IRVINE, Calif. -- Â After winning the first two sets, No. 5 UC Irvine watched No. 4 USC win the final three (26-24, 25-22, 16-25, 19-25, 16-18) to hand the Anteaters their first loss of the season at the Bren Events Center Wednesday in front of 2,120 fans.
The Anteaters hit a season-low .221 (62-28-154) and had a season-low three aces plus 17 service errors, including three in the fifth set.
UCI snaps an 11-match winning streak and is the first loss to the Trojans in the last six meetings.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
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William D'Arcy recorded his seventh straight double-digit kill night with a team-best 17. He totaled seven digs and four total blocks (1 solo)
>Outside hitter
Andrej Jokanovic had his second career double-double with 16 kills and career-high 12 digs
>Middle blocker
Micah Goss was impressive with a career-high 14 kills and five block assists
>Middle blocker
Lukas Winn put down a career-high six kills and had three total blocks, including his first career solo rejection
>Setter
Cameron Kosty totaled 45 set assists, six digs and hit .625 with five kills on eight swings
>Libero
Shane Aitken returned to the lineup and had six kills
>USC, who remained unbeaten at 8-0, was led by Dillon Klein's 24 kills
>The Trojans out-hit (.326-.221), out-blocked (14-10) and out-dug (48-40) the Anteaters
FIRST SET
>USC took the early 7-4 lead on a pair of kills and an ace
>UCI battled back on two kills from
William D'Arcy and a dump by
Cameron Kosty to tie it at 7
>The Trojans followed with five straight, three on kills and two on UCI attack errors to move back out to an 11-7 lead
>A kill by
Andrej Jokanovic stopped the momentum then after another Trojan kill UCI had kills by
Lukas Winn and Jokanovic to inch closer, 11-13
>A 4-1 run by USC once again gave the Trojans control 18-12
>A kill by D'Arcy, an ace by Kosty and a smash by
Micah Goss on an overpass tied the set at 21
>Out of timeout, USC answered on an Anteater service error and a kill, 23-21
>The Anteaters wouldn't go away with USC holding set point, 24-22, UCI scored the final four on a kill by D'Arcy, a solo block by Winn, a kill by
Andon Kiriakou and a Trojan attack that sailed long for the comeback victory, 26-24
SECOND SET
>UCI started with a quick 3-1 lead highlighted by a kill and block assist by Jokanovic
>A pair of Goss kills on either side of D'Arcy kill stretched the advantage to 6-3
>UCI would get to the media timeout holding a 15-11 lead after a kill by Goss was followed by a USC attack error and a block by D'Arcy and Goss
>Out of the break, UCI had another block this one by Goss and Jokanovic, 16-11
>The Anteaters increased the margin to 20-13Â after kills by Goss and D'Arcy and a triple block by Winn, D'Arcy and Kiriakou
>The blockfest continued with a solo from D'Arcy then he fired an ace to put UCI up 22-14
>USC came alive with seven in a row, including five blocks, a kill and an ace to creep within 22-23
>A USC service and setting error handed UCI the set 25-22
THIRD SET
>The teams would go point for point and be tied 5-5 until USC went on a 7-0 run, which included four Anteater attack errors, one a block, to open an 11-5 lead
>Four more in a row by USC, two blocks and another attack error pushed USC to 22-13
>USC would roll to a 25-16 win
>The Anteaters hit .071 (10-8-28) to USC's .650 (14-1-20)
FOURTH SET
>Three kills and an Anteater attack error gave USC a quick 5-1 lead
>Back-to-back UCI blocks, both assisted by Goss closed the gap to 6-7 only to watch the Trojans score the next three on a kill and two blocks, 10-7
>UCI couldn't string more than two points in a row together and stop the Trojan attack as USC would win 25-19 to force a fifth set
FIFTH SET
>A kill on an overpass by Dillon Klein gave USC the 5-3 lead
>A kill by Goss in the middle was followed by a USC attack error to knot the score at 6-6
>Two more kills by USC put the Trojans at 8-6 on the crossover then a UCI attack error extended the lead to 9-6
>Two kills by Goss and one by Jokanovic tied it at 9s
>USC would score the next two then give it right back with two errors, 11-11
>Tied at 12-12, USC used a kill and a UCI attack error to get to set point, 14-12
>After a service error, the Trojans had an attack error allowing UCI back in 14-14
>A UCI service error and a USC kill ended the set and match, 18-16
NOTES
>UCI is 3-1 in five setters this season
>The Anteaters won Set 2 for the first time in four matches
>UCI has recorded double-digit blocks in five of the last six matches
>Jokanovic did not record an ace for the first time in his 12 match career
UP NEXT
The teams will meet again on Friday (Feb. 13) at the Galen Center with a 7:00 p.m. first serve.