No. 2 UC Irvine extended its unbeaten streak to 7-0 with a hard-fought three-set victory over No. 9 Stanford (3-3) on Feb. 1 at Maples Pavillion. The Anteaters defeated the Cardinals in an exciting match with scores of 25-23, 25-18 and 33-31. This victory came just after UC Irvine had beaten Stanford the previous day in a three-set sweep.
Set 1
Stanford took an early 5-3 lead in the first set, benefiting from back-to-back service errors by UC Irvine. Both teams traded points multiple times throughout the set, with neither able to create more than a two-point lead. UC Irvine junior middle blocker Max Grigoriev helped shift the momentum in favor of the Anteaters with back-to-back service aces, finishing off a five-point run and bringing the score to 20-17.
Senior outside hitters Hilir Henno and Nolan Flexen continued the push with a three-point run, putting UC Irvine ahead 24-19. Stanford quickly adjusted its defense, blocking UC Irvine’s next few attacks. Refusing to back down, Stanford responded with a four-point run to shorten the lead to 24-23. UC Irvine remained calm under pressure, and Flexen’s kill on match point ultimately secured the set for the Anteaters at 25-23.
Set 2
The second set saw both teams continue to exchange points early on, tying at 2-2 and again at 5-5. Henno made an impact with back-to-back kills to give UC Irvine a small lead, but Stanford responded with a three-point run to briefly take charge.
UC Irvine then capitalized on a series of Stanford attack errors, which led to a four-point run and a 12-8 advantage for the Anteaters. Stanford tried to rally multiple times but was unable to overcome the deficit from Henno’s timely kills. UC Irvine continued to widen the gap, pushing the score to 18-12. A few serves from Henno led to multiple Stanford errors, and freshman middle blocker Micah Goss followed with attacks to extend UC Irvine’s lead. Henno and Goss then landed the last point as UC Irvine closed out the set with a 25-18 victory.
Set 3
With a sweep in sight, UC Irvine came out strong in the third set. The Anteaters went on a five-point run, fueled by three service aces from Henno and a pair of kills from freshman outside hitter Tim Ennis. But Stanford settled in, tying the game at 8-8 and later at 11-11.
UC Irvine fumbled with some attack and service errors, allowing Stanford to pull ahead briefly and gain momentum. From there, the two teams traded points, finally reaching a 25-25 tie. With both teams needing to win by two, the battle intensified.
UC Irvine junior opposite William D’Arcy stepped up with crucial points late in the set, setting the stage for the final point. A Stanford service error and Flexen’s strong service ace gave UC Irvine the win at 33-31, completing the sweep and keeping its unbeaten record intact.
The victory marked another impressive performance for UC Irvine, which will return home for its upcoming match at Concordia University Arena against Concordia on Feb. 8.
Abigail Park is a Sports Staff Writer. She can be reached at appark@uci.edu.
Edited by Jack Fedor and Jaheem Conley.