Anteater Update: September 21
9/21/2026
September 21, 2026
National Rankings
Men's Water Polo - No. 13
• Men's soccer went 2-0 in a pair of matches on the road against Pac-12 competition. Things started Thursday at UC Riverside with two second-half strikes, both from Zac Smuck and assisted by James Arteaga while the defense allowed one total shot for a 2-0 victory. Sunday at UC San Diego, the Tritons had allowed one goal all season in their six matches, and Ferran Duran alone scored twice on them with brilliant assists from Marcus Lee and Gage Lyons to secure another 2-0 win. Scott Williams in net posted both shutouts needing three saves over the matches to do it. Next up is the final match before Big West play starts, taking on another Pac-12 foe, California Baptist, with a 6:00 p.m. kickoff in Anteater Stadium on Thursday, September 24.
• Women's soccer completed non-conference play with a record of 2-3-2 following a 4-1 home victory Thursday night over Fresno State. It was Senior Night and the ‘Eaters honored their two seniors - Kelsey Swyney and Sara Paul. Paul got her first-ever Division I minutes subbing it at halftime and took home the win as well. The ’Eaters led early on a Clara Samson goal before drawing even by halftime, but third-year Oona Hartman scored twice in the first 25 minutes of the second half, her first two career goals, to spark the rally, and Fiona Shin finished off a three-point night with a goal in the 81st minute for the fourth goal. The 'Eaters jump into conference action this week with a 10:00 a.m. kickoff Wednesday, September 23 at Sacramento State before the first home match in front of the UC Irvine students Saturday, September 26 at 6:00 p.m. kickoff
• Men’s water polo (9-5) went 2-2 at the MPSF Invitational with two upset victories over No. 6 UC Davis and No. 11 San Jose State. The ‘Eaters started the weekend off with a bang with a 14-10 upset victory over former conference foe No. 6 UC Davis on Friday night. UCI then fell to No. 4 Cal, 16-8, and No. 9 UC San Diego, 11-9, on Saturday. The Anteaters then downed No. 11 San Jose State, 15-14, in an overtime thriller to complete their second upset of the weekend. Senior Gage Verdegaal came up big against the Aggies, leading the offense with four goals. Senior Alex Lopez led the way against the Spartans with five goals. The 'Eaters return to action as they host the UCI Mini Tournament this weekend, Sept. 26, where they will face LMU (10:20 a.m.) and Santa Clara (3 p.m.) at Anteater Aquatics Complex.
• Women's volleyball (2-9) split two matches at The Rebel Challenge in the final week of non-conference play. The Anteaters defeated Southeastern Louisiana, 3-1, before falling to tournament host UNLV in four. Madison Triplett averaged 3.63 kills per set and was named to the all-tournament team. Whitney Wallace also registered a team-best 5.38 digs per set. The 'Eaters are back at the Bren Events Center this weekend where they will start Big West action against Black & Blue Rival Long Beach State (Friday, Sept. 25) and Cal State Fullerton (Saturday, Sept. 26).
• Women's cross country won the 6K team title and claimed runner-up honors in the 5K this past Saturday at the UC Riverside Invitational. In the 6K, Emma Hadley was the individual champion, leading the 269-runner field by five seconds. She crossed the line in a personal-record 20:09.9, which moved her up six spots to No. 4 in program history. Grace Baxter also cracked UCI's all-time top-10, coming in at No. 7 with a lifetime-best 20:27.7. Seven other 'Eaters established PRs. In the 5K, Kaitlin Kenney led the way, placing second overall and first among collegiate athletes in a personal-best 17:39.1.
• Juan Chantaca led the UC Irvine men's cross country team with a top-20 showing at the UC Riverside Invitational. Chantaca, who was making his season debut, covered the 8K course in 24:01.6 to place 16th out of 219. Javin Schmitt (24:39.6) and Ziyad Abdallah (24:41.0) also clocked personal bests.
• Women’s golf opened the 2026-27 campaign with an 11th place finish at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational. The Anteaters carded a 54-hole team total of 896 (299-299-298). UCI ranked seventh in the field with 38 birdies and recorded 152 pars. Zoe Sprecher led the squad, tying for 10th after finishing at even-par 216 (71-71-74). Jio Yoo also placed well in her collegiate debut, tying for 28th with a 54-hole score of 221 (72-75-74). The ‘Eaters kick off action at their second tournament of the year today, Sept. 21, at the Golfweek Red Sky Classic in Wolcott, Colo.
• Men’s golf kicked off the 2026-27 campaign today, Sept. 21, with Rounds 1 and 2 of the CDA National Reserve in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, hosted by Eastern Washington University. The Anteaters will conclude the tournament, Tuesday, Sept. 22 with Round 3. Both days feature a shotgun start time of 8:30 a.m.
September 14, 2026
National Rankings
Men's Water Polo - No. 13
• Men's soccer fell twice last week in home matches, now 2-3-1 to start the season. UCI held an early lead against No. 9 San Diego before allowing a pair of second-half goals in a 2-1 defeat. Sunday, the 'Eaters dominated on the stat sheet with 10 more shots and corner kicks than UNLV, but the visiting Rebels went home with the 2-0 victory. UCI plays a pair of familiar foes in non-conference action this week with road trips to Pac-12 members UC Riverside, Thursday, Sept. 17 at 7:30 p.m., and a Sunday night 7:00 p.m. match at UC San Diego, Sept. 20
• Women's soccer honored teammate Jenika Davis in Thursday's match for Cancer Awareness and part of the campus' Anti-Cancer Challenge. UCI got a 10th-minute goal from Fiona Shin, but eventually fell to San Diego, 3-1. Big news off the field as 2021 alum Scarlett Camberos was nominated for the women's Ballon d'Or given to the top footballer in the world. She is 1 of 30 nominated for it globally and the first player of Mexican descent to receive the recognition as was her club, Club America, the first Mexican club to receive consideration. For UC Irvine, they finish up non-conference action Thursday night in Anteater Stadium, Sept. 17 at 6:00 p.m., and will recognize their seniors, Kelsey Swyney and Sara Paul.
• Men’s water polo went 0-2 (7-3 overall) against the nation’s top two teams this weekend, No. 1 UCLA and No. 2 USC. The ‘Eaters put up an impressive fight against the Bruins on Friday afternoon, falling by just two goals, 16-14. UCI then faced the Trojans the following day, dropping the contest 24-15. Junior Cole Francisco led the way with nine points on four goals and five assists, while senior Wyley Dale and junior Brody Luke each tallied seven points, recording four goals and three assists on the weekend. Sophomore Vincent Vega got the start in net for both games, making 17 saves and recording one steal while posting a 10.67 goals-against average across 48 minutes of action. The ‘Eaters return to action this weekend, Sept. 18-20, traveling to Palo Alto, Calif., for the MPSF Invitational.
• Women's volleyball (1-8) hosted three matches at the Bren Events Center this past weekend. The Anteaters came up short in a couple five-setters against LMU and San Jose State, while falling to Utah Tech in three. Junior libero Whitney Wallace averaged a team-leading 4.85 digs per set on the weekend. She had a career-high 30 digs against the Spartans and 22 vs. the Trailblazers. Freshman middle Taylor Boice also paced the 'Eaters at the net with 2.69 kills and 1.08 blocks per set. UCI will close out its non-conference schedule this weekend when it heads to Las Vegas to face Southeastern Louisiana University and UNLV.
• Men's and women's cross country are back in action this weekend, making the first of their three trips to the UCR Ag/Ops Course for the UC Riverside Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 19.
• Women’s golf kicked off the 2026-27 campaign today, Sept. 14, with Rounds 1 and 2 of the 2026 Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., hosted by the University of New Mexico. The ‘Eaters will conclude the tournament Tuesday, Sept. 15, with Round 3. Both days feature a 7:30 a.m. shotgun start.
• Men’s golf will kick off the 2026-27 season early next week, competing Monday, Sept. 21, and Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the CDA National Reserve Invitational in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, hosted by Eastern Washington University.
September 8, 2026
National Rankings
Men's Water Polo - No. 13
• Men's soccer took its first loss of 2026 falling 2-1 to a Missouri State squad that was receiving national votes just like UC Irvine was. Ferran Duran scored his first career goal and point in the loss in his first collegiate start. The rankings refreshed on Tuesday with UCI no longer receiving votes, but prepared to take on No. 7 San Diego Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. following by Sunday, September 13 hosting UNLV.
• Women's soccer got their first win of 2026 traveling to Southern Utah. An 86th-minute winner by Mimi Dominguez for her first career goal and point for the ‘Eaters helping UCI win, 1-0, and Savanna Arruda made three spectacular saves to earn the shutout. One match upcoming for the Anteaters hosting San Diego Thursday, September 10, in the program’s Cancer Awareness Night and Anti-Cancer Challenge in support of senior Jenika Davis's battle and recovery from Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
• Men’s water polo went undefeated with a perfect 4-0 record at the Inland Empire Classic this past weekend, improving to 7-1 overall and extending its winning streak to five games. The ‘Eaters opened the tournament with a 16-6 victory over host Redlands before cruising past Cal Lutheran, 19-8, on Friday. UCI continued its momentum on Saturday, defeating Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 12-5, before closing out the weekend with a 12-8 win over Pomona-Pitzer. Senior attacker Gage Verdegaal led the Anteaters’ offense with 11 points on five goals and six assists, while senior center Wyley Dale added 10 points on nine goals and one assist. The ‘Eaters return home to the Anteater Aquatics Complex this week to host No. 1 UCLA on Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. UCI will then travel to Los Angeles to take on No. 2 USC on Sept. 12 at 1 p.m.
• Women's volleyball (1-5) picked up their first win of the season with a dominant 25-12, 25-18, 25-12 sweep of Southern Utah at the Bulldog Invitational in Fresno. The Anteaters hit a season-best .415 (45-6-94) and held SUU to .138 (26-14-87). They also outblocked the Thunderbirds, 9-2. Freshman Taylor Boice led a balanced attack with a match-high 10 kills. She did not commit an error on 14 swings for a .714 percentage, which was the best by an 'Eater since 2023. Boice had an impressive tournament, averaging a team-best 3.25 kills and 1.00 blocks per set, while hitting .516 over three matches. UC Irvine returns to the Bren Events Center to host LMU (Sept. 11), Utah Tech (Sept. 12), and San Jose State (Sept. 13) this weekend.
• Cross country started their 2026 season at the Aztec Coastal Classic in San Diego on Sept. 3. Sophomore Grace Baxter led the way, finishing sixth in the women's 5K. She ran a personal-record 17:41.6. Sophomore Javin Schmitt (22:06.9) and senior Jimmy Markowicz (22:12.0) also had top-10 showings in the men's 7K race.
• Women’s golf opens tournament competition early next week, competing Monday, Sept. 14, and Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 8 a.m. at the 2026 McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., hosted by the University of New Mexico.
August 31, 2026
National Rankings
Men's Water Polo - No. 13
• Men's soccer had its third straight three-goal game to start the season with a Sunday night 3-0 win over Pacific. Gage Lyons scored the opener and game-winner in the ninth minute off a brilliant Brady Treinen cross, Marcus Lee finished a tactically-sound team goal to go up 2-0 in the 71st minute, and the cherry on top was a penalty goal in the 88th minute by Javier Bedolla Vera for his first career goal and point for the freshman. Scott Williams made his Anteater debut in net pitching the shutout on two saves for the sixth-year keeper, and Spanish transfer Ferran Duran made his UCI debut as well. UCI has a big test this week as undefeated Missouri State comes to Anteater Stadium for a 6:00 p.m. matchup on Saturday, September 5.
• Women's soccer played twice last week with a 2-0 loss at Washington State and ending the week with a dramatic, late-game equalizer by Chifumi Sasaki Sunday for a 1-1 draw vs. Grand Canyon. They head to Southern Utah for their only upcoming match this week on Thursday, September 3 and a 3:00 p.m. PT kickoff.
• Men’s water polo opened the 2026 campaign with a 3-1 record at the season-opening UCI Invitational this past weekend. The ’Eaters got off to a strong start Friday morning, defeating Chapman, 29-4, while setting a program record for goals scored in a single game. UCI continued its momentum later that afternoon with a 13-9 victory over George Washington. The Anteaters faced their toughest test of the weekend Saturday morning, falling to No. 3 Stanford, 22-12. UCI quickly bounced back, closing out the weekend on a high note with a 16-9 win over Concordia. Senior attacker Johann Thrall led the ’Eaters offensively with 15 points on 11 goals and four assists, while senior attacker Gage Verdegaal added 11 points on nine goals and two assists. Freshman goalkeeper Nico Assalian also made an impressive collegiate debut, posting a 3-1 record in his first weekend of action. Assalian recorded 36 saves in 104:00 minutes, finished with a 10.46 goals-against average, and contributed six assists and two steals. The ’Eaters return to action this weekend at the Inland Empire Classic. UCI will face Redlands and Cal Lutheran on Sept. 4 before taking on Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Pomona-Pitzer on Sept. 5.
• Women's volleyball went 0-3 against stiff competition at the season-opening Husky Invitational in Seattle this past weekend. The Anteaters fell to Big Ten member Washington, IU Indy, and San Diego State, which is in its first year in the new Pac-12. Outside hitter Madison Triplett led UC Irvine in kills in all three matches, averaging 2.50 per set. Libero Tata Vongfak also registered a team-best 3.00 digs per set. UCI is back in action this week, traveling to the Central Valley for the Bulldog Invitational where it will face New Mexico State (Sept. 3), Southern Utah (Sept. 4), and Fresno State (Sept. 5).
• Cross country is ready to kick off the 2026 campaign at the Aztec Coastal Classic in San Diego on Thursday, Sept. 3. The men's 7K race is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start, while the women's 5K will follow at 6:30 p.m.
August 25, 2026
National Rankings
Men's Water Polo - No. 13
• Men's soccer began their 2026 season with a bang drawing with No. 19 Oregon State, 3-3, Thursday night in Anteater Stadium. Goals from Gage Lyons, Isaac Powell, and Cristian Gallo helped power the ‘Eaters. They returned for a Monday night matchup defeating LMU, 3-1, on the back of Brady Treinen’s two assists and a game-winning goal and assist by Gage Lyons. UCI heads out on the road to play at Pacific on Sunday, August 30 at 7:00 p.m.
• Men's basketball completed their international trip at the William Jones Cup in Taiwan with a second-place finish. UCI finished top of their pool with a 6-0 record, and rode a 21-point game by Tama Isaac to a semifinal win over Chinese Taipei Blue before falling to the professional side, Wonju DB New Generation from South Korea in the final, 98-78.
• Women's soccer took on the No. 1 team in the nation falling at their place, 6-0. The 'Eaters are back on the road at Pac-12 side Washington State Thursday, August 27 at 6:00 p.m. before a Sunday 1:00 p.m. match in Anteater Stadium vs. Grand Canyon to finish the week.
• After hosting exhibition matches against No. 20 USC and Concordia University Irvine, the Anteater women's volleyball team will officially kick off the 2026 season this weekend. UCI heads to Seattle where it will face the University of Washington (Aug. 28), IU Indy (Aug. 29), and San Diego State (Aug. 30).
• Men's water polo opens the 2026 season this weekend, Aug. 28-29, by hosting the UCI Invitational at Anteater Aquatics Complex. The Anteaters will face Chapman, George Washington, Stanford, and Concordia over the two-day tournament. UC Irvine enters the season ranked No. 13 in the preseason CWPA national poll and was picked to finish second in the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll. Junior Cole Francisco also earned a spot on the Big West All-Preseason Team ahead of the 2026 campaign.
August 17, 2026
• The first competitive action of the 2026-27 school year came from women's soccer who opened at home vs. Utah Tech last Wednesday with a 1-1 draw. The 'Eaters also hosted a pair of exhibition matches with a 0-0 draw vs. Big XII side Arizona followed by a 5-1 win against University Drive rival Concordia Irvine. Coming up next is a trip to face the No. 1 team in the nation and the 2025 NCAA runner-up, Stanford, Sunday at 1:00 p.m..
• Men's basketball took off on their journey back to the William Jones Cup in Taiwan after winning the tournament back in 2023. UCI plays six pool play matches before the medal rounds begin on August 21 against teams from Chinese Taipei, Japan, Philippines, Jordan, and Malaysia. The ‘Eaters are three games in securing wins over Chinese Taipei’s White team (88-67), Jordan (84-66), and Malaysia (87-55), and will play each one of them again on August 18 and 19 ahead of the medal rounds.
• Women's volleyball will host Concordia in their second and final exhibition match this Saturday, Aug. 22. First serve is set for 3 p.m. at the Bren Events Center. Admission is complimentary.
• Men's soccer has also played some exhibitions starting last week when they went to UCLA and came away with a 1-0 victory on a 64th-minute goal by Zac Smuck. UCI hosted a semi-pro side defeating them in a scrimmage-style matchup. Next on the horizon are the real matches starting Thursday, August 20 in Anteater Stadium with No. 19 Oregon State coming to town for a 6:00 p.m. kickoff. UCI will also host LMU on Monday, August 24, at 6:00 p.m. in its opening week.
