PROVO, Utah — For the second consecutive night, the No. 8 BYU Cougars and No. 5 UC Irvine Anteaters competed in a back-and-forth battle, with each team rallying from a two-set deficit before the match came down to a decisive fifth. UC Irvine ultimately pulled away late in the tiebreaker in both matches and secured another 3-2 victory Saturday night at the Smith Fieldhouse.
Connor Oldani led all Cougars with a career-high 22 kills on a .349 hitting percentage, marking the second straight night he set a new personal best in kills and the highest single-match kill total by a Cougar this season. Oldani accounted for 26 points and remained a primary option throughout all five sets as BYU finished with 54 kills overall.
Kyle Zediker came into the match at the beginning of the third set and directed the Cougar offense with season-high production, recording 29 assists while adding three kills on .750 hitting. The junior setter helped BYU hit over .390 in the third set and .430 in the fourth, fueling the comeback that forced a fifth frame.
Max Philippe also turned in a milestone performance in his first career start, tallying his first collegiate blocks and kills. Philippe finished with five total blocks, including a solo stuff to open the fifth set, as BYU totaled 10.0 team blocks on the night.
Set 1
UC Irvine controlled the early momentum of the opening set, scoring the first three points on kills before adding a service ace to jump out to a 4-0 lead. BYU got on the board following an Anteater service error, but UC Irvine continued to dictate play, extending the advantage to 7-3 behind efficient attacking.
The Cougars began to settle in midway through the set. Back-to-back service errors by UC Irvine provided BYU with free points, and Trent Moser delivered a powerful kill to spark a brief surge. Another Anteater service error and a kill from Cameron Kosty trimmed the deficit to 12-7.
UC Irvine responded immediately, stringing together consecutive points to halt the momentum and push the lead to 15-8 heading into the media timeout.
Out of the break, BYU scored first on an Anteater attack error, but UC Irvine quickly reasserted control. Extended rallies and BYU attack miscues allowed the Anteaters to build the lead to 17-12. Oldani followed with a service ace, and UC Irvine put together a 3-0 run to stretch the advantage to 20-12, forcing a BYU timeout.
BYU made a late push, capitalizing on a pair of UC Irvine service errors and getting a right-side kill from Trevor Herget to cut into the deficit. The Cougars added another point off an Anteater error to make it 22-16, but UC Irvine closed the set with a block at the net and a final kill to take the opener, 25-17.
BYU hit just .080 in the opening set. UCI hit .524.
Set 2
BYU opened the second set with renewed energy, jumping out to an early lead behind a strong finish at the net. Oldani powered a right-side kill to give the Cougars a 4-2 edge, and Tyler Herget and Gavin Chambers teamed up for an assisted block to push the lead to 6-3. Service pressure and defensive discipline helped BYU maintain control, as back-to-back UC Irvine service errors allowed the Cougars to stretch the advantage to 8-6.
Oldani continued to carry the offensive load, adding multiple kills as BYU built an 11-7 cushion and forced an Anteater timeout. The Cougars stayed aggressive out of the break, using extended rallies and transition offense to grow the lead to 15-9, with Philippe contributing a service ace during the run.
UC Irvine responded with a surge of its own, tightening the set behind improved blocking and capitalizing on BYU attack errors. The Anteaters eventually grabbed the first lead change of the set at 21-20, swinging momentum late. BYU answered to even the score, but UC Irvine closed the frame by limiting Cougar hitting opportunities, taking the set 26-24.
Despite the setback, Oldani led all players with 12 kills through two sets, accounting for more than half of BYU’s offensive production. While the Cougars started the set hitting much better, in the end they were held to a .103 hitting percentage in the set as UC Irvine’s block became a late factor.
Set 3
UC Irvine carried its momentum into the third set, scoring the opening two points before BYU answered with a powerful middle attack from Teilon-Jonathan Tufuga to get on the board. A short Anteater attack into the net and a BYU service error kept UCI narrowly in front early, but the Cougars began to settle in at the net.
BYU’s blocking presence started to show midway through the opening stretch. Moser and Chambers teamed up for a right-side block to trim the deficit, part of a set in which the Cougars began to close the gap defensively after being outblocked in the opening frames. Despite continued pressure from the Anteaters, BYU stayed within striking distance behind timely kills from Oldani, who led all players in attacks, and steady ball control from Zediker, who subbed in as setter in the third set.
Service pressure became a key factor as the set tightened. A tough serve from Tufuga resulted in an ace, one of BYU’s multiple service points in the frame, and a UC Irvine miscommunication allowed the Cougars to even the score at 9-9. While UCI briefly reclaimed the lead, service errors on both sides kept the set level through the midpoint.
BYU took its first lead of the set at 12-11 after a deflected block fell on the Anteater side, igniting the Smith Fieldhouse crowd. Oldani followed with another kill, his efficiency improving as the set progressed, and Tufuga capped the run to give the Cougars a 13-11 advantage, forcing a UC Irvine timeout.
Out of the break, BYU continued to trend upward statistically. The Cougars hit over .300 in the set, a sharp jump from the first two frames, while holding the Anteaters below their earlier efficiency. A double-assisted block from Oldani and Chambers helped push BYU ahead 17-15, and a clean swing from Oldani extended the lead to 18-15, prompting another UCI timeout.
The Anteaters answered late, cutting the deficit to 19-17 after a successful challenge on a long rally, but BYU remained composed. A well-placed tap into open court pushed the lead back to three before UC Irvine closed within one at 20-19, forcing a Cougar timeout.
After the break, a UC Irvine service error off the tape gave BYU a two-point cushion, but UCI responded with a kill and later tied the set at 22-22 behind a double block. The teams traded points again at 23-23 before Oldani delivered a clutch kill to reach set point. Moser finished the frame with a right-side kill off a Zediker assist, sealing the set 25-23 as BYU out-hit the Anteaters in the set and cut the match deficit to 2-1.
Set 4
BYU carried its momentum into the fourth set, opening with energy as the teams exchanged points early and were tied at 5-5. A UC Irvine service error briefly gave the Cougars a 6-5 edge, but a midair scramble on the next rally sent the ball back onto BYU’s side, allowing the Anteaters to move in front 7-6.
The Cougars answered behind Moser, who delivered a kill to even the score at 7-all. A misplayed dig by UCI knotted the set again at 8-8 before BYU’s block took control. Moser and Chambers teamed up for a double block to give the Cougars a 9-8 advantage, and an extended rally ended with a kill from Oldani, pushing BYU ahead 10-9 and forcing a UC Irvine timeout.
UCI regrouped out of the break with back-to-back kills to level the score at 10-10, but Oldani struck again as a deflection off the Anteater block put BYU back in front. UC Irvine answered with a short run to take a 12-11 lead before Teilon-Jonathan Tufuga powered a middle attack to tie the set at 12-12.
The Anteaters gained momentum with a deflected block to go up 14-12, though the same BYU blocking duo responded moments later to cut the deficit to one. A Cougar service error gave UC Irvine a 15-13 edge, but Tufuga answered again, this time from the left side, trimming the margin to 15-14.
BYU flipped the set with its best defensive stretch of the match. Oldani and Philippe combined for a double-assisted block to tie the score at 15-15, then Philippe and Tufuga followed with another stuff block on the right side to cap a 3–0 BYU run, forcing an Anteater timeout with the Cougars ahead 16-15.
The Cougars continued to press, extending the lead to 19-17 before a BYU service error gave UCI a free point. Tufuga answered immediately with another kill from the back row to keep BYU in front, and Oldani delivered from the service line with an ace to stretch the advantage to 21-18.
UC Irvine stayed within striking distance on a deflected block, but Chambers responded with an undiggable kill to make it 22-19. A service error brought the Anteaters closer, and a soft touch over the net on the next rally cut the lead to one.
After UCI tied the score at 23-23, the Cougars earned set point when Zediker finished a swing off a long rally. On the following serve from Herget, UC Irvine sent the ball out of bounds. The call was challenged, but upheld, giving BYU the 25-23 set win and forcing a decisive fifth set.
Set 5
The fifth set opened with immediate tension as Philippe set the tone defensively, rejecting a UC Irvine attack for a solo block to give BYU the opening point. The Cougars briefly held a 2-1 edge before UCI responded, and an unsuccessful challenge by the Anteaters left them without any remaining challenges for the rest of the match.
BYU moved back in front at 3-2 as Zediker delivered a clean assist to Chambers, who finished at the net. UC Irvine answered after a long rally to even the score, but Oldani responded with a strong swing to put the Cougars ahead 4-3. Oldani followed with another aggressive attack off the UCI block, extending BYU’s lead to 5-4.
The Anteaters answered once more, knotting the score at five before taking their first lead of the set at 6-5. Moser countered with a timely kill to bring BYU level, but a deflection off the Cougar block swung momentum back to UC Irvine, which added another point to take an 8-6 advantage at the media timeout.
Through the opening stretch, the deciding set remained extremely tight, with neither team leading by more than two points until UCI moved ahead 8-6. Out of the timeout, a UC Irvine service error pulled BYU within one at 8-7, but the Anteaters answered with back-to-back points, including a service ace, to push the lead to 10-7 and force a BYU timeout.
UC Irvine continued to build separation following the break. A kill by Moser briefly cut into the deficit, but an attack error and a double block by the Anteaters extended the margin to 13-8. BYU capitalized on a UCI ball-handling error to make it 13-9, but the Anteaters quickly restored control.
After a BYU service error brought up match point, Moser kept the Cougars alive with a kill to make it 14-10. On the next rally, Andon Kiriakou delivered the finishing blow, putting away the final kill to seal the fifth set, 15-10, and secure the match for UC Irvine.
Up Next
BYU hits the road to face UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, Jan. 29, with first serve set for 8 p.m. MST at Robertson Gym in Santa Barbara, California.