Women's Volleyball Heads to Fresno for Bulldog Invitational

Thursday, September 3

Fresno, Calif.

2:00 PM

UC Irvine

New Mexico State

Women's Volleyball Heads to Fresno for Bulldog Invitational

September 01, 2026 | Women's Volleyball

UC Irvine (0-3) vs.
New Mexico State (1-2)
Date: Thursday, Sept. 3
Time: 2 p.m. (PDT)
Location: Save Mart Center (15,596) - Fresno, Calif.
Live Stats

UC Irvine (0-3) vs.
Southern Utah (0-3)
Date: Friday, Sept. 4
Time: 2 p.m. (PDT)
Location: Save Mart Center (15,596) - Fresno, Calif.
Live Stats

UC Irvine (0-3) at
Fresno State (0-3)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 5
Time: 3 p.m. (PDT)
Location: Save Mart Center (15,596) - Fresno, Calif.
Watch | Live Stats

Tournament Central

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's volleyball makes their way to the Central Valley for the Bulldog Invitational, Sept. 3-5. The Anteaters start the three-day tournament Thursday against New Mexico State with first serve scheduled for 2 p.m. They return to the court Friday to face Southern Utah at 2 p.m., before taking on tournament host Fresno State Saturday at 3 p.m. All three matches will be played at Save Mart Center.

FIRST SERVE
• UCI went 0-3 against tough competition at the season-opening Husky Invitational in Seattle. The 'Eaters won the first set against Big Ten member and host Washington, 25-17, but UW came back to take the match in four. UCI then dropped a pair of 3-0 decisions to IU Indy and San Diego State, which is in its first year in the new Pac-12. Junior outside hitter Madison Triplett registered a team-high 25 kills over the three matches (2.50/set), while freshman libero Tata Vongfak finished with a team-best 30 digs (3.00/set). Vongfak started the campaign with back-to-back double-digit dig efforts, racking up 16 against the Huskies and 10 vs. the Jags.

• UC Irvine welcomes back 11 members from a 2025 squad that went 13-18 overall (8-10 Big West). Last year, the 'Eaters swept eventual Big West tournament champion and NCAA Regional participant Cal Poly, 3-0, in the regular-season finale. That victory clinched the Anteaters' spot in the six-team Big West Championship. They have made an appearance in the conference tournament every year since its inception in 2023.

• UCI brings in a talented incoming class that was ranked 36th in the nation by Prep Dig. In the middle, freshmen Taylor Boice and Vani Tatoulian will be looking to make an immediate impact. Boice, who ranks second on the team with 1.80 kills and 0.80 blocks per set, was a first-team All-CIF selection at Redondo Union High School. She also won two Open Division national championships with her club team, taking home gold in 2026 (18s) and 2024 (16s). Junior transfer Whitney Wallace and freshman Tata Vongfak are poised to fill the vacancy left by four-year starting libero and All-Big West selection Campbell Jensen. Outside hitters Kaia Ciszewski and Memphis Burnett also have the potential to contribute right away.

• UC Irvine has named three team captains in senior Nicole Feliciano, fifth-year Kendra MacDonald, and redshirt freshman Jessica Bates. Feliciano, a four-year starting setter, ranks fifth in program history with 2,654 career assists. Bates, a 5-foot-11 setter/opposite, had two triple-doubles in seven matches played last year before her season was cut short due to an injury. MacDonald is also coming off a 2025 season-ending injury and hopes to be back on the court by conference.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
New Mexico State (1-2) started the 2026 season by hosting the NMSU Volleyball Jamboree last weekend. The Aggies fell to Tulsa in four before sweeping California Baptist. NM State then made the short trek to UTEP where it dropped a 3-2 decision. Junior outside hitter Tess Fuqua leads the team with 3.00 kills per set, while junior libero Makayla Martinez has anchored the back row with 3.58 digs per set.

Southern Utah started the year in Northern California at the Saint Mary's/Cal Invite. The Thunderbirds went 0-3 as they were swept by Gonzaga and SMC, and fell to Pacific in five. In the first weekend of action, sophomore opposite Maya Banks registered a team-high 24 kills (2.18/set), and junior libero Zorana Stankovska posted 20 digs (1.82/set).

Fresno State went 0-3 at the Jim Stone Challenge in Columbus, Ohio. The Bulldogs came up short in a 3-2 thriller against Northern Kentucky prior to being swept by Ohio State and Bowling Green. Senior outside hitter Jenna Legault, who had 22 kills and 19 digs in the five-setter, finished the weekend with a team-best 3.82 kill average. Junior libero Olivia Lombardi is also tops on the squad with 3.45 digs per set.

SERIES RECORDS
UC Irvine narrowly trails in its all-time series with New Mexico State, 11-9. The two teams last met on Sept. 16, 2000, when the 'Eaters defeated the Aggies, 3-1, in Long Beach, California.

The Anteaters lead in their all-time series with Southern Utah, 4-0. Their first meeting was in 2012, while their most recent meeting was last season when UCI swept the Thunderbirds, 3-0, at the Wildcat Invitational in Ogden, Utah (Aug. 29, 2025).

UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Fresno State, 16-13, but has won three in a row. UCI and the Bulldogs most recently squared off in the Anteater Classic at the Bren Events Center on Sept. 5, 2025, with the 'Eaters earning the straight-set victory.

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
UC Irvine was picked to tie for sixth in the 2026 Big West Women's Volleyball Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Anteaters' placing mirrored where they have finished in the regular-season standings in each of the last three years. Defending Big West champion and NCAA Regional finalist Cal Poly received 11 first-place votes and 121 points to sit atop the 12-team poll.

NEW LOOK
The Big West has a new look this year with the addition of California Baptist, Sacramento State, and Utah Valley, along with the departure of Hawai'i and UC Davis to the Mountain West.

EARLY LEADER
Junior Madison Triplett led the Anteaters in kills in all three matches at the Husky Invitational. She started the campaign with nine kills on .304 hitting (9-2-23) in a 3-1 loss at Washington. Triplett also had nine kills vs. IU Indy, and a seven kill/eight dig performance against San Diego State. The 5-foot-9 outside hitter is averaging 2.50 kills and 1.50 digs per set.

FOURTH YEAR, BEST YEAR
Fourth-year senior Nicole Feliciano has been a steady presence for the 'Eaters, playing in 91 of 94 matches during her time at UCI. She ranks fifth in program history with 2,654 career assists, and is the Anteaters' active leader with 43 double-doubles. After the first weekend of the 2026 campaign, Feliciano is first on the team in assists, second in digs, and third in blocks. In her first season, Feliciano was named the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year.

IN THE MIDDLE
Middles Taylor Boice and Abby Pekrul were solid at the net for UCI last weekend. Boice, a 6-foot-3 freshman, finished with five kills, five digs, and four blocks in her collegiate debut at Washington. She then registered six kills and three blocks vs. IU Indy, and put down a season-high seven kills vs. San Diego State. After three matches, Boice ranks second on the team in kills (1.80/set) and blocks (0.80/set). Pekrul had multiple blocks in all three matches with a season-best four against IU Indy. Two of her nine total blocks were solo efforts. The 6-foot sophomore is tops on the squad with 0.90 blocks per set, while she is also averaging 1.40 kills/set.

STARTING STRONG
Freshman libero Tata Vongfak had back-to-back double-digit dig efforts to start her collegiate career. In a four-set loss at Washington, Vongfak recorded 16 digs. She followed that outing with 10 digs against IU Indy.

COMEBACK SEASON
UC Irvine is hoping 2026 will be the year of the comeback. Last season, the Anteaters lost starters Kendra MacDonald (OH) and Jessica Bates (S/OPP) to season-ending injuries early in the campaign. MacDonald was leading the team in kills when she was sidelined, while Bates had two triple-doubles in seven matches played. Outside hitter Brianna Brewer is also expected to make her long-awaited debut after missing 2024 and 2025 with injuries.

HOMEGROWN
All 17 players on UCI's roster are from California. Five also grew up locally in the Orange County area: Jessica Bates (San Clemente), Memphis Burnett (Ladera Ranch), Kaia Ciszewski (Irvine), Nicole Feliciano (Laguna Niguel), and Lois Hansen (Yorba Linda).

RUNS IN THE FAMILY
Taylor Boice and Whitney Wallace both come from volleyball families. Boice's grandmother started and owns Southern California Volleyball Club (SCVC) in Redondo Beach, and her parents played collegiately at Pepperdine. Her father also spent one season as an assistant men's volleyball coach at UC Irvine.

Wallace's brother and father played volleyball at UC Santa Barbara, while her mother played at Santa Clara. Her father was also a collegiate coach, serving as an assistant at Pepperdine, when Boice's mother was on the team. He then spent 20 years as the head coach at Santa Clara.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine returns home to host the UCI Invitational at the Bren Events Center, Sept. 11-13. The Anteaters are set to entertain LMU, Utah Tech, and San José State.