Thursday, November 5
Sacramento, Calif.
7:00 PM
UC Irvine
at
Sacramento State
November 03, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
UC Irvine (9-14, 7-5 Big West) at
Sacramento State (12-11, 7-5 Big West)
Date:Â Thursday, Nov. 5
Time:Â 7 p.m. (PST)
Location:Â The Nest (1,012) - Sacramento, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
UC Irvine (9-14, 7-5 Big West) at
Utah Valley (8-16, 6-6 Big West)
Date:Â Saturday, Nov. 7
Time:Â 11 a.m. (PST)
Location:Â Lockhart Arena (1,402) - Orem, Utah
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
IRVINE, Calif. -Â UC Irvine women's volleyball is on the road for two pivotal matches this week, starting with a 7 p.m. contest at Sacramento State on Thursday, Nov. 5. The Anteaters will then make their way to Utah Valley for a 12 p.m. (MT)/11 a.m. (PT) showdown on Saturday, Nov. 7.
FIRST SERVE
• The 'Eaters and Sacramento State are tied for fourth in the Big West standings. Utah Valley is one game back in a tie for sixth. With three weeks left in the regular season, the teams will be jockeying for position as the top-six advance to the Big West Women's Volleyball Championship in San Luis Obispo, California, Nov. 25-28.
• UC Irvine has been tough to beat on the road as it owns a 5-0 away record in Big West play (5-3 overall). The Anteaters have won five straight on the road, but are looking to snap a three-match skid overall after dropping home contests to UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 31), Cal Poly (Oct. 30), and UC San Diego (Oct. 24).
• Setter and tri-captain Nicole Feliciano reached a couple of milestones this year, joining the 1,000 career dig club at Bakersfield on Oct. 16, and surpassing 3,000 career assists against UCSD on Oct. 24. She now has 3,040 assists and 1,068 digs in her four seasons. Feliciano and head coach Ashlie Hain are the only two Anteaters in program history to record over 3K assists and 1K 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. 4 in assists and No. 10 in digs.
• Junior libero Whitney Wallace leads the Big West with 395 digs (4.44/set). Wallace has recorded 10+ digs in 20 consecutive matches and has nine 20+ dig performances. She is a two-time Big West Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 21, Oct. 5).
• First-year middle Taylor Boice is also a two-time Big West Rookie of the Week. Boice is tops on the squad in kills (209), blocks (92), and hitting percentage (.281).
• UCI ranks first in the 12-member Big West with 15.18 digs per set. The 'Eaters are also third in opponent hitting percentage, holding their adversaries to .187, and are fourth in blocks (2.36/set).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Sacramento State (12-11, 7-5 Big West) is coming off back-to-back straight-set road wins at UC Riverside and California Baptist. Junior outside hitter Victoria Marthaler has powered the Hornet offense with a conference-leading 4.24 kills per set. Senior libero Reese Ampi (3.62 digs/set) and junior middle Skyler Gartin (1.16 blocks/set) are also among the Big West's top five in digs and blocks.
Utah Valley (8-16, 6-6 Big West) split its two matches last weekend, falling in five at California Baptist, before sweeping UC Riverside. Senior libero Lani Toutai  ranks second in the Big West with 4.10 digs/set. Sophomore outside Miley Thunstrom has also been a steady presence for UVU, averaging 2.56 kills and 2.03 digs per set.Â
SERIES RECORDS
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Sacramento State, 4-1. The two teams met on Oct. 10 in Irvine with the Hornets winning the match in four (26-24, 22-25, 25-19, 25-19).
UCI leads in its short all-time series with Utah Valley, 2-0. The Anteaters swept the Wolverines, 25-20, 25-21, 25-22, in the first meeting of the season on Oct. 9 in Irvine.
LEAVING A LEGACY
Senior Nicole Feliciano is a four-year starter who is leaving her mark at UC Irvine. One week after joining the 1,000-dig club, the 5-foot-10 setter reached another big milestone, surpassing 3,000 career assists against UC San Diego on Oct. 24. Feliciano ranks fourth in school history in assists (3,040) and 10th in digs (1,068). She needs six more assists to pass Shelley Anderson for No. 3 on the all-time charts. Feliciano is also in elite company alongside head coach Ashlie Hain as the only two players in program history with more than 3K assists and 1K digs. Feliciano, who has played in 110 of 114 matches during her time at UCI, also has 52 double-doubles and recorded her first career triple-double with 14 kills, 22 assists, and 17 digs at UCSD (Oct. 23). She was the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year.
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 finishing with a career-high nine blocks. The 6-foot-1 middle previously received the honor on Oct. 5 when she registered 12 kills in a win at UC Riverside. Boice has a team-leading 11 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 209 kills (2.35/set), 92 blocks (1.03/set), and a .281 hitting percentage.
HANG TEN
Middles Abby Pekrul and 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 put up 10 block assists in a 3-1 win over Cal State Fullerton. Last month, the duo also reached double digits in kills for the first time in their careers. Pekrul had 10 at Bakersfield (Oct. 16), before topping that performance with 14 on .591 hitting at CSUN (Oct. 17). Tatoulian followed with 12 kills and a season-best .611 clip vs. UCSD on Oct. 24.
DIGS LEADER
Whitney Wallace leads the Big West with 4.44 digs per set and has been even better in conference play where she is averaging a league-best 4.98 digs/set. She has reached double digits in 20 consecutive matches with nine 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.
UP NEXT
UCI returns to the Bren Events Center for its final homestand of the season, hosting CSUN (Nov. 13) and Bakersfield (Nov. 14). The Anteaters will honor their three seniors - Nicole Feliciano, Lois Hansen, and Kendra MacDonald - following next Saturday's match.
Sacramento State (12-11, 7-5 Big West)
Date:Â Thursday, Nov. 5
Time:Â 7 p.m. (PST)
Location:Â The Nest (1,012) - Sacramento, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
UC Irvine (9-14, 7-5 Big West) at
Utah Valley (8-16, 6-6 Big West)
Date:Â Saturday, Nov. 7
Time:Â 11 a.m. (PST)
Location:Â Lockhart Arena (1,402) - Orem, Utah
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
IRVINE, Calif. -Â UC Irvine women's volleyball is on the road for two pivotal matches this week, starting with a 7 p.m. contest at Sacramento State on Thursday, Nov. 5. The Anteaters will then make their way to Utah Valley for a 12 p.m. (MT)/11 a.m. (PT) showdown on Saturday, Nov. 7.
FIRST SERVE
• The 'Eaters and Sacramento State are tied for fourth in the Big West standings. Utah Valley is one game back in a tie for sixth. With three weeks left in the regular season, the teams will be jockeying for position as the top-six advance to the Big West Women's Volleyball Championship in San Luis Obispo, California, Nov. 25-28.
• UC Irvine has been tough to beat on the road as it owns a 5-0 away record in Big West play (5-3 overall). The Anteaters have won five straight on the road, but are looking to snap a three-match skid overall after dropping home contests to UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 31), Cal Poly (Oct. 30), and UC San Diego (Oct. 24).
• Setter and tri-captain Nicole Feliciano reached a couple of milestones this year, joining the 1,000 career dig club at Bakersfield on Oct. 16, and surpassing 3,000 career assists against UCSD on Oct. 24. She now has 3,040 assists and 1,068 digs in her four seasons. Feliciano and head coach Ashlie Hain are the only two Anteaters in program history to record over 3K assists and 1K 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. 4 in assists and No. 10 in digs.
• Junior libero Whitney Wallace leads the Big West with 395 digs (4.44/set). Wallace has recorded 10+ digs in 20 consecutive matches and has nine 20+ dig performances. She is a two-time Big West Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 21, Oct. 5).
• First-year middle Taylor Boice is also a two-time Big West Rookie of the Week. Boice is tops on the squad in kills (209), blocks (92), and hitting percentage (.281).
• UCI ranks first in the 12-member Big West with 15.18 digs per set. The 'Eaters are also third in opponent hitting percentage, holding their adversaries to .187, and are fourth in blocks (2.36/set).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Sacramento State (12-11, 7-5 Big West) is coming off back-to-back straight-set road wins at UC Riverside and California Baptist. Junior outside hitter Victoria Marthaler has powered the Hornet offense with a conference-leading 4.24 kills per set. Senior libero Reese Ampi (3.62 digs/set) and junior middle Skyler Gartin (1.16 blocks/set) are also among the Big West's top five in digs and blocks.
Utah Valley (8-16, 6-6 Big West) split its two matches last weekend, falling in five at California Baptist, before sweeping UC Riverside. Senior libero Lani Toutai  ranks second in the Big West with 4.10 digs/set. Sophomore outside Miley Thunstrom has also been a steady presence for UVU, averaging 2.56 kills and 2.03 digs per set.Â
SERIES RECORDS
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Sacramento State, 4-1. The two teams met on Oct. 10 in Irvine with the Hornets winning the match in four (26-24, 22-25, 25-19, 25-19).
UCI leads in its short all-time series with Utah Valley, 2-0. The Anteaters swept the Wolverines, 25-20, 25-21, 25-22, in the first meeting of the season on Oct. 9 in Irvine.
LEAVING A LEGACY
Senior Nicole Feliciano is a four-year starter who is leaving her mark at UC Irvine. One week after joining the 1,000-dig club, the 5-foot-10 setter reached another big milestone, surpassing 3,000 career assists against UC San Diego on Oct. 24. Feliciano ranks fourth in school history in assists (3,040) and 10th in digs (1,068). She needs six more assists to pass Shelley Anderson for No. 3 on the all-time charts. Feliciano is also in elite company alongside head coach Ashlie Hain as the only two players in program history with more than 3K assists and 1K digs. Feliciano, who has played in 110 of 114 matches during her time at UCI, also has 52 double-doubles and recorded her first career triple-double with 14 kills, 22 assists, and 17 digs at UCSD (Oct. 23). She was the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year.
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 finishing with a career-high nine blocks. The 6-foot-1 middle previously received the honor on Oct. 5 when she registered 12 kills in a win at UC Riverside. Boice has a team-leading 11 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 209 kills (2.35/set), 92 blocks (1.03/set), and a .281 hitting percentage.
HANG TEN
Middles Abby Pekrul and 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 put up 10 block assists in a 3-1 win over Cal State Fullerton. Last month, the duo also reached double digits in kills for the first time in their careers. Pekrul had 10 at Bakersfield (Oct. 16), before topping that performance with 14 on .591 hitting at CSUN (Oct. 17). Tatoulian followed with 12 kills and a season-best .611 clip vs. UCSD on Oct. 24.
DIGS LEADER
Whitney Wallace leads the Big West with 4.44 digs per set and has been even better in conference play where she is averaging a league-best 4.98 digs/set. She has reached double digits in 20 consecutive matches with nine 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.
UP NEXT
UCI returns to the Bren Events Center for its final homestand of the season, hosting CSUN (Nov. 13) and Bakersfield (Nov. 14). The Anteaters will honor their three seniors - Nicole Feliciano, Lois Hansen, and Kendra MacDonald - following next Saturday's match.
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S/OPP
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OH/OPP
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OH
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MB
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MB
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L/DS
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