2025-26 Year in Review: Spring
7/2/2026
Men's Volleyball
Head Coach: David Kniffin, 14th Year
2026 Record: 21-9 (5-5, T-3rd Big West); NCAA Finalists
UC Irvine men's volleyball delivered one of the most memorable seasons in program history, finishing 21-9 overall, reaching their fifth NCAA Championship match, and earning a No. 2 final national ranking. From a record-breaking start to a dramatic postseason run, the Anteaters captivated the nation in 2026.
UCI wasted no time making a statement. The 'Eaters swept through the UCSB Asics Invitational, dominating Harvard, Kentucky State, and Maryville. Transfer Trevor Clark announced his arrival in impressive fashion, hitting .783 with 18 kills and zero errors over those three contests. UC Irvine would go on to open the campaign 11-0 — a new school record for consecutive wins to begin a year.
In the end, five of UCI's losses came in five sets and eight of the nine setbacks were against teams in the Top 9 nationally.
The Bren Events Center was electric all season long. The Anteaters ranked third nationally in average attendance with 2,283 fans per match. The Bren also hosted the Big West Championship where the 'Eaters fell to Long Beach State, 3-0 in the semifinals.
With the NCAA Championship expanded to 12 teams, UC Irvine earned an at-large selection and captured the Los Angeles Regional held at Pauley Pavilion. The Anteaters took down Penn State 3-2 after trailing early in the final set. Behind 3-6 in the fifth set, a bloody nose timeout proved to be a turning point. UCI reeled off the next three points to tie the match, and then rode back-to-back kills from Clark and Micah Goss to win 15-13.
Then in a moment that will be talked about for years, UCI toppled No. 1 UCLA, 3-2. Once again UC Irvine found itself down, 4-8 in the fifth set before mounting a comeback with a 5-1 run to tie it at 9-9. The Bruins held match point at 14-12, when head coach David Kniffin challenged a touch on a ball ruled out. The call was overturned, giving new life to the Anteaters who promptly capitalized on two UCLA attack errors and a kill by freshman Andreas Brinck to complete a stunning upset. Brinck finished with 17 kills — four in the fifth set alone — hitting .483 for the match.
With support from buses packed with Anteater students, UCI continued to roll. advancing to the championship match with a 3-1 victory over fourth-seeded Ball State. The 'Eaters made their fifth NCAA Final in program history, facing Big West foe Hawai'i and ultimately falling 1-3 to the Rainbow Warriors. Clark and Andrej Jokanovic were named to the NCAA All-Tournament team.
Jokanovic made his mark in his debut season, being named AVCA National Newcomer of the Year and Big West Freshman of the Year. He was also named to the All-Big West First Team and Freshman Team. He was one of six 'Eaters to earn AVCA All-America recognition, the most honors for UCI in a single season. Shane Aitken made the 12–member first team as he became just the third Anteater libero to garner first team recognition. Clark and Jokanovic were second team honorees with William D’Arcy, Micah Goss and Cameron Kosty receiving honorable mention distinction. D'Arcy joined Jokanovic on the All-Big West First Team, while Clark and Aitken were honorable mention. Kosty also landed on the All-Freshman team.
Gritty comebacks, winning streaks, and electric atmospheres in the Bren Events Center all culminated with a national runner-up finish, making the 2026 season one to remember.
Women's Track & Field
Head Coach: Jeff Perkins, 13th Year
2026 Big West Finish: 1st
UC Irvine women’s track & field successfully defended their Big West title, running away with their second-straight conference championship. The Anteaters shattered the program record with 187.5 points, giving them a 61.5-point margin over second-place Cal State Fullerton.
The ‘Eaters had the Big West’s first podium sweep in the heptathlon since 2015. Joy Anderson won the title with a school-record 5,750 points, while Jolie Robinson was the runner-up with a personal-best score of 5,647, which ranks second in program history. Jazzmine Davis and Zharia Taylor were also third and fourth, respectively.
UCI continued its dominance the following weekend with five more individual titles - Nyla Baker (shot put), Zharia Taylor (high jump), Kaia Schmidt (steeplechase), Emma Hadley (1500m), and Halle Sutherland (200m). Davis, Sutherland, Sam Bartz, and Catalina Teran also won gold in the 4x100 relay.
Thirteen Anteaters advanced to the NCAA West First Round, while Anderson and Robinson were NCAA Championship qualifiers in the heptathlon. They both earned honorable mention All-America distinction with their performances at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.
UC Irvine broke five outdoor school records in 2026. Bartz topped the charts in the 100m with a time of 11.40 seconds. Hernon set the 400m standard three times during the year, finishing with a best of 53.61. Schmidt ran a program-best 10:16.88 in the steeple and Anderson took down a 17-year-old record in the heptathlon. Hernon, Ihe Okoh, Teran, and Esmeray Demirbas rounded out the group with a school-record 3:39.01 in the 4x400 relay.
Jeff Perkins received his second-straight Big West Women’s Track & Field Coach of the Year award, while Joy Anderson was tabbed the Freshman of the Year.
UC Irvine had 25 student-athletes named to the Big West Spring All-Academic Team. DeAna Davis, Zharia Taylor, Emma Hadley, Aoife Hernon, Giselle Rodriguez, and Kaia Schmidt were also recognized with CSC Academic All-District honors.
Men's Track & Field
Head Coach: Jeff Perkins, 13th Year
2026 Big West Finish: 4th
UC Irvine men’s track & field had their best conference finish since 1992 with a fourth-place showing at the Big West Championships.
Senior Kenechukwu Okonkwo led UCI’s All-Big West performers (top-three) with a wire-to-wire victory in the triple jump. He became the Anteaters’ second Big West triple jump champion and first since 1983. Overall, the ‘Eaters had five podium finishes. Sophomore Justin Johnson took home silver in the 200m, while he joined Logan Lyght, Brendan Clark, and Brandon Burns to claim runner-up honors in the 4x100 relay. Graduate student Joe Duggan (discus) and senior AJ Taylor (110H) also won bronze in their respective events.
Five Anteaters qualified for the NCAA West First Round in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Okonkwo was 21st in the triple jump, Johnson finished 26th in the 200m, and Lyght was 27th in the 110m hurdles. In the throws, graduate student Darrin Campbell placed 29th in the javelin, while Duggan took 32nd in the discus.
During the regular season, UC Irvine set 15 marks that rank among the top-10 in program history, highlighted by a school record in the 4x100 relay. Burns, Johnson, Lyght, and Clark combined for UCI’s first sub-40 second race, taking down a 45-year-old standard with a time of 39.84. Johnson and Burns also made their way into the top-five in both the 100m and 200m with Johnson ranking second in both events.
Eleven ‘Eaters were named to the Big West Spring All-Academic Team, including graduate student Joshua Schuld, who also earned CSC Academic All-District honors for the second year in a row.
Men's Tennis
Head Coach: Mike Saunders, 11th Year
2026 Record: 14-8 (5-1, T-1st Big West)
UC Irvine men’s tennis went 5-1 in conference to clinch a share of the Big West regular season championship. It was the fifth-straight year the Anteaters won either a conference tournament (2022, 2024, 2025) or regular season (2023, 2026) title. They also went 14-8 overall, marking their ninth-consecutive winning campaign.
UCI entered the Big West Championship as the No. 2 seed and defeated No. 3 Cal Poly, 4-1, in the semifinals. In their fifth-straight tournament final, the ‘Eaters fell to top-seeded and 36th-ranked UC Santa Barbara.
Graduate student Hiroki Sakagawa was named the Big West Player of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors for the second time in his career. Sakagawa, who missed the 2025 season with an injury, made his presence felt in his return to the court, leading the squad with a 14-3 singles record (5-0 Big West), all at the top of the lineup. He had two ranked wins, upending No. 87 Lucca Liu of UC Santa Barbara and No. 103 Manvydas Balciunas of San Diego. Sakagawa took home four Big West Player of the Week awards during the regular season.
Junior Max Fardanesh and graduate student Tal Goodman made the All-Big West Second Team in singles, while freshman Greg Gamal garnered honorable mention distinction. Gamal went 13-4, playing primarily at No. 6 in his first collegiate season. Fardanesh also teamed up with graduate student Rohan Sachdev to secure first-team All-Big West honors in doubles. Goodman/Sakagawa received a second-team nod. In addition, Fardanesh won his first career Big West Player of the Week award on March 18.
UC Irvine closed out the campaign at No. 75 in the ITA National Team Rankings and at No. 10 in the ITA Southwest Region Poll. Individually, Sakagawa was 20th in the regional singles rankings. Off the court, four ‘Eaters made the Big West Spring All-Academic Team. Fardanesh and sophomore Ruining Huang were also CSC Academic All-District selections.
Women's Tennis
Head Coach: Elizabeth Ferris, 10th Year
2026 Record: 12-10 (3-6, T-7th Big West)
UC Irvine women's tennis enjoyed one of its most successful seasons in recent history, going 12-10 overall (3-6 Big West). A seven-match win streak from Feb. 20-March 7, which was UCI's longest since 2013-14, propelled the Anteaters to their most dual wins in seven years.
Two of UC Irvine's 12 victories came against ranked opponents. On March 27, the 'Eaters made the trek to Honolulu and came away with a 4-3 road victory over No. 64 Hawai'i. UCI bounced back from a 3-1 deficit with Carolyna Fowler delivering a 7-5, 7-6 (4) win on court three to complete the upset. On Senior Day (April 12), the Anteaters took down No. 73 Cal Poly, 4-3. Due to a rain delay, singles were played first with each side winning three matches. It then came down to doubles where the senior duo of Fowler and Amanda Perez finished off a match-clinching 6-3 victory at the top of the lineup. UC Irvine's last ranked win was in 2014.
Three 'Eaters earned All-Big West honors. Yen Nhi Huynh made the second team in singles, while Fowler/Perez landed on the second team in doubles. It was the third career postseason award for Fowler and second for Huynh.
Six Anteaters were named to the Big West Spring All-Academic Team. Haily Huynh, Maily Huynh, Yen Nhi Huynh, and Bella Pitchford were also CSC Academic All-District selections.
Men's Golf
Head Coach: Paul Smolinski, 28th Year
2026 Big West Finish: 3rd
UC Irvine men’s golf took third at the Big West Championships at La Quinta Country Club. The Anteaters, who were seeded 10th, placed among the top-three in the conference tournament for the second-straight year. It was also their highest finish of the season. UCI combined for a 5-count-4 total of 868 (293-284-291), coming in five strokes behind runner-up Cal Poly. Senior Rei Harashima paced the ‘Eaters as he carded a 4-under 212 (74-67-71) to tie for seventh. It was his third consecutive top-10 Big West showing. Junior Jason Tang also had a career-best conference finish, tying for 23rd.
Harashima earned his fourth career All-Big West honor as he received second-team distinction. He closed out the campaign with 16 rounds at or below par and a team-leading 72.61 scoring average. Harashima had a season-best 54-hole score to par at 6-under (74-68-68) to tie for fifth at the UC San Diego Invitational. He also shot a 4-under 209 (69-69-71) at the Ka’anapali Classic during the fall. As a team, UC Irvine had its best 5-count-4 total at the season-opening Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational where it registered a 1-over 865 (287-288-290).
Off the course, Harashima and Tang were both CSC Academic All-District selections. In addition, they were joined by Owen Davis-Piger, Tommy Lin, and Jack Yu on the Big West Spring All-Academic Team.
Women's Golf
Head Coach: Margo Dionisio, 4th Year
2026 Big West Finish: 6th
It was another successful season for the UC Irvine women’s golf team. The Anteaters had four Top 5 team finishes, including a season-best second at the San Diego State Classic. Individually, UCI had 13 top-20 performances with seven in the Top 10. The 'Eaters posted rounds in the 60s seven times during the 2025-26 season.
The Anteaters capped the fall season with a third-place finish at the Golf Iconic Classic held at the New Mexico State Golf Course. They shot a school-record 279 on the second round and ended with a three-day total of 859 (284-279-296), which was the third-best 54-hole score in the UCI record books. The first round of 284 was also tied for the fourth lowest in school history. Katelyn Kong carded an impressive five-under par 67 with five birdies on the first day, tying for sixth-best all-time at UC Irvine. The school record round of 279 came courtesy of HaYoung Lee (68), Katherine Gerbing (69), Jenny Chang (70) and Kong (72).
UC Irvine started the spring schedule with a second-place performance at the San Diego State Classic with a score of 872 (284-294-294). The Anteaters' first round of 284 added to the record book. Graduate student Jenny Chang led the way with a 68 on her way to a career-best fourth-place finish (213).
The 'Eaters ended the year with a sixth-place finish at the Big West Championship held at the Ka'anapali Golf Resort with a three-day total of 879 (295-295-289). Chang paced UCI in a tie for 10th place with a 54-hole score of 218.
Katelyn Kong was selected to the All-Big West second team, while Jenny Chang and Katherine Gerbing were named honorable mention. Kong, the Big West Golfer of the Month for October, led the Anteaters with a 72.75 scoring average over 24 rounds. She also participated in the Augusta National Women's Amateur in April and played in the 81st U.S. Women's Open Championship at the Riviera Country Club in early June.
Four 'Eaters were named to the Big West Spring All-Academic Team, including Kong, who was also a CSC Academic All-District selection.
Women's Water Polo
Head Coach: Dan Klatt, 22nd Year
2026 Record: 13-14 (4-3, 4th Big West)
UC Irvine women’s water polo finished fourth in the Big West with a 4-3 conference record. On the year, they scored 338 goals in 27 games, the seventh-highest single-season total in program history. The Anteaters showcased a strong offensive campaign, outscoring their opponents in every quarter over the course of the season with advantages of 94-87 in the first, 82-67 in the second, 80-64 in the third, and 75-69 in the fourth. UCI, which consistently controlled games on both ends of the pool, also recorded more steals (223) and assists (211) than its opponents.
Several 'Eaters recorded career bests this season. Lauren Hett led the way, setting new single-season highs with 73 goals and 112 points, surpassing her previous marks of 67 goals and 97 points from a year ago. Sara Naulty also delivered a standout campaign, finishing with 37 goals and 29 assists, surpassing her prior best of 33 goals and 26 assists from last season. Pippa Heaver (22), Madi O'Hara (35), Deirdre Murphy (29), and Annabelle Mundelius (18) each added to the surge, recording new single-season highs in goals.
Lauren Hett's 73 goals rank second all-time at UCI for single-season scoring, just one shy of the program record of 74 set by Tara Prentice (2022) and Jessy Cardey (2012). The attacker earned All-America Honorable Mention distinction, the second recognition in her career. The 'Eaters also made history in the Big West Championship quarterfinals on April 10, erupting for 22 goals against UC San Diego. That total set a new program record for most goals in a conference tournament game, surpassing the previous mark of 18. It also tied the all-time Big West Championship single-game record set by Long Beach State last season. In addition, the 22 goals stand as the sixth-highest single-game total in program history.
The Anteaters received one Big West Player of the Week honor during the regular season. Lauren Hett earned her fourth career Big West weekly award on Feb. 25 after a six-point performance against UC San Diego (Feb. 20). She netted four goals and dished out two assists to lead the 'Eaters to their first conference win of the season. Additionally, UC Irvine received four All-Big West honors. Hett landed on the All-Big West First Team, while Madi O'Hara and Sara Naulty earned spots on the All-Big West Second Team. Michelle Urkov was an All-Freshman Team selection.
Baseball
Head Coach: Ben Orloff, 8th Year
2026 Record: 25-27 (14-16, T-6th Big West)
UC Irvine baseball produced highlights amongst a 25-27 season where the ‘Eaters finished sixth in the Big West. The Anteaters started off strong, winning its first five games including a victory over ACC foe California. They also impressed at the Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Baseball Classic, defeating No. 22 Vanderbilt of the SEC and No. 24 Oregon of the Big Ten.
UCI hit a slump midseason setting them back in the conference race and was unable to make up ground despite wins over eventual Big West regular season champions UC Santa Barbara and tournament winners Cal Poly, in addition to a non-conference upset of No. 21 USC. The ’Eaters fell one game short of the Big West Championship field.
Anteater pitching paved the way behind All-Big West Honorable Mention arms Trevor Hansen (7-4, 4.94, 96 K), who once again started every weekend and struck out a career high 11 in the season opener, and Ricky Ojeda (3-3, 3.77, 3 saves), who excelled as a starter including seven dominant innings vs. No. 24 Oregon and was unhittable in relief outings.
Efren Ortega was also an All-Big West Honorable Mention after his team-leading .306 average and a .365 average in Big West play which ranked the first-year Anteater catcher third in the conference. Ortega also garnered CSC Academic All-District Team honors. Frankie Carney topped the list on the All-Big West Second Team saving his best performances against top competition. Other notables were Alonso Reyes and Zach Fjelstad, who were the only two 'Eaters to start and play in all 52 games, and between them led the team in hits, runs, RBIs, walks, and hit by pitch.
