Friday, September 25
Irvine, Calif.
6:00 PM
UC Irvine
vs
Long Beach State
'Eaters Open Big West Play at Home This Weekend
September 23, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
Long Beach State (8-2, 0-0 Big West) at
UC Irvine (2-9, 0-0 Big West)
Date:Â Friday, Sept. 25
Time:Â 6 p.m. (PDT)
Location:Â Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Cal State Fullerton (5-8, 0-0 Big West) at
UC Irvine (2-9, 0-0 Big West)
Date:Â Saturday, Sept. 26
Time:Â 5 p.m. (PDT)
Location:Â Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Promotional Schedule
IRVINE, Calif. -Â The UC Irvine women's volleyball team kicks off Big West play at home, starting with a Black & Blue Rivalry match against Long Beach State on Friday, Sept. 25. First serve is set for 6 p.m. The Anteaters are right back in the Bren Events Center on Saturday, Sept. 26, for a 5 p.m. showdown with in-county foe Cal State Fullerton.
FIRST SERVE
• Junior libero Whitney Wallace was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 5.38 digs per set at The Rebel Challenge (Sept. 18-19). Wallace started the tournament with 18 digs in a 3-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana. She came back the next day to record a match-high 25 digs in a four-set loss to host UNLV. It was her fourth 20-dig effort of the season, and third in her last four outings. Junior outside hitter Madison Triplett, who was named to The Rebel Challenge All-Tournament Team, paced the UCI offense with 3.63 kills per set. She tallied a match-high 13 kills against the Lions before putting away 16, which was one shy of her season high, against the Rebels. Triplett has reached double digits in kills in each of the last three matches.
• UC Irvine has a young team with nearly half of the roster comprised of true (5) and redshirt (3) freshmen. Six of the eight have started at least five matches. First-year middles Taylor Boice and Vani Tatoulian have been a force at the net for the 'Eaters. Boice, who has started every match, is tops on the squad with 2.56 kills per set and a .328 hitting percentage. Tatoulian, who has started five of the last six, also leads the team with 1.00 blocks per set. She had a career-high 10 blocks (1 solo, 9 assists) against San José State on Sept. 13.
• Senior setter Nicole Feliciano is coming off two of her best all-around outings of the season. In the win over Southeastern Louisiana last Friday, Feliciano recorded her fourth double-double of the year and 47th of her career with 22 assists and 11 kills. She also had seven digs and three blocks. It was Feliciano's first double-double with kills/assists. Against UNLV, she totaled a team-best 24 assists and three aces to go along with three kills and two blocks. In 2026, the fourth-year starter is averaging 4.38 assists, 2.38 digs, and 1.16 kills per set.
• UCI ranks among the top-five in the 12-member Big West in digs (3rd, 14.74/set) and opponent hitting percentage (4th, .196).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
After dropping its first two matches of the season to UCLA, Long Beach State (8-2, 0-0 Big West) has won eight in a row. The Beach closed out non-conference action with back-to-back victories at Washington State last week. Sophomore outside Sidney Hamaker is tops on the squad with 3.59 kills per set, while junior setter Madi Maxwell is averaging a team-best 7.72 assists and 3.44 digs.
Cal State Fullerton lost four of its last five to drop to 5-8 on the year. Freshman outside Bella Rising has paced the Titans' offense with 3.15 kills per set. Junior libero Kaieva Christensen also owns a team-high 3.65 digs/set.
SERIES RECORDS
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Long Beach State, 81-16, and has lost its last four to the Beach.Â
UCI leads in its all-time series with Cal State Fullerton, 61-31. The 'Eaters won their eighth in a row against the Titans with a 3-0 road victory in the two teams' only meeting last year (Oct. 23, 2025). The Anteaters' last loss to CSF came on Oct. 15, 2021, in Fullerton.
WALLACE NAMED DEFENSIVE POW
Whitney Wallace was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 5.38 digs per set in two matches at The Rebel Challenge in Las Vegas last weekend. Wallace had 18 digs in a 3-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana before scooping up a match-high 25 in a four-set loss to tournament host UNLV. The junior transfer, who spent the last two years at Oklahoma, has settled in as the Anteaters' starting libero, recording double-digit digs in eight consecutive outings and finishing with 20+ in three of the last four. During that stretch, Wallace had a career-high 30 digs against San José State (Sept. 13). Her 30 digs rank second in the Big West and are tied for 15th in all of NCAA Division I in five-set matches this season. For the year, Wallace is third in the conference with 3.83 digs per set.
TRIP'S TURN
Junior Madison Triplett has started every match and ranks second on the team with 2.53 kills per set. Triplett finished non-conference play with three consecutive double-figure kill matches. The 5-foot-9 outside hitter had a season-high 17 kills vs. San José State on Sept. 13, before putting away 13 vs. Southeastern Louisiana and 16 against UNLV at The Rebel Challenge last weekend. Triplett was named to the all-tournament team for her effort.Â
STEADY AS THEY COME
Senior Nicole Feliciano is a fourth-year starter who has played in 98 of 102 matches during her time at UC Irvine. The 5-foot-10 setter ranks fifth in program history with 2,781 career assists, and is the Anteaters' active leader with 47 double-doubles. Last Friday, she led the 'Eaters to a 3-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana with 22 assists, a career-high 11 kills, seven digs, and three blocks. Feliciano was the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year.
ACED IT
UC Irvine has 5+ service aces in eight of its last nine outings, including a season-high 10 at Fresno State on Sept. 5. Five Anteaters have recorded three aces in a match, including Kaia Ciszewski and Angelina Dellutri, who have both done it twice. Ciszewski owns a team-leading 13 aces (0.36/set) on the year.
IN THE MIDDLE
Freshman Taylor Boice has started every match and leads UC Irvine in kills (2.56/set) and hitting percentage (.328). The 6-foot-1 middle reached double figures in kills in six of the last eight contests. She had a season-high 18 against New Mexico State on Sept. 3. Boice also ranks second on the team in blocks (0.98/set) behind classmate Vani Tatoulian (1.00/set). Tatoulian, who stands at 6-foot-3, made her collegiate debut on Sept. 4, and earned her first start on Sept. 5. At the UCI Invitational, she finished with a career-high 10 blocks (1 solo) against San José State. That is tied for fourth in the Big West this season.Â
STARTING STRONG
Redshirt freshman Brianna Brewer, who missed the last two seasons with injuries, and true freshman Memphis Burnett have combined for three 10+ kill performances on the left side. In her first career match, Brewer put down 11 kills vs. New Mexico State before finishing with a team and season-high 13 at Fresno State. Burnett had a season-best 10 kills on .318 hitting against LMU on Sept. 11.
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 is hoping to make her season debut in conference, while Bates has started all but one match this year. The 5-foot-11 setter/right side notched a career-high 24 assists and 21 digs to go along with nine kills vs. Southeastern Louisiana last Friday. Outside hitter Brianna Brewer is also on the mend after missing 2024 and 2025 with injuries.
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. LBSU, which had the conference's best preseason record, was picked second.
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 heads to the Inland Empire for Big West matches at UC Riverside (Oct. 2) and California Baptist (Oct. 3).
UC Irvine (2-9, 0-0 Big West)
Date:Â Friday, Sept. 25
Time:Â 6 p.m. (PDT)
Location:Â Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Cal State Fullerton (5-8, 0-0 Big West) at
UC Irvine (2-9, 0-0 Big West)
Date:Â Saturday, Sept. 26
Time:Â 5 p.m. (PDT)
Location:Â Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
Promotional Schedule
IRVINE, Calif. -Â The UC Irvine women's volleyball team kicks off Big West play at home, starting with a Black & Blue Rivalry match against Long Beach State on Friday, Sept. 25. First serve is set for 6 p.m. The Anteaters are right back in the Bren Events Center on Saturday, Sept. 26, for a 5 p.m. showdown with in-county foe Cal State Fullerton.
FIRST SERVE
• Junior libero Whitney Wallace was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 5.38 digs per set at The Rebel Challenge (Sept. 18-19). Wallace started the tournament with 18 digs in a 3-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana. She came back the next day to record a match-high 25 digs in a four-set loss to host UNLV. It was her fourth 20-dig effort of the season, and third in her last four outings. Junior outside hitter Madison Triplett, who was named to The Rebel Challenge All-Tournament Team, paced the UCI offense with 3.63 kills per set. She tallied a match-high 13 kills against the Lions before putting away 16, which was one shy of her season high, against the Rebels. Triplett has reached double digits in kills in each of the last three matches.
• UC Irvine has a young team with nearly half of the roster comprised of true (5) and redshirt (3) freshmen. Six of the eight have started at least five matches. First-year middles Taylor Boice and Vani Tatoulian have been a force at the net for the 'Eaters. Boice, who has started every match, is tops on the squad with 2.56 kills per set and a .328 hitting percentage. Tatoulian, who has started five of the last six, also leads the team with 1.00 blocks per set. She had a career-high 10 blocks (1 solo, 9 assists) against San José State on Sept. 13.
• Senior setter Nicole Feliciano is coming off two of her best all-around outings of the season. In the win over Southeastern Louisiana last Friday, Feliciano recorded her fourth double-double of the year and 47th of her career with 22 assists and 11 kills. She also had seven digs and three blocks. It was Feliciano's first double-double with kills/assists. Against UNLV, she totaled a team-best 24 assists and three aces to go along with three kills and two blocks. In 2026, the fourth-year starter is averaging 4.38 assists, 2.38 digs, and 1.16 kills per set.
• UCI ranks among the top-five in the 12-member Big West in digs (3rd, 14.74/set) and opponent hitting percentage (4th, .196).
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
After dropping its first two matches of the season to UCLA, Long Beach State (8-2, 0-0 Big West) has won eight in a row. The Beach closed out non-conference action with back-to-back victories at Washington State last week. Sophomore outside Sidney Hamaker is tops on the squad with 3.59 kills per set, while junior setter Madi Maxwell is averaging a team-best 7.72 assists and 3.44 digs.
Cal State Fullerton lost four of its last five to drop to 5-8 on the year. Freshman outside Bella Rising has paced the Titans' offense with 3.15 kills per set. Junior libero Kaieva Christensen also owns a team-high 3.65 digs/set.
SERIES RECORDS
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Long Beach State, 81-16, and has lost its last four to the Beach.Â
UCI leads in its all-time series with Cal State Fullerton, 61-31. The 'Eaters won their eighth in a row against the Titans with a 3-0 road victory in the two teams' only meeting last year (Oct. 23, 2025). The Anteaters' last loss to CSF came on Oct. 15, 2021, in Fullerton.
WALLACE NAMED DEFENSIVE POW
Whitney Wallace was named the Big West Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 5.38 digs per set in two matches at The Rebel Challenge in Las Vegas last weekend. Wallace had 18 digs in a 3-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana before scooping up a match-high 25 in a four-set loss to tournament host UNLV. The junior transfer, who spent the last two years at Oklahoma, has settled in as the Anteaters' starting libero, recording double-digit digs in eight consecutive outings and finishing with 20+ in three of the last four. During that stretch, Wallace had a career-high 30 digs against San José State (Sept. 13). Her 30 digs rank second in the Big West and are tied for 15th in all of NCAA Division I in five-set matches this season. For the year, Wallace is third in the conference with 3.83 digs per set.
TRIP'S TURN
Junior Madison Triplett has started every match and ranks second on the team with 2.53 kills per set. Triplett finished non-conference play with three consecutive double-figure kill matches. The 5-foot-9 outside hitter had a season-high 17 kills vs. San José State on Sept. 13, before putting away 13 vs. Southeastern Louisiana and 16 against UNLV at The Rebel Challenge last weekend. Triplett was named to the all-tournament team for her effort.Â
STEADY AS THEY COME
Senior Nicole Feliciano is a fourth-year starter who has played in 98 of 102 matches during her time at UC Irvine. The 5-foot-10 setter ranks fifth in program history with 2,781 career assists, and is the Anteaters' active leader with 47 double-doubles. Last Friday, she led the 'Eaters to a 3-1 win over Southeastern Louisiana with 22 assists, a career-high 11 kills, seven digs, and three blocks. Feliciano was the 2023 Big West Freshman of the Year.
ACED IT
UC Irvine has 5+ service aces in eight of its last nine outings, including a season-high 10 at Fresno State on Sept. 5. Five Anteaters have recorded three aces in a match, including Kaia Ciszewski and Angelina Dellutri, who have both done it twice. Ciszewski owns a team-leading 13 aces (0.36/set) on the year.
IN THE MIDDLE
Freshman Taylor Boice has started every match and leads UC Irvine in kills (2.56/set) and hitting percentage (.328). The 6-foot-1 middle reached double figures in kills in six of the last eight contests. She had a season-high 18 against New Mexico State on Sept. 3. Boice also ranks second on the team in blocks (0.98/set) behind classmate Vani Tatoulian (1.00/set). Tatoulian, who stands at 6-foot-3, made her collegiate debut on Sept. 4, and earned her first start on Sept. 5. At the UCI Invitational, she finished with a career-high 10 blocks (1 solo) against San José State. That is tied for fourth in the Big West this season.Â
STARTING STRONG
Redshirt freshman Brianna Brewer, who missed the last two seasons with injuries, and true freshman Memphis Burnett have combined for three 10+ kill performances on the left side. In her first career match, Brewer put down 11 kills vs. New Mexico State before finishing with a team and season-high 13 at Fresno State. Burnett had a season-best 10 kills on .318 hitting against LMU on Sept. 11.
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 is hoping to make her season debut in conference, while Bates has started all but one match this year. The 5-foot-11 setter/right side notched a career-high 24 assists and 21 digs to go along with nine kills vs. Southeastern Louisiana last Friday. Outside hitter Brianna Brewer is also on the mend after missing 2024 and 2025 with injuries.
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. LBSU, which had the conference's best preseason record, was picked second.
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 heads to the Inland Empire for Big West matches at UC Riverside (Oct. 2) and California Baptist (Oct. 3).
Players Mentioned
S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
S/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's VolleyballFriday, August 28
Wednesday, August 26
Tuesday, August 25
Thursday, August 20
