Smith Cracks Another UCI Record Against UCSB!

February 21, 2007

DAVID SMITH SETS MATCH HITTING RECORD AS NO. 2 UC IRVINE UPENDS NO. 3 UCSB, 3-1 (boxscore)

Santa Barbara, Calif. -- Middle blocker David Smith hit .938, a new UCI match record, to help No. 2 UC Irvine upend No. 3 UC Santa Barbara, 3-1 (22-30, 30-27, 30-18, 30-25) at Robertson Gym Wednesday.

Smith had 15 kills on 16 attempts with no errors for the .938 hitting percentage, which is a new UCI match record. That mark beats the old record of .923 set in 2002. Smith also had two aces and six blocks in the win.

Senior Matt Webber led UCI with 16 kills followed by Smith and Jayson Jablonsky with 15 kills. Freshman Cole Reinholm tallied 11 kills and three blocks, while reigning AVCA National Player of the Week Aaron Harrell hit .538 with eight kills and four blocks. Senior setter Brian Thornton recorded 62 assists, five digs and three blocks.

After losing game one, 30-22, UCI (16-3, 10-2) opened up a 13- 6 lead in game two, which included four kills by Jayson Jablonsky. UCSB (10-2) rallied out-scoring UCI 10-2 to take the 16-15 lead. The run included six kills by Evan Patak. The teams remained close until the Anteaters had a 25-22 cushion following a kill by Cole Reinholm. The Gauchos battled back again, narrowing the UCI lead to 26-25 on a pair of kills, but a David Smith kill and a block by Smith and Brian Thornton put the Anteaters back up by three 28-25. Following a UCSB kill, Patek sent a ball wide then burried a kill to give UCI match point 29-27. Matt Webber put away a kill to give the Anteaters the second set, 30-27.

In game three, the Anteaters jumped out to a 4-1 advantage then extended the lead to 15-4 with eight straight points off David Smith serves. UCI would cruise to a 30-18 win as the Guachos hit -.042 in the game.

The teams remained within two points of each other in game four before the Anteaters scored four unanswered to take the 22-17 lead. UCI used kills by Smith and Thornton and a block by the duo to push the advantage to 25-18. Webber would end the game and the match with a kill.

UC Santa Barbara was led by Patak who led all players with 26 kills.