No. 5 UC Irvine (15-5, 1-3 Big West) faced off against No. 1 Long Beach State (21-1, 3-1 Big West) in a much-anticipated rematch after their thrilling victory at the Walter Pyramid on March 28. Back on their home court at the sold-out Bren Events Center, UC Irvine struggled to replicate their prior success as Long Beach State dominated in a clean sweep, 3-0, with set scores of 25-23, 25-19 and 29-27.
Set 1
The match began with UC Irvine off to a rocky start. Three aggressive kills from LBSU and an attack error by Irvine quickly brought Long Beach’s score to 4-0. UC Irvine’s first two points came courtesy of Long Beach’s service and attack errors. Gradually, the Anteaters found their rhythm. Junior opposite William D’Arcy and senior outside hitter Hilir Henno each delivered powerful kills, tying the score at 5-5 and bringing new energy into the set.
While LBSU maintained a strong offensive push, their multiple attack service errors kept Irvine in contention, resulting in three more ties. UCI graduate setter Joe Karlous capitalized on an error by Long Beach, giving Irvine a brief lead at 10-9. Both teams exchanged points in a fierce back-and-forth struggle with D’Arcy and senior outside hitter Nolan Flexen stepping up to extend Irvine’s narrow lead to 14-12.
The tension escalated as the Beach countered with a three-point run, only to be interrupted by another service error. As Long Beach continued committing service errors, Irvine faltered with its own string of service and attack errors. LBSU seized the opportunity, embarking on another three-point run that flipped the lead to 21-19.
Despite Irvine’s determination and Henno’s strong finish with two kills, the Beach held firm. Their defense stifled Irvine’s attempts to close the gap and Long Beach secured the final kill to clinch the set 25-23, taking a 1-0 lead in the match.
Set 2
Both teams were determined to gain an early advantage, exchanging points evenly and tying three times before LBSU delivered two decisive kills, taking a 5-3 lead. UC Irvine struck back with a kill from Henno and two LBSU attack errors leveled the score at 6-6. Long Beach quickly responded with a three-point run, though Irvine stayed competitive by trading points.
Another three-point surge by the Beach, powered by two kills and an Irvine attack error, widened their lead. While Irvine managed to capitalize on a Long Beach service error for one point, LBSU continued its momentum with two more points, stretching the gap to 15-9. Flexen added a solid kill for the Anteaters but Long Beach’s offense began to pull further ahead.
With the score slipping away, Henno stepped up for UC Irvine with two back-to-back kills, narrowing the deficit to 18-13. LBSU answered immediately with another kill. The Anteaters made a valiant effort, rallying for a big three-point run fueled by two more kills from Henno, closing the gap to 19-16.
As the set approached its conclusion, both teams traded points with service and attack errors helping to edge closer to the end. Ultimately, Long Beach proved too strong, sealing the set with a kill, two Irvine attack errors and a clutch service ace. The set ended 25-19, cementing the Beach’s 2-0 match lead.
Set 3
UC Irvine came out strong in the third set, opening 2-0 with a kill by junior middle blocker Maxim Grigoriev and a Long Beach service error. However, LBSU quickly countered with a service and attack error from Irvine, leveling the score at 2-2. Service errors plagued both teams in the early moments, keeping the score tied until Irvine managed a three-point run. Grigoriev added to the momentum with a service ace, but an immediate error narrowed Irvine’s lead to 7-6.
Long Beach struggled with attack errors, allowing Irvine to stay ahead while service errors continued to impact both sides. Henno delivered a kill, extending the score to 12-8. Long Beach responded with two kills but additional service errors handed UC Irvine easy points. Henno capitalized on the opportunity with a big service ace, bringing the score to 15-11.
In an effort to rally, the Beach fired back with two consecutive kills. Both teams displayed incredible resilience, engaging in a sequence of powerful kills. D’Arcy and Henno led Irvine’s charge, pushing the score to 20-17. Despite Irvine’s consistent efforts to maintain a short lead, Long Beach turned up the intensity. Taking advantage of three Irvine attack and service errors, along with a clean kill, they tied the set at 23-23.
Strong kills from each side, along with a UC Irvine service error, tied the set yet again at 25-25. In the final moments, two attack errors from both teams set the stage for LBSU’s decisive finish — a clutch kill followed by a stunning service ace and an official review sealed the set 29-27 and earned Long Beach State the 3-0 match sweep.
UC Irvine will now regroup and head south to take on No. 11 UC San Diego in its next conference match on April 4, hoping to strengthen its standing in the Big West conference.
Abigail Park is a Sports Staff Writer. She can be reached at appark@uci.edu.
Edited by Jack Fedor and Jaheem Conley.