IRVINE, California – David Wieczorek led all players with 22 kills but the #6 Pepperdine men's volleyball team couldn't pull off the upset at #3 UC Irvine on Sunday night in non-conference play, falling in a closely contested four sets (25-23, 22-25, 26-24, 28-26).
 
The Waves are now 5-2 while the Anteaters improved to 8-2.
 
BIG WAVES

• Senior outside hitter David Wieczorek (Chicago, Ill./) recorded his second 20+ kill match of the season and the 11th of his career. The 22 kills were a season high. He also had four digs.
• Senior outside hitter Kaleb Denmark (Redlands, Calif./Arrowhead Christian Academy) was second on the squad with 13 kills and he added eight digs.
• Senior opposite Michael Wexter (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West HS) contributed nine kills and a career-high 13 digs.
• Sophomore setter Robert Mullahey (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa HS) picked up his second career double-double with 43 assists and a career-high-tying 12 digs.
• Junior libero Noah Dyer (San Clemente, Calif./Saddleback Valley Christian HS) had seven digs.

 MATCH STATS

• PEPP hitting: .234 overall (.361 set one, .263 set two, .167 set three, .143 set four)
• UCI hitting: .269 overall (.389 set one, .143 set two, .273 set three, .243 set four)
• Service Aces: PEPP 2, UCI 7
• Digs: PEPP 49, UCI 49
• Blocks: PEPP 6.5, UCI 12.0

PLAY BY PLAY
 
UC Irvine got out to a 14-10 lead in set one, though the Waves came back with four straight points to tie the match. The Waves took a number of one-point leads, the last coming at 21-20. But UCI scored the next three points, two on Karl Apfelbach service aces, and went on for the 25-23 win.
 
The Anteaters broke out to an 8-2 lead in the second set, but the Waves would eventually tie the set at 18, and take the lead at 20-19 on a triple block. Tied at 21, the Waves scored three straight on a service error and kills by Wexter and senior middle blocker Clay Carr (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS), and later finished off the set on a Denmark kill.
 
UC Irvine broke out to leads of 4-0 and 9-4 in the third set. But then the Waves ran off 10 straight points (which included four kills and a block by Wieczorek) to make it 14-9 in Pepperdine's favor. At 17-13, UCI scored four straight to tie the set, and tied again at 24, the Anteaters scored twice to take a 2-1 lead.
 
The Waves turned a 10-8 deficit in set four to a 12-10 advantage after four straight points. They kept that lead up to make it 20-15, and later 24-19. But UCI fought off five set points and scored six straight points to go ahead 25-24, and eventually won the set and match at 28-26.
 
NOTABLE 

• This was Pepperdine's first match this season against a top-five team.
• The Waves are now 2-2 in road matches this year (all against top 10 teams).
• Pepperdine will get another shot at UCI at home on March 23.
• This was the first time this season the Waves lost a fourth set (had won the first five).

UP NEXT
 
Pepperdine returns home for a Wednesday match against #11 CSUN on Wednesday (Jan. 30) at 7 p.m.