3 Big West) at
UC Irvine (8-11, 6-2 Big West)
Date:Â Saturday, Oct. 24
Time:Â 5Â p.m. (PDT)
Location:Â Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
IRVINE, Calif. -Â UC Irvine women's volleyball will face their travel partner, UC San Diego, twice this weekend. The Anteaters start with a trip to La Jolla for a 6 p.m. showdown at LionTree Arena on Friday, Oct. 23. They then return to the Bren Events Center to host the Tritons at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.
FIRST SERVE
• UCI is coming off four-set road wins at Cal State Bakersfield and CSUN to hold steady in a tie for second in the Big West standings. The 'Eaters, Long Beach State, and UC Santa Barbara are all 6-2, sitting two games back of league-leading Cal Poly (8-0). Sophomore Abby Pekrul led UC Irvine last weekend, finishing with 10 kills and nine blocks (2 solo) against the Roadrunners. She came back the next day to put away a career-high 14 kills on .591 hitting. Over the two matches, the 6-foot middle was first on the team in kills (3.00/set), blocks (1.50/set), and attack percentage (.488), committing only three errors on 43 swings.
• First-year middle Taylor Boice was named the Big West Rookie of the Week for the second time this season after recording 12 kills (.588) and a season-high nine blocks (2 solo) in Saturday's win over CSUN. It was her team-leading 10th double-digit kill match. On the year, Boice is tops on the squad in kills (177), blocks (74), and hitting percentage (.299). She leads UC Irvine's large rookie group that includes five true and three redshirt freshmen.
• Junior libero Whitney Wallace leads the Big West with 318 digs (4.36/set). Wallace has recorded 10+ digs in 16 consecutive matches and has seven 20+ dig performances. She is a two-time Big West Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 21, Oct. 5).
• Setter and tri-captain Nicole Feliciano joined the 1,000 career dig club last Friday. She now has 1,013 digs and 2,956 assists in her three-plus seasons. Feliciano and head coach Ashlie Hain are the only two Anteaters in program history to record over 2,000 assists and 1,000 digs in their UCI careers. Hain, who played from 2001-04, is the school record holder with 5,698 assists and ranks eighth among UC Irvine's all-time leaders with 1,175 career digs. Feliciano sits at No. 5 in career assists.
• UCI ranks first in the 12-member Big West with 14.95 digs per set. The 'Eaters are also third in opponent hitting percentage, holding their adversaries to .181.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
UC San Diego (9-10, 5-3 Big West) split a pair of road matches last weekend, defeating CSUN, 3-1, before falling to Bakersfield in four. Junior opposite Molly McCluskey (3.48/set) and freshman outside Gia Rivera (3.06/set) lead the Tritons in kills. They rank sixth and 10th, respectively, in the Big West. Junior libero Paulina Baillie is also among the top-10 in the conference with 3.39 digs per set.
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine leads in its all-time series with UC San Diego, 9-4. Four of the Anteaters' wins came before the Tritons made the transition to Division I in 2020-21. The two teams split the regular season series last year with UCI falling, 3-1, at home on Sept. 27, before avenging that loss with a clean sweep of UCSD in La Jolla (Oct. 31).
JUST GETTING STARTED
Freshman Taylor Boice earned her second Big West Rookie of the Week award on Oct. 19. She was recognized for her performance at CSUN where she had 12 kills on .588 hitting, while also racking up a career-high nine blocks. The 6-foot-1 middle previously received the honor on Oct. 5 when she also registered 12 kills in a win at UC Riverside. Boice has a team-leading 10 double-figure kill performances with a season-best 18 vs. New Mexico State on Sept. 3. She has started every match and is tops on the squad with 177 kills (2.39/set), 74 blocks (1.00/set), and a .299 hitting percentage.
HANG TEN
Sophomore Abby Pekrul and freshman Vani Tatoulian both set a career high of 10 blocks earlier this season to tie for 15th in single-match school history. Tatoulian racked up 10 total blocks (9 block assists, 1 solo) against San José State on Sept. 13. Two weeks later, Pekrul matched that with 10 block assists in a 3-1 win over Cal State Fullerton. Last weekend, Pekrul also reached double digits in kills for the first time in her collegiate career, finishing with 10 at Bakersfield before topping that performance with 14 on .591 hitting at CSUN. The 6-foot middle was just shy of a double-double against the Roadrunners with nine blocks.
DIGS LEADER
Whitney Wallace leads the Big West with 4.36 digs per set and has been even better in conference play where she is averaging a league-best 5.06 digs/set. She has reached double digits in 16 consecutive matches with seven of those being 20+ dig efforts. During that stretch, the 5-foot-9 libero recorded a career-high 30 digs vs. San José State (Sept. 13). Wallace, a junior transfer from Oklahoma, is a two-time Big West Defensive Player of the Week, earning the recognition on Sept. 21 and again on Oct. 5.
STEADY AS THEY COME
Senior Nicole Feliciano is a fourth-year starter who has played in 106 of 110 matches during her time at UC Irvine. The 5-foot-10 setter ranks fifth in program history with 2,956 career assists, sitting 30 behind Teri Zartman in fourth. Feliciano is also the Anteaters' active leader with 1,013 career digs and 50 double-doubles. Last weekend, she surpassed the 1K dig mark and joined head coach Ashlie Hain as the only two 'Eaters in program history with 2,000+ assists and 1,000+ digs. Feliciano was the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year.
IMPACT FRESHMEN
Redshirt freshman Brianna Brewer, who missed last season with an injury, 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 added a season-best 12 kills on .381 hitting vs. Utah Valley, and notched a season-high 11 digs and six blocks vs. Cal State Fullerton. Burnett has started 13 matches, including each of the last seven, while Brewer has made six starts.
COMEBACK SEASON
Three 'Eaters have made their return to the court after missing last season with injuries. In addition to Brianna Brewer sitting out her first year, UCI lost starters Kendra MacDonald (OH) and Jessica Bates (S/OPP) to season-ending injuries early in the 2025 campaign. MacDonald, who was injured on Sept. 18, 2025, was cleared to play three weeks ago, making her 2026 debut at UC Riverside (Oct. 2). Bates has started 11 of 14 matches played. 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 (Sept. 18).Â
UP NEXT
UCI has another tough weekend ahead as it welcomes league-leading Cal Poly to the Bren Events Center for a 6 p.m. match on Friday, Oct. 30. The Anteaters then entertain UC Santa Barbara, which is in a three-way tie for second, at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31.
UC San Diego (9-10, 5-3 Big West)
Date:Â Friday, Oct. 23
Time:Â 6 p.m. (PDT)
Location:Â LionTree Arena (4,000) - La Jolla, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
UC San Diego (9-10, 5-3 Big West) at
UC Irvine (8-11, 6-2 Big West)
Date:Â Saturday, Oct. 24
Time:Â 5Â p.m. (PDT)
Location:Â Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
IRVINE, Calif. -Â UC Irvine women's volleyball will face their travel partner, UC San Diego, twice this weekend. The Anteaters start with a trip to La Jolla for a 6 p.m. showdown at LionTree Arena on Friday, Oct. 23. They then return to the Bren Events Center to host the Tritons at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24.
FIRST SERVE
• UCI is coming off four-set road wins at Cal State Bakersfield and CSUN to hold steady in a tie for second in the Big West standings. The 'Eaters, Long Beach State, and UC Santa Barbara are all 6-2, sitting two games back of league-leading Cal Poly (8-0). Sophomore Abby Pekrul led UC Irvine last weekend, finishing with 10 kills and nine blocks (2 solo) against the Roadrunners. She came back the next day to put away a career-high 14 kills on .591 hitting. Over the two matches, the 6-foot middle was first on the team in kills (3.00/set), blocks (1.50/set), and attack percentage (.488), committing only three errors on 43 swings.
• First-year middle Taylor Boice was named the Big West Rookie of the Week for the second time this season after recording 12 kills (.588) and a season-high nine blocks (2 solo) in Saturday's win over CSUN. It was her team-leading 10th double-digit kill match. On the year, Boice is tops on the squad in kills (177), blocks (74), and hitting percentage (.299). She leads UC Irvine's large rookie group that includes five true and three redshirt freshmen.
• Junior libero Whitney Wallace leads the Big West with 318 digs (4.36/set). Wallace has recorded 10+ digs in 16 consecutive matches and has seven 20+ dig performances. She is a two-time Big West Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 21, Oct. 5).
• Setter and tri-captain Nicole Feliciano joined the 1,000 career dig club last Friday. She now has 1,013 digs and 2,956 assists in her three-plus seasons. Feliciano and head coach Ashlie Hain are the only two Anteaters in program history to record over 2,000 assists and 1,000 digs in their UCI careers. Hain, who played from 2001-04, is the school record holder with 5,698 assists and ranks eighth among UC Irvine's all-time leaders with 1,175 career digs. Feliciano sits at No. 5 in career assists.
• UCI ranks first in the 12-member Big West with 14.95 digs per set. The 'Eaters are also third in opponent hitting percentage, holding their adversaries to .181.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
UC San Diego (9-10, 5-3 Big West) split a pair of road matches last weekend, defeating CSUN, 3-1, before falling to Bakersfield in four. Junior opposite Molly McCluskey (3.48/set) and freshman outside Gia Rivera (3.06/set) lead the Tritons in kills. They rank sixth and 10th, respectively, in the Big West. Junior libero Paulina Baillie is also among the top-10 in the conference with 3.39 digs per set.
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine leads in its all-time series with UC San Diego, 9-4. Four of the Anteaters' wins came before the Tritons made the transition to Division I in 2020-21. The two teams split the regular season series last year with UCI falling, 3-1, at home on Sept. 27, before avenging that loss with a clean sweep of UCSD in La Jolla (Oct. 31).
JUST GETTING STARTED
Freshman Taylor Boice earned her second Big West Rookie of the Week award on Oct. 19. She was recognized for her performance at CSUN where she had 12 kills on .588 hitting, while also racking up a career-high nine blocks. The 6-foot-1 middle previously received the honor on Oct. 5 when she also registered 12 kills in a win at UC Riverside. Boice has a team-leading 10 double-figure kill performances with a season-best 18 vs. New Mexico State on Sept. 3. She has started every match and is tops on the squad with 177 kills (2.39/set), 74 blocks (1.00/set), and a .299 hitting percentage.
HANG TEN
Sophomore Abby Pekrul and freshman Vani Tatoulian both set a career high of 10 blocks earlier this season to tie for 15th in single-match school history. Tatoulian racked up 10 total blocks (9 block assists, 1 solo) against San José State on Sept. 13. Two weeks later, Pekrul matched that with 10 block assists in a 3-1 win over Cal State Fullerton. Last weekend, Pekrul also reached double digits in kills for the first time in her collegiate career, finishing with 10 at Bakersfield before topping that performance with 14 on .591 hitting at CSUN. The 6-foot middle was just shy of a double-double against the Roadrunners with nine blocks.
DIGS LEADER
Whitney Wallace leads the Big West with 4.36 digs per set and has been even better in conference play where she is averaging a league-best 5.06 digs/set. She has reached double digits in 16 consecutive matches with seven of those being 20+ dig efforts. During that stretch, the 5-foot-9 libero recorded a career-high 30 digs vs. San José State (Sept. 13). Wallace, a junior transfer from Oklahoma, is a two-time Big West Defensive Player of the Week, earning the recognition on Sept. 21 and again on Oct. 5.
STEADY AS THEY COME
Senior Nicole Feliciano is a fourth-year starter who has played in 106 of 110 matches during her time at UC Irvine. The 5-foot-10 setter ranks fifth in program history with 2,956 career assists, sitting 30 behind Teri Zartman in fourth. Feliciano is also the Anteaters' active leader with 1,013 career digs and 50 double-doubles. Last weekend, she surpassed the 1K dig mark and joined head coach Ashlie Hain as the only two 'Eaters in program history with 2,000+ assists and 1,000+ digs. Feliciano was the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year.
IMPACT FRESHMEN
Redshirt freshman Brianna Brewer, who missed last season with an injury, 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 added a season-best 12 kills on .381 hitting vs. Utah Valley, and notched a season-high 11 digs and six blocks vs. Cal State Fullerton. Burnett has started 13 matches, including each of the last seven, while Brewer has made six starts.
COMEBACK SEASON
Three 'Eaters have made their return to the court after missing last season with injuries. In addition to Brianna Brewer sitting out her first year, UCI lost starters Kendra MacDonald (OH) and Jessica Bates (S/OPP) to season-ending injuries early in the 2025 campaign. MacDonald, who was injured on Sept. 18, 2025, was cleared to play three weeks ago, making her 2026 debut at UC Riverside (Oct. 2). Bates has started 11 of 14 matches played. 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 (Sept. 18).Â
UP NEXT
UCI has another tough weekend ahead as it welcomes league-leading Cal Poly to the Bren Events Center for a 6 p.m. match on Friday, Oct. 30. The Anteaters then entertain UC Santa Barbara, which is in a three-way tie for second, at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31.
Players Mentioned
S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's VolleyballWednesday, October 07
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