Championship Central | Box score | UCI presser | CSUN presser 

HONOLULU – For the second straight match on opening night of The Hawaiian Islands presents the 2025 Outrigger Big West Men’s Volleyball Championship, fans were treated to another five-set thriller — this time featuring the No. 3 seed UC Irvine Anteaters and the No. 6 seed CSUN Matadors. In a match defined by wild momentum swings and standout individual performances, it was the Anteaters who made the final push, outlasting CSUN in a heart-pounding 22–25, 25–18, 16–25, 25–23, 19–17 victory Thursday night at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center. 

The win sends UC Irvine (21-6) to Friday’s second semifinal, where they’ll face host and No. 2 seed Hawai‘i at 10 p.m. PT / 7 p.m. HT, with a trip to the championship match on the line. CSUN caps the year at 18-11 after bowing out of The Big West postseason. 

After trading sets back and forth all night, the Anteaters leaned on the power and poise of senior Hilir Henno, who delivered when it mattered most. The outside hitter torched the stat sheet with a match-high 28 kills on .317 hitting to go along with nine digs, and three aces. In the fifth set alone, Henno put down 11 of UCI’s 15 kills in the extra-point battle. 

UC Irvine’s middle attack proved pivotal in keeping CSUN’s block honest. Micah Goss was nearly automatic, tallying 13 kills while hitting a blistering .667 (13-1-18), and adding three blocks while opposite hitter Will D’Arcy added 16 kills on a .375 clip, providing a reliable secondary threat. Graduate student Joe Karlous piloted the offense with 53 assists, while also adding 10 digs and a block in a double-double effort. 

Banner nights abounded for CSUN players as well. Junior outside hitter Jalen Phillips racked up 27 kills on .364 hitting to lead the CSUN offense. Making a collegiate postseason debut, freshman Stilian Delibosov added 13 kills on an eye-popping .765 percentage (13-0-17) with Donovan Constable running a dynamic offense with 55 assists, five digs and three blocks. 

Despite falling behind in the fourth, CSUN battled point-for-point in the final set, even holding a match point late. But UC Irvine showed its composure under pressure, rallying back with big kills from Henno and a clutch block from Goss and D’Arcy to eventually take the deciding set, 19–17. 

Statistically, the teams were nearly neck-and-neck, with UCI hitting .361 to CSUN’s .359, and the Anteaters outdigging the Matadors 43 to 41 in the intensely competitive first round matchup. 

With the win, UCI advances to a fourth consecutive semifinal, seeking a first win of the season over Hawai’i.