No. 6 UC Irvine is set to face No. 18 CSUN on April 9 at the Bren Events Center, followed by another match on April 11 at CSUN's Premier America Credit Union Arena. UC Irvine comes into the matchup with a record of 15-5 and a Big West standing of 3-3, experiencing back-to-back losses to No. 2 Hawaii last week. Freshman standout Andrej Jokanovic has been a key player, leading the team with 22 kills in their first meeting against Hawaii and recently earning his sixth Big West Freshman of the Week honor. Meanwhile, CSUN is struggling at 12-10 and looking for its first Big West win of the season.

By the Numbers
  • UC Irvine ranks 11th nationally in kills (12.40) and 12th in hitting percentage (.310).
  • CSUN ranks 9th in kills (12.58) and 10th in hitting percentage (.329).
Yes, But

UC Irvine has suffered four of its five losses this season in narrow five-set matches against top-ranked teams, showcasing both their competitiveness and vulnerability in tight situations.

State of Play
  • UC Irvine is currently fourth in the country in average attendance at 1,969 fans per match.
  • CSUN is on a four-match losing streak and struggles without All-American Jalen Phillips.
What's Next

Following the matches against CSUN, UC Irvine will host Long Beach State in their final regular-season game on April 18, where they will honor graduating seniors.

Bottom Line

UC Irvine needs to regain momentum and secure a decisive win against CSUN to strengthen its playoff positioning and build confidence heading into the Big West Championships later this month.