Feb. 17, 2010

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. – Outside hitters Jordan DuFault and Cory Yoder each recorded 17 kills as 11^th-ranked UC Irvine upset No. 1 Cal State Northridge (30-23, 16-30, 30-21, 30-25) at the Bren Center Wednesday.

DuFault and Yoder each had 10 digs to go with their team-high 17 kills, which was a season-high for Yoder who didn't have an error in 39 swings (.436). Opposite Carson Clark had 11 kills and nine digs, while middle blocker Austin D’Amore totaled six kills and a match and season-high seven block assists. Middle blocker Kevin Wynne hit .600 (6-0-10), had five digs, three blocks and three aces, while brother Ian Wynne tallied 27 set assists, six digs and two aces. Libero Kevin Welch had a team-high 11 digs.

Theo Edwards led the Matadors with 17 kills followed by Tanner Nau with 15 kills and 12 digs. Middle blocker Jacek Ratajczak recorded 13 kills, while hitting .765 (13-0-17). Kevin McKniff added 11 kills and Matt Stork tallied 51 set assists. Mike Gaudino led all players with 14 digs.

UCI out-blocked the Matadors, 12-5 and had an 8-2 ace advantage.

In the first set, UC Irvine led 19-18 then scored three straight on a Matador attack error, a service error ace by Austin D’Amore and a kill by Cory Yoder to expand the lead to 22-18. The Anteaters put the game out of reach on a pair of kills by Jordan DuFault and an ace by Kevin Wynne setting up set point 29-21. Following Matador kills by Kevin McKniff and Tanner Nua, Cory Yoder put down the set winner for UCI, 30-23.

Set two was all Northridge as the Matadors cruised to a 30-16 victory. Cal State Northridge hit a blistering .594 (21-2-32), while UCI hit just .121 (11-7-33). Theo Edwards led the Matadors with seven kills.

The UC Irvine block and serve took control of the third set. UCI led 16-14 before Ian Wynne stepped back to the service line and served seven straight points to open a 23-14 advantage. Wynne would fire two aces and the Anteaters would record three blocks in the run.  UCI hit .440 (13-2-25) while the Matadors hit .088 (13-10-34).

UC Irvine would use a kill and an ace by D’Amore followed by a block by Carson Clark and Kevin Wynne to open a 22-18 advantage in the fourth set. That was al the separation UCI needed as the Anteaters won the set 30-25 and the match 3-1.

UC Irvine goes to 8-8 on the year and 4-7 in the MPSF, while Cal State Northridge is 11-3 overall and 8-3 in league play.

UCI will travel to Long Beach State next Wednesday (Feb. 24) before hosting UC San Diego Friday (Feb. 26) at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Center.