IRVINE, Calif. – The No. 11 UC Santa Barbara Men's Volleyball team enters its second week of Big West conference play with two matches against No. 4 UC Irvine. The Gauchos first face the Anteaters away, visiting Irvine on Wednesday before hosting the Anteaters at The Thunderdome on Friday.

LAST TIME OUT 
UC Santa Barbara picked up its fourth ranked win of the season on Friday night, defeating No. 11 UC San Diego in five sets at the Thunderdome. The Gauchos secured the 3-2 victory after taking the fifth set 15-11.

George Bruening led the match with 18 kills while hitting .353. Ethan Saint added 12 kills and Riggs Guy recorded 10 kills along with five aces and a team-high eight digs. Cole Schobel also contributed 40 assists in the win.

Bruening and Dylan Pilkvist earned Offensive Player and Freshman of the Week following their performances against UC San Diego. 

ABOUT THE ANTEATERS 
No. 4 UC Irvine enters the pair of matches with a 12-2 overall record and a perfect 6-0 mark on the road this season.

The Anteaters have been one of the most efficient offensive teams in the Big West, ranking among the conference leaders in hitting percentage and kills per set. UC Irvine also averages over 12 kills per set as a team.

Individually, Trevor Clark leads the Big West in hitting percentage at .569. Clark also averages 1.14 blocks per set, the second-highest mark in the conference.

FOLLOW ALONG 
Wednesday's match will begin at 6 p.m. in Irvine. Friday's match will be played at 7 p.m. at the Thunderdome. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN+.