No. 5 UC Irvine overcame a challenging match against No. 13 UC San Diego, winning 3-2 with scores of 25-23, 19-25, 23-25, 25-15, and 15-13. After struggling in the second and third sets, UCI rallied to a remarkable .533 hitting percentage in the fourth and secured victory without errors in the final set. Key players included seniors William D'Arcy and freshman Andrej Jokanovic, contributing significantly to the win. Despite a season-low in aces and total hits, UCI improved to a 15-3 record and 3-1 in the Big West, while UCSD dropped to 11-9 overall and 2-3 in the conference.

By the Numbers
  • UCI hit .533 in the fourth set and .412 in the fifth, contrasting with .042 in sets two and three.
  • Both D'Arcy and Jokanovic recorded 14 kills each, with Jokanovic achieving .414 hitting efficiency.
Yes, But

Both teams struggled with serving, accumulating a total of 49 service errors combined, impacting overall performance despite UCI's victory.

State of Play
  • UCI is currently 7-1 on the road this season.
  • Jokanovic has led UCI in kills and digs in both matches against UC San Diego.
What's Next

UCI is scheduled to face No. 2 Hawaii in a two-match series at home on April 4-5, which will be a crucial test for their title contention.

Bottom Line

UC Irvine's resilience against UC San Diego highlights their potential as contenders, but they must improve serving consistency to maintain success against higher-ranked teams.