UC Irvine will be a challenge, especially in new digs

Tied for third place, three games out of first place, likely out of contention for the Big West title. But that doesn’t mean UC Irvine is any less dangerous this week, especially since the Anteaters are very comfortable in the Bren Events Center.

UC Irvine is 7-3 at home but all three losses came when playing in Crawford Gym, a refurbished 800-seat facility very reminiscent of McKinley High Student Council Gym in Honolulu. Friday’s match with Hawaii is in the 5,000-seat Bren where the Anteaters are 4-0 since moving across the athletic complex mauka of the pool earlier this month.

UCI also is expecting its largest crowd of the season, which is usually the case when Hawaii comes to town. It will be considerably less than the announced 7,213 who saw the Rainbow Wahine rally to sweep the Anteaters at the Stan Sheriff Center on Oct. 4 but likely more than triple that of the 419 who saw UCI pull out a 3-2 win over UC Santa Barbara.

That Oct. 10 victory over the Gauchos jump-started a five-match winning streak that ended quickly Monday down the coast. San Diego State, coached by former Rainbow Wahine Deitre Collins-Parker, needed just 88 minutes to sweep UC Irvine 25-19, 25-21, 27-25 in the nonconference match.

"It was probably the best we’ve played all season," Collins-Parker said. "Even though we were up 2-0, I told our players, don’t let up because they’ll come back. I knew they would and they did."

Much like what happened in Honolulu over three weeks ago when trailing 2-0, the Anteaters led in Set 3 22-20. And, as happened against Hawaii, UCI couldn’t hold onto the lead and were outscored 7-3 by the Aztecs.

The Anteaters again will face the Rainbow Wahine after a tough loss. Prior to its previous match with Hawaii, UCI dropped a 3-2 contest to Cal State Northridge in Crawford, one where the Anteaters led 2-0 and led 14-13 in Set 5 before falling 16-14 to the Matadors.

"Like any other loss, we focus on the next match and getting better at practice," UCI coach Paula Weishoff said. "I feel we have improved in all aspects of our game (since last seeing Hawaii).

"Hawaii is a good volleyball team and we will need to be consistent for the entire match if we want to challenge Hawaii."

One challenge may be to overcome the absence of kill-leader Marisa Bubica. The 6-foot-3 junior hitter leads the Big West in kills (4.01 kps) but has missed the past two matches; her injury-plagued career has included a stress fracture and sprained ankle, both on her left leg.

As of Thursday, it had not been decided whether Bubica would be cleared to play against Hawaii Friday. She had 12 kills and hit .286 against the Rainbow Wahine.

Hawaii is more concerned about getting back to its winning ways on the road. The Rainbow Wahine’s last trip was somewhat of a disaster, swept at Cal State Northridge and falling 3-2 at Long Beach State, a match where junior middle Olivia Magill went out early with a leg injury.

"Everyone is a threat to us," Hawaii coach Dave Shoji said. "We’ve just got to go in with good attitudes and play our game.

"UCI has been playing well in conference and they’re at home. We need to stay focused."

Hawaii won both of its home matches last week, including a 3-1 victory over of UC Santa Barbara Sunday where sophomore hitter Nikki Taylor had a career-high 22 kills and senior libero Sarah Mendoza — the reigning Big West Defender of the Week — a career-high 25 digs.

The match featured a tweak in the rotation when Taylor — still rehabbing a sprained right elbow — remained in the back row to help Hawaii’s 3-meter attack and freshman defensive specialist Savanah Kahakai replaced freshman hitter Kalei Greeley — who earned Big West Freshman of the Week honors Monday — in the back row to shore up the passing.

"Whether we go back to that combo will depend on how the game is going, who is playing well and not so well," Shoji said. "We’ve got to get some sort of back-row attack and Nikki was able to do that (Sunday)."

Hawaii leads the series with UCI 31-0 and is 32-0 against Saturday’s opponent Cal State Fullerton.