Box Score 
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — UC Irvine edged Penn State in a dramatic five-set match at Pauley Pavilion in the regional round of the 2026 National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship, winning 3-2 with set scores of 25-18, 27-29, 19-25, 25-17, and 15-13. 

With the win, the Anteaters improve to 19-8 on the season and advance to take on top-seeded regional host UCLA tomorrow at 5 p.m., for the opportunity to move onto the national semifinal round. This marks UC Irvine's second postseason win over Penn State in as many meetings, also defeating the Nittany Lions in 2024 which, coincidentally, followed with a date against a No. 1 seeded UCLA squad.

UCI's attack was led by a consistent performance across all sets, finishing with a .390 hitting percentage while holding Penn State to .240 hitting. Defensively, the Anteaters contributed 13 total blocks compared to just 7.5 for PSU. 

UC Irvine secured the first set 25-18, capitalizing on a series of errors from Penn State. UCI's offense was highlighted by Cameron Kosty's pivotal contributions, setting up multiple kills with 11 assists, while also striking for a service ace that pushed the score to 9-5. PSU struggled with consistency, committing seven attack errors that hindered its ability to close the gap. UCI's effective blocking, including two key denials by Big West Freshman of the Year Andrej Jokanovic, helped maintain its lead throughout the period.

UC Irvine engaged in a tense battle with Penn State during the second frame highlighted by a series of strategic plays from both teams, which ultimately ended in a 29-27 score in favor of the Nittany Lions. UCI initially capitalized on Kosty's serving, including two crucial service aces, to level the score at 12 apiece after a five-point swing for the Anteaters. UCI was able to stay on the high side for much of the set, seeing the score at 24-22 with set point after a kill from the hand of Will D'Arcy. However, Penn State responded to level, force extra points and eventually claim the set capped by an Owen Rose service ace to knot the score. 

During the third, the Nittany Lions surged ahead with key plays from EIVA Player of the Year Sean Harvey and Tristan Hassell. Harvey's consistent attacks and Hassell's service ace at 7-6 helped PSU maintain momentum. UCI responded with contributions from D'Arcy and Jokanovic, keeping the score tight. However, Bennett Wilson's back-to-back service aces extended PSU's lead to 11-10, establishing a critical advantage near the midpoint. Despite continued efforts from the 'Eaters, Penn State was able to take the frame 25-19 and jump out to the 2-1 lead. 

UC Irvine established dominance in the fourth set, capitalizing on multiple attack errors by Penn State to gain momentum and extend the match. Kosty played a pivotal role, first opening with a big run at the service line to help the Anteaters race to the 8-2 lead, which they would never relinquish. Jokanovic and D'Arcy each recorded four kills in the frame and UCI hit .450 (11-2-20) compared to a .120 set for Penn State that included seven attack errors and four service miscues in the 25-17 set. 

In the fifth set, UCI and PSU traded points in a tense battle, with neither team able to pull away decisively. Hassell's early kill and service ace put PSU ahead 2-0, but UCI responded with Trevor Clark's consistent offense, recording multiple kills to keep the score close. UCI's defense, highlighted by blocks from Micah Goss and Andreas Brinck, leveled the score at 6-6. Despite service errors from both teams, UCI capitalized on key plays, including a final kill by Goss, securing a narrow 15-13 victory in the decisive set. Clark's five kills and three critical blocks for Goss proved to be instrumental in the comeback. 

UC Irvine saw a balanced offense with four players seeing double figure kills tallies led by 13 for D'Arcy. Clark, Goss and D'Arcy led the way with five blocks apiece and Kosty provided 43 assists with five service aces for the Anteaters in the victory.

For Penn State, the offense ran through Harvey and Hassell who finished with 18 and 14 kills, respectively. Champions of the EIVA, the Nittany Lions cap the year at 22-8 after running through their league with a 12-0 record.