UC Santa Barbara Rallies Past UCI, 3-0

Saturday, October 31

Irvine, Calif.

5:00 PM

UC Irvine

9-14,7-5Big West

UC Santa Barbara

12-11,8-4Big West

Team	1	2	3	Final F
UC Santa Barbara	25	25	25	3
UC Irvine	14	22	22	0

Box Score (PDF)

Birds eye view of Jessica Bates jumping to hit the ball from the left pin in an NCAA women's volleyball match.

Photo by: Jake Hamlin

October 31, 2026 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's volleyball fell to UC Santa Barbara, 14-25, 22-25, 22-25, Saturday evening at the Bren Events Center.

The Anteaters (9-14, 7-5 Big West) hit .217 with only 10 errors, but were limited to 33 kills compared to 51 for the Gauchos, who had a .299 clip for their third-best percentage of the season. UCSB also won the defensive battle against the Big West dig leaders, 56-39.

Redshirt freshman Jessica Bates paced the UCI offense with a season-high 10 kills. She did not commit an error on 21 swings for a career-best .476 hitting percentage. Senior setter Nicole Feliciano was also errorless on 13 swings, finishing with six kills. She added 16 assists, eight digs, and three blocks.

Freshman Vani Tatoulian came off the bench in the third set to record five kills (.400) and two blocks. Junior libero Whitney Wallace scooped up a match-high 15 digs.

Gabby Martinez led UCSB with 20 kills and eight digs. Auburn Tomkinson and Emma McDermott also finished with 10 kills each.

HOW IT HAPPENED: UC Santa Barbara (12-11, 8-4 Big West) got out to a quick start, taking a 5-2 lead early in the first set. UC Irvine stayed within striking distance until the Gauchos used an 8-1 rally to build a 17-8 cushion. UCSB kept its foot on the gas, running away with the 25-14 win.

Set two was a seesaw battle with 15 ties and six lead changes. Back-to-back kills from Bates, followed by a Wallace ace gave the Anteaters a 3-1 edge. The 'Eaters did not trail until a couple aces from Martinez put UC Santa Barbara up, 8-7. A Feliciano kill and a Kaia Ciszewski ace pushed UCI back out front by two, but the Gauchos rebounded to knot the score at 16-all. There were six more ties before the visitors put down three-straight kills for the 25-22 victory.

Tatoulian provided a spark in the third frame with three early kills boosting UC Irvine to a 5-3 lead. UCSB then reeled off four unanswered to turn the tables and go up by two. Feliciano ended the short rally with a kill and Tata Vongfak kept the pressure on with an ace to even it up at 7-7. It continued to go back-and-forth until Tatoulian made her presence felt again with a kill and two double blocks alongside Feliciano and Izzy Romero, to fuel a 4-0 stretch that gave the Anteaters their largest lead of the night at 16-12. UC Santa Barbara had an answer again, this time going on an 8-2 spurt to pull ahead, 20-18. UCI continued to fight, tying it up at 22-22 on a Romero kill. The 'Eaters appeared to go up 23-22 on a double block, but the Gauchos challenged a net violation and the play was overturned, flipping the score. UCSB kept the momentum with kills from Martinez and Tomkinson ending it at 25-22.

UP NEXT: UC Irvine is on the road next week, traveling to Sacramento State (Nov. 5) and Utah Valley (Nov. 7).

NOTES
• Jessica Bates led UC Irvine in kills in both matches this weekend.
• The 5-foot-11 opposite averaged 2.71 kills per set on .372 hitting.
• Nicole Feliciano needs six more assists to pass Shelley Anderson (3,045) for No. 3 among UCI's career assist leaders.
• Whitney Wallace has reached double digits in digs in 20 consecutive matches.
• The Anteaters had their streak of five consecutive outings with 10+ team blocks come to an end.
• UC Irvine is tied for fourth in the Big West standings.