IRVINE, Calif. — No. 5 UC Irvine knocked off No. 13 UC San Diego in three sets on Friday night at the Bren Events Center in Irvine. The final two sets were pushed past 25 points, but the Anteaters were still able to prevail 25-20, 26-24, 29-27.
 
UC San Diego (11-8, 2-2 Big West) was led by Sebastiano Sani, who had 11 kills. Josh Ewert came off the bench in the first two sets before starting the third, finishing with seven kills and three aces.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The hosts forced an early Triton timeout after starting the first set with an 8-4 lead. UC Irvine led for the entire set, with the advantage growing to as much as nine. The Tritons had two late rallies, winning four-straight points with Josh Ewert at the service line. He had two aces to see the score at 22-17. UC San Diego then later survived three set points with two kills and a block, but the Anteaters were still able to take set one 25-20.
 
The Tritons had a strong start to the second set. They led 8-5 early, with seven of those points coming on kills from four different Tritons. The lead then grew to four at 14-10. Sebastiano Sani had five kills to that point, with Jim Garrison registering three. But that advantage was erased as UC Irvine went on a 7-1 run to go in front, an advantage they would hold until the Tritons tied the set at 23. A service error then gave the Anteaters their first set point, which the Tritons staved off thanks to another Sani kill. But UC San Diego was unable to pull in front as a UC Irvine kill and block ended the set 26-24 in favor of the hosts.
 
Set three was the tightest of the match as neither side led by more than two at any point. The score was tied 16 times, including five times down the stretch beginning at 22. UC Irvine had three match points to start but were thwarted by an Ewert kill and two errors. Another Anteater error then gave the Tritons their first set point up 27-26, but a UC Irvine kill extended the set. The hosts then got another kill and an ace to end the match with a 29-27 set three victory.
 
TRITON TIDBITS

• The Tritons have had 10 sets go part 25 this season, winning four and losing six.
• Ewert's three aces tied his season high. He has reached that mark five times this year. Friday was the first time he did so in three sets. 

UP NEXT
The two teams will rematch tomorrow night at LionTree Arena in La Jolla. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m., with the match also available on ESPN+. The first 250 fans in attendance will receive free hats.
 
About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program has begun a new era as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 24-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 39 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 90 percent, the highest rate among public institutions in NCAA Division I or II. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.