Grudge Match in NCAA Semi Against Penn St.

April 29, 2007


UC IRVINE BATTLES PENN STATE IN NCAA SEMIFINAL THURSDAY

Irvine, Calif. -- UC Irvine, the second seed, will battle third seeded Penn State Thursday at 4:00 p.m. PDT in the second semifinal match of the NCAA Championship hosted by Ohio State at the St. John's Arena.

The pairing is a rematch of last year's semifinal where Penn State defeated UCI, 3-2 in Happy Valley.

No. 1 Pepperdine will face No. 4 IPFW in the first semifinal match beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT.

The Anteaters beat Penn State, 3-1 earlier this year in Irvine.

For ticket information call Margaret Badasci at 949-824-6202.

Daily Pilot Story on UCI's MPSF Conference Tournament Championship Victory Over PEP

Published Sunday, April 29, 2007 12:09 AM PDT
Sports
UCI breaks Waves
Volleyball: Anteaters overcome 2-0 games deficit to capture MPSF tournament title.
By Barry Faulkner

MALIBU -- The UC Irvine men's volleyball team has stared elimination in the face in each of its last two matches. So, being down two games to none against No. 1-ranked Pepperdine in the Waves' gym Saturday night, turned out to be merely a temporary inconvenience.

But the Anteaters imposed the more permanent imposition of losing upon the Waves, rallying for a 27-30, 24-30, 30-28, 30-28, 16-14 victory in the championship match of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament, before 2,574 at Firestone Fieldhouse.

The win clinched a guaranteed berth in the four-team NCAA tournament that begins Thursday at Ohio State. It also gave UCI, which won the MPSF regular-season crown last year, but lost in the tournament semifinals, the program's first MPSF tournament title.

It's the No. 3-ranked Anteaters' second straight trip to the Final Four, though their victory Thursday over No. 2-ranked BYU, also a come-from-behind five-game affair, had all but locked up what most figured would be an at-large berth.

Now, Pepperdine (26-2), which had won 23 straight, will surely gain the at-large berth, joining UCI, Penn State and Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne in Columbus.

The Anteaters, who finished third in the MPSF regular-season standings, were 8-0 in elimination games in this year's MPSF tournament.

The string of comebacks began April 21 in the MSPF tournament quarterfinals, when UCI lost the first two games to visiting Hawaii at Crawford Court, but rallied to win.

UCI won the first game Thursday against BYU, but lost the next two to find itself on the brink of elimination.

Senior Matt Webber said that feeling, and the experience of overcoming it, once again crept into the players' huddle after losing the first two games against he Waves.

That feeling, however, soon had company in the person of Coach John Speraw.

"Speraw came in and said 'This is it. This is our last game, right here, so how are you going to handle it?' " Webber said. "As a senior, and there's four of us out here, we're going to take that personally, because we don't want our careers to be over yet. Are you kidding me? We're having way too much fun."

Speraw, who had commented on his team's difficulty winning five-game matches after the Hawaii win, said there is no magic formula his players have now discovered.

"I just think it was getting that first playoff win [against Hawaii]," Speraw said. "That five-game loss to Penn State in last year's [NCAA] semifinals just kind of hung on our players' minds. I think it weighed heavily on the program until 19-19 in the third game against Hawaii. We got over that hurdle and we just been rolling ever since. I hope we keep rolling next week, too."

Neither the Anteaters, nor the Waves allowed one another to get on much of a roll Saturday.

Pepperdine led by no more than three in the first game and claimed its first four-point lead in Game 2 at 21-17.

UCI managed its biggest lead in Game 3 at 15-11, though Pepperdine eventually pulled even at 24-24, then led, 25-24.

But three quick-set kills by David Smith, who totaled 12 kills in 13 attempts for an eye-popping .923 hitting percentage, produced UCI's final three points of the game to extend things.

UCI senior setter Brian Thornton amassed a career-high 78 assists, relying on Webber (25 kills), sophomore Taylor Wilson (a career-high 21 kills) and senior Jayson Jablonsky (20), as well as Smith and junior middle blocker Aaron Harrell (seven).

Thornton now has 4,552 career assists, surpassing Cory Hinkle (4,547) as the school's all-time leader.

UCI hit .370 as a team, while Pepperdine, paced by sophomore Paul Carroll's 18 kills, hit .301 as a team.

UCI earned a 12-10 edge in team blocks, but the Anteaters had 30 service errors and only two aces, while Pepperdine had just 11 service errors.

"I thought our team played hard and their team played hard," Pepperdine Coach Marv Dunphy said. "I thought we made a few more errors than we should have, but any talk like that takes away from Irvine. They made a few more plays than we did."

Pepperdine seized a 4-1 lead in Game 5, but UCI scored three straight to pull even.

The Waves were on top, 8-7, at the side change and UCI did not lead until Jablonsky put away a back-row kill that made it 14-13, UCI.

Pepperdine tied it again, but Jablonsky pounded another back-row kill and Pepperdine's J.D. Schleppenbach hit the ball long to allow UCI to celebrate. And celebrate they will, if only briefly.

"I'm just trying to get over it, because we have a big long week ahead of us," Webber said. "We don't need to dwell on it until after the season. For now, it's another win. We're going to see [the Waves] again, and they're going to be good again. But it was a big win. It was fun."

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!

April 28, 2007

ANTEATERS WIN FIRST EVER MPSF CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 3-2 WIN OVER NO. 1 PEPPERDINE
(Boxscore)

Malibu, Calif. -- No. 2 UC Irvine beat No. 1 Pepperdine, 3-2 (27-30, 24-30, 30-28, 30-28, 16-14) in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation championship match at Firestone Fieldhouse Saturday and will advance to the NCAA Championship as the MPSF automatic bid.

UCI's five game magic was alive and well as the Anteaters improve to 27-6. The 27 victories ties the school record set last season (27-4). The Anteaters recieve the MPSF automatic bid into the NCAA Championship hosted by Ohio State beginning Thursday, May 3. The Anteaters seeding and opponent will be revealed tommorrow at 10:30 a.m. on ESPNews. Pepperdine goes to 26-2 overall, snapping their 23-match winning streak.

The balanced Anteater attack was led by senior Matt Webber with a season-high 25 kills and sophomore Taylor Wilson's career-high 21 kills. Senior Jayson Jablosnky added 20 kills and senior middle blocker David Smith adding 12 kills, hitting .923 (12-013), the second best mark in a match, behind his own school record .938 set earlier this season. Smith also recorded a team-high seven blocks. Aaron Harrell posted seven kills, while setter Brian Thornton had a career-high 78 assists to go with seven digs. Following tonight's action, Thornton becomes UCI's all-time assist leader with 4, 552 in his career, passing Cory Hinkle's old mark of 4,547 set in 2000. Libero Brent Asuka had a team-best eight digs.

Pepperdine was led by Paul carroll with 18 kills followed by Greg Gaudino with 15. Tom Hulse added 12 kills, hitting .714 (12-2-14) and J.D. Schleppenbach had 11 kills and shared the team lead in digs with Grobe and Tanner Sutherland at 7.

The Anteaters hit .370 for the match, while Pepperdine hit .301. UCI out-blocked the Waves 12-10. UCI committed 30 service errors, the second most behind the semifinal match when they committed 32.

UC Irvine opened a 10-7 lead on a Taylor Wilson kill, but the lead was short lived as the Waves went on a 5-2 run to knot the score at 12-12. The teams would trade points until 14-14 when Pepperdine would use kills by Tom Hulse and Greg Gaudino and an Anteater attacking error to push the lead to 17-14. UCI would close to 25-24 on a Matt Webber kill, but Gaudino and Carroll recorded back-to-back kills to extend the lead to 27-24. The Waves would close out the set and win the game 30-27. Wilson led the Anteater attack with seven kills.

Pepperdine continued to roll, winning game two 30-24. The Waves opened a 14-11 lead on a pair of UCI miscues and a kill by Carroll. The Waves wouldn't trail after that point, taking advantage of eight UCI service errors.

With the Waves leading 25-24 in game three, Jayson Jablosnky and David Smith blocked Carroll to tie the score at 25-25. A pair of Pepperdine attempts sailed wide to give UCI the 27-25 advantage. Following an Anteater service error, David Smith pounded two kills to give UCI game point. The Waves would score the next two before Smith put another away from the middle for the 30-28 victory.

Game four saw 23 ties and seven lead changes with the Anteaters forcing game five once again with the 30-28 victory. With the score knotted at 28-28, Taylor Wilson put away balls on back-to-back attempts to give UCI the win. Wilson had seven kills to lead the 'Eaters in the set.

Pepperdine jumped out to a 4-1 lead in game five, but the Anteaters rallied out of a timeout to tie the score at 4-4 following a Webber service ace and two carroll attack errors, the last rejected at the net by a Jablonsky/Smith block. The teams remained close until the Waves used a kill by Gaudino and an overpass kill by Jon Grobe to take the 11-9 lead. A UCI service error gave the Waves the 13-11 advantage before a Pepperdine service error was followed by a kill by Wilson and another from Jablonsky to give UCI the 14-13 edge. A Grobe kill tied the score again (14-14). Jablonsky pounded a kill before a Pepperdine attack failed to give UCI the game, match and championship.

NO. 3 UC IRVINE BATTLES BACK TO DEFEAT NO. 2 BYU, 3-2; ADVANCES TO MPSF FINALS SATURDAY VERSUS PEPPERDINE

'Eaters After Conquering the Cougars

April 26, 2007

UC IRVINE TAKES DOWN BYU IN FIVE; ADVANCES TO MPSF FINAL (Boxscore)

Malibu, Calif. -- UC Irvine battled back after being down 2-1 to topple BYU in five games (30-19, 28-30, 27-30, 30-27, 15-10) in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation semifinal match Thursday at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu.

UCI improves to 26-5 overall and advances to the MPSF Championship match for the first time in school history where they will face top seed Pepperdine at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse.

The Anteaters jumped out to a 5-1 lead in game five behind the serving of freshman Cole Reinholm. The Cougars rallied to close within 11-8 on a pair of Ivan Perez service aces, but Brian Thornton and David Smith clamped down on a Yosleyder Cala attempt to give UCI the 12-8 cushion. A Jayson Jablonsky kill put UCI up 13-10, before two more Cala attacking errors, the last on a solo block by Matt Webber ended the game 15-10 and the match 3-2.

It is the second consecutive five game victory for UCI as the Anteaters beat Hawaii, 3-2 in the quarterfinal round. UCI's last seven victories over BYU have come in five games. The Cougars go to 23-6 overall.

UCI's Jablonsky led all players with 24 kills followed by Webber with 21. David Smith added nine kills on an errorrless night (9-0-19) and had a team-high six blocks assists. Reinholm finished with eight kills hitting .500 (8-2-12). Setter Brian Thornton tallied 63 set assists, eight digs and five blocks, while Brent Asuka led the 'Eaters with 10 digs.

Cala paced BYU with 14 kills followed by Ivan Perez and Robby Stowell with 12 apiece. Joel Silva led all players with 14 digs.

UCI hit .342 for the match while BYU hit just .189.

The score was tied 3-3 in game one when UCI went on a 6-1 run which included service aces by Jablonsky and Webber to take the 9-4 advantage. The Anteaters would keep rolling extending the lead to 22-13 on a Harrell kill. UC Irvine would go on to win the set 30-19 behind Webber's six kills. Webber hit .556, while Jablonsky added four kills and hit .571 (4-0-7). Smith recorded four block assists and totaled three kills on five swings.

BYU was in control of game two when the Anteaters rallied to knot the score at 15-15 on a Smith ace. The score would remain close until a UCI service error was followed by an attack error giving the Cougars the 27-25 cushion. Two kills by Jablonsky narrowed the score to 29-28, but Webber's service sailed long to give BYU the 30-28 game.

BYU won game three 30-27. The contest was close until the Cougars rattled off four straight to take a 21-16 lead. UCI pulled within 29-27 on a Webber kill, but a BYU block ended the set. The Anteaters committed nine service errors.

UCI won game four behind seven Jablonsky kills and five kills from Reinholm to force the deciding fifth game. With the score tied 24-24, Reinholm banged two kills to give UCI the 26-24 edge. A Cougar kill was followed by a pair of Jablonsky kills and a BYU attack error for match point 29-25. BYU scored twice before Matt Webber ended the game with a kill.

CSTV Web Article on Jablonsky & Conference Tournaments

Jablonsky focused article with picture:
http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-volley/index.html

Article on Conference Tournaments and how if the runner up of the MPSF DOESN'T get the At-Large bid it would be highway robbery!
http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-volley/stories/042607aac.html

'Eaters' season on line

Published Thursday, April 26, 2007 12:17 AM PDT
see orginal story at:
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2007/04/26/sports/dpt-ucivbpre26.txt

Sports
'Eaters' season on line
VOLLEYBALL: UC Irvine, ranked No. 3, needs to beat No. 2 BYU tonight in MPSF semi in Malibu, or its season will end.
By Barry Faulkner

As the achievements of the UC Irvine men's volleyball program continue to mount, there become fewer and fewer things the Anteaters have yet to accomplish.

But while owning the No. 1 national ranking, playing in the four-team NCAA Championships, and winning a regular-season Mountain Pacific Sports Federation title have already been crossed off the to-do list of the team's four senior starters, there remains new ground to break in tonight's MPSF semifinals at Pepperdine.

The No. 3-ranked Anteaters (25-5) will face No. 2-ranked BYU (23-5) in one semifinal at 8 p.m., hoping to advance to Saturday's conference title match against either No. 1 Pepperdine (25-1) or No. 4 UCSB (20-11).

A victory would mark the first time UCI has won more than one postseason match in any season.

The Anteaters were 1-6 in the postseason prior to Saturday's five-game comeback victory over visiting Hawaii in the MPSF quarterfinals.

A victory over the Cougars, who have won eight straight and 14 of their last 15, would not only be historic, it very well could punch the 'Eaters ticket to the Final Four, May 3-5 at Ohio State.

If UCI and Pepperdine win their semifinal matches, both would almost certainly represent the MPSF in the four-team Final Four.

The MPSF Tournament champion receives an automatic berth, while the MPSF traditionally receives the lone at-large berth to the Final Four.

Should UCI and UCSB prevail in the semifinals, UCI would need to beat UCSB to advance, since Pepperdine would likely claim the at-large berth.

If Pepperdine extends its winning streak to 24 with wins Thursday and Saturday, UCI and BYU are the top candidates for the at-large berth. Tonight's UCI-BYU winner will have won two of three matches between the two teams this season.

UCI split the two teams' MPSF regular-season meetings Feb. 2 and Feb. 3 in Provo. The Cougars, ranked No. 1 at the time, swept Coach John Speraw's then-No. 2-ranked squad, 30-21, 30-22, 30-27, Feb. 2. UCI came back to earn a 23-30, 30-23, 33-31, 29-31, 30-27 triumph Feb. 3.

Speraw said there is no sense trying to downplay the importance of tonight's semifinal with his players.

"You can't tell the players that [the season] is not riding on this match, because they're definitely aware that it is," Speraw said. "If the guys know that should they lose, they're done and should they win, they have a chance to go to the Final Four, you can't sell it any other way."

What Speraw is trying to sell his team on is the idea of playing together to overcome a taller and, some would say, more talented BYU lineup.

"We need to play great team volleyball," Speraw said. "We can try to match up as best we can with their physicality. The truth is, that team is probably the most physical team that maybe has ever played at the collegiate level. We're going to have to be good at ball control and be as efficient as we can. And, no question, we're going to have to serve real tough. We can't be hitting the ball out of bounds."

UCI made 10 service errors in dropping Game 1 against Hawaii. In its five losses this season, UCI has averaged nearly 22 service errors per match.

The Anteaters are led by seniors Jayson Jablonsky, Matt Webber, David Smith and Brian Thornton.

The 6-foot-7 Smith led the MPSF with a .573 hitting percentage in conference play. His .550 overall hitting percentage ranks No.2 nationally. He was named first-team All-MPSF.

Jablonsky, a 6-5 outside hitter, and Webber, a 6-6 opposite, are the Anteaters' go-to hitters. Both are second-team All-MPSF performers, but Jablonsky was MPSF and National Player of the Year in 2006 and Webber was a first-team All-American as a junior.

Jablonsky has 1,452 career kills, No. 2 in UCI annals, and his 124 aces are tops in school history.

Thornton, a second-team All-American as a junior and a third-team all-conference pick this year, ranks fourth in the country with 13.2 assists per game.

BYU is paced by 6-8 sophomore outside hitter Yosleyder Cala, a first-team All-MPSF performer. Cala has 320 kills.

Robby Stowell, a 6-7 freshman opposite, leads the team with 330 kills, followed by 6-4 junior outside hitter Ivan Perez (316) and 6-8 junior middle blocker Russell Holmes (229).

BYU freshman setter Yamil Perez is the MPSF Newcomer of the Year.

Eaters Ready For The Cougars!

The guys banding together for battle with BYU

April 23, 2007

UC IRVINE BATTLES BYU IN MPSF SEMIFINAL: Third seed UC Irvine will battle second seeded BYU (23-5) in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation semifinal match Thursday (Apr. 26) at Firestone Fieldhouse at approximately 8:00 p.m. Prior to the match, No. 1 Pepperdine will entertain fourth seeded UC Santa Barbara at 5:30 p.m. (Complete MPSF Tournament Coverage)

VS THE COUGARS: Second ranked BYU holds a 29-8 advantage over UCI in the series records with the teams splitting a pair of matches in Provo this year. In the first match, then No. 1 BYU swept then No. 2 UCI 3-0 with the Anteaters hitting a season low .142 and committing 20 service errors. UC Irvine then handed BYU its first loss of the season with a 3-2 victory the next night. Senior Jayson Jablonsky led a balanced Anteater attack with 21 kills, 10 digs and two service aces, while middle blocker Aaron Harrell had a season-best 13 kills to go with five total blocks. UC Irvine recorded 17.5 blocks to the Cougars' 14.0. UCI's last six victories over the Cougars have come in five games.

POST-SEASON PLAY: UCI’s quarterfinal win over Hawaii was only the second post-season victory in school history. The Anteaters are 2-5 in the MPSF Tournament, picking up their only other win, a 3-2 victory at Stanford, in 2003 with current assistant coach David Kniffin as the Anteaters’ setter. Following the win at Stanford, UCI played its lone MPSF match on the Firestone hardwood, a 3-0 loss to the Waves. UCI is 0-2 versus BYU in the post-season (2001, 2004), both first rounds losses in Provo.

HIGH POWERED OFFENSES COLLIDE: UCI ranks fourth in the country in hitting percentage, while BYU ranks fifth (.350). UCI was third in the league in hitting percentage and second in aces (1.7), while BYU was second in the conference in hitting (.350) and kills (16.05).

ON THE RECORD: UC Irvine is 25-5 on the season and 17-5 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The teams’ 25 victories are the second most in program history behind last year’s 27 wins. The 17 league victories were the second most in program history behind last year’s 20-2 MPSF season. UCI has won 46 of the last 53 matches dating back to Jan. 31, 2006.

HITTING THE ROAD: UCI is 3-0 playing on a neutral court this season and 9-3 away from Irvine. The Anteaters are 13-2 at home this year and are 28-3 dating back to last season.

ANTEATERS STAY NO. 3 IN THE POLLS: UC Irvine stayed at No. 3 in the CSTV/AVCA Coaches Poll. It is the fourth week this year the Anteaters have been ranked third (also Feb. 12, Apr. 9, Apr. 15). Except for those four weeks at No. 3, the Anteaters have been ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 25 times since Feb. 20, 2006. UCI has been ranked No. 1 at some point in three of the last five years, including a school record eight weeks in 2006.

Eaters Rally to Defeat the Warriors

April 21, 2006

No. 3 UC IRVINE RALLIES TO DEFEAT No. 9 HAWAII; UCI ADVANCES TO FACE BYU (boxscore)

IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine rallied from two games down to defeat No. 9 Hawaii 26-30, 27-30, 30-23, 30-22, 15-11 Saturday in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation quarterfinal match Saturday at Crawford Court. The Anteaters improved to 25-5 on the season and advance to the conference semifinals, where they will meet BYU at approximate 8:30 p.m. (PT) Thursday (Apr. 26) at Firestone Fieldhouse. Top-ranked Pepperdine will face UC Santa Barbara in the early match at 5:30 p.m.

Four Anteaters recorded double-digit kills in front of a sold-out crowd of 852, led by senior Jayson Jablonsky, who totaled 23 to lead the team. Matt Webber added 18 kills while David Smith had a season-high 16 kills in the match. Sophomore Taylor Wilson picked up a season-high 11 digs share the lead with libero Brent Asuka and also put away 12 kills while hitting .450 for the match. Senior setter Brian Thornton dealt 72 assists while junior Aaron Harrell led the team with seven block assists.

Hawaii was paced by Lauri Hakala’s match-high 25 kills while Matt Vanzant added 17. Ric Cervantes had 12 digs for the team-high and Brian Beckwith totaled 57 assists in the effort as the Warriors fell to 13-14 on the season.

The two teams battled in game one until Hawaii opened its second two-point lead at 18-16 on a kill by Hakala. The lead extended to three at 21-18 as Beckwith fired a service ace, prompting a UCI timeout. UCI cut the lead to one at 22-21 as Hakala hit long but the Warriors created some breathing room at 28-25 as Hakala connected with Dio Dante. A UCI service error by Jablonsky would put Hawaii ahead 29-26 and Matt Rawson and Matt Vanzant paired up to deny Webber at the net for the game one win.

Hawaii took controlled most of game two and built a five-point lead at 22-17 on a UCI service error by Jon Steller. The Anteaters would come as close at two points (22-20) on a kill by Jablonsky but the Warriors rattled off the next four points to open a six-point margin. Eric Kalima sealed the game, connecting with Beckwith for the cross-court kill.

UC Irvine battled in game three, taking a three-point edge at 12-9 on a service ace from Thornton. Hawaii reclaimed the lead at 15-16 on block assists from Rawson and Hakala on Jablonsky but the hold was brief as UCI broke open a 19-19 tie with five straight points to lead 24-19. Webber and Harrell pounded consecutive kills to win 30-23. Webber hit .667 in the game with six kills to lead UCI as Hawaii was held to a .296 hitting percentage.

The Anteaters came out and took a 5-2 lead in game four, prompting a timeout by Hawaii. UCI would not give up the advantage and eventually built a six-point lead at 16-10, forcing UH to take its second timeout. Hawaii came out of the break with two straight points on a kill and service ace by Hakala but UC Irvine extended its lead to its largest of the match at nine points (24-15) as Taylor Wilson and Harrell denied Kalima at the net. Jablonsky evened the game, hitting high off the hands and following the kill with a service ace to give UCI the win.

In the deciding game, UC Irvine road the coattails of Smith, who put away five of six kills with no errors (.855) to lead the team. The Anteaters jumped out to a 3-0 lead as Thorton, Jablonsky and Smith put up the triple block against Hakala and forced a UH timeout. Harrell connected with Thornton on the quick set to give UCI a 4-0 edge before Hawaii would get on the board at 4-1. The Warriors came as close as three points on consecutive UCI errors but the Anteaters held the lead and a UH attack error would give UCI match point at 14-10. Smith recorded the game-winner for the Anteaters.

Hawaii Downed in 5

Published Sunday, April 22, 2007 12:25 AM PDT
Sports
Anteaters grab momentum, rally for victory
VOLLEYBALL: Jablonsky records team-high 23 kills to help energize crowd in UC Irvine's five-game win in MPSF quarterfinal.

Photo gallery @
http://dailypilot.com/shared-content/gallery/?galleryid=13

By Barry Faulkner

IRVINE — As they pounded, dug and served their way to victory in both of the first two games Saturday night, players for the visiting Hawaii men's volleyball team unleashed primal screams, one after another.

They screamed heading off the court and into their timeout huddle. They screamed inside their team huddles on the court between points. And they screamed over the silence their strong start provoked from the partisan UC Irvine crowd in the quarterfinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament.

The Anteaters, meanwhile, remained quiet, encouraged themselves to be patient, vowed not to fear defeat and kept plugging, until they could generate enough momentum to ignite both their lineup and their crowd.

Their patience was, eventually, rewarded as the No. 3-ranked hosts rallied for a 26-30, 27-30, 30-23, 30-22, 15-11 triumph. The win propelled the Anteaters (25-5) into the MPSF semifinals, Thursday at approximately 8:30 p.m. against No. 2-ranked BYU (19-4) at Pepperdine.

UCI split two matches at BYU in the regular season.

"[The key to turning it around] was basically staying patient," said UCI senior outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky, who led the winners with 23 kills and three service aces. "[The Warriors] were playing unbelievable the whole first two games. They were digging everything. But we wanted to stay patient, knowing we would have our chances."

UCI committed 10 service errors in the first game and held just one lead in the first two games (12-11 in Game 1).

But with the score tied, 19-19, in Game 3, UCI strung together five straight points — two on kills by Jablonsky, another on a Matt Webber stuff block and another on a Webber kill.

With the crowd of 852 vociferously lending its support, Coach John Speraw's Anteaters rode the emotion of the crowd, as well as that generated by its lineup, to win going away.

Though Jablonsky, Webber (18 kills) senior middle blocker David Smith (a season-high 16) and sophomore Taylor Wilson (12) were all finding holes in the once impenetrable Hawaii defense, it seemed Jablonsky's kills created the biggest surge from the stands.

The 2006 MPSF and National Player of the Year punctuated several kills in the final two games by curling his arms in front of him, fists clinched, and pulling his elbows to his ribs.

"His hitting numbers don't look great," Speraw said of Jablonsky, who finished with a .245 hitting percentage. "But he came up big in transition and scoring opportunities, especially in Game 4 and Game 5. There was only one time [during those two games] that he really got stuffed.

"[Jablonsky] was huge, his serving was huge and he played a great volleyball match," Speraw said. "When Jayson starts to get pumped up, you know the energy on our team is really good. He isn't always [demonstrative] like that, and so when he starts getting like that, you know things are rolling for us. He's not the vocal guy, and he never will be. But when the situation demands it, he has stepped up and done a great job for us."

Jablonsky who said his team remembered last season's uneventful postseason [they lost in the MPSF semifinals at home to Long Beach State after earning a bye through the quarterfinals and were defeated in the NCAA semifinals by host Penn State], said he was motivated not to see his career end.

"I'm more of quiet guy, but for those last three games, I had to be loud," Jablonsky said. "You've just got to go for it, because if you lose, there's nothing left.

Speraw said his team's willingness to continue to go for it from the service line, also helped turn the tide.

"I'm really, really happy the way we served," Speraw said. "Because after Game 2, when we missed all those serves in the first two games, mostly Game 1, we went back there and just served with reckless abandon. We were aggressive. This whole match was based on serving and passing.

Speraw also said balance helped his team overcome a Hawaii attack that relied on Lauri Hakala (25 kills) and Matt Vanzant (17).

"They relied on two guys pretty heavily and in Game 5, the amount of swings those two guys took caught up to them. I can't say enough for the match Lauri Hakala had. And I can't say enough about the season Hawaii had. They were 3-13 in league, and they came real close to going to the MPSF semifinals."

Hawaii finished 13-14.

UCI senior setter Brian Thornton amassed 72 assists, while sophomore libero Brent Asuka matched Wilson with a team-high 11 digs.

Taylor and Thornton also had two aces apiece.

Smith now center of attention (Daily Pilot Article)

Story by Barry Faulker, Daily Pilot
http://dailypilot.com/articles/2007/04/21/sports/dpt-smith21.txt

Updated: Apr 20, 2007 - 23:56:46 PDT

UC Irvine's David Smith, right, was named first-team All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation this week. Last year he was an honorable mention.

Smith now center of attention
VOLLEYBALL: UCI senior middle blocker quietly captures the spotlight for Anteaters with strong '07 season.
By Barry Faulkner
Reader Feedback - Currently 0 Comments

Skateboarding is forbidden at UC Irvine, but senior David Smith still frequently rolls around campus without being detected.

"You have to stay off the main paths," he said recently upon arriving via skateboard for an afternoon interview at Crawford Hall.

His first three seasons on the UCI men's volleyball team, Smith, a 6-foot-7 starting middle blocker, most often left the spotlight for his teammates. Last season, when Anteaters Jayson Jablonsky, Matt Webber, Brian Thornton and Brent Osuka were earning All-American laurels, Smith was given honorable mention in the coaches' All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation voting.

This season, however, Smith has stepped to the forefront, becoming, what many consider the most consistent performer for the No. 3-ranked Anteaters (24-5), who play host to Hawaii (13-13) in the MPSF Tournament quarterfinals tonight at 7 at Crawford Court.

Smith's .573 hitting percentage in conference matches leads the MPSF and his .556 overall hitting percentage ranks second nationally. He ranks third among conference players in blocks (1.44 per game against MPSF competition) and his 1.42 per-game average overall is sixth-best in the nation.

Smith's 246 kills are third-best on the team, behind outside hitters Jablonsky and Webber.

He has just 29 hitting errors (hitting the ball into the net or out of bounds), fewest among the top six UCI hitters, in 390 total attacks.

Smith was named first-team All-MPSF this week, the lone Anteater on the first team. And many believe he is a strong candidate to garner first-team All-American honors, which have yet to be announced.

"He has gotten better at each individual aspect of the game, to the point where he has become one of the best players in America," UCI Coach John Speraw said. "He was always pretty good, offensively, he was always a pretty good blocker and he had the potential to be a good server. All of a sudden, all those things came together. He has certainly become a well-rounded player and I would say he's the best volleyball player of any middle blocker in America."

Heady praise for Smith, who received only one other scholarship offer [from Pepperdine] after blooming late at Saugus High.

"It's definitely not something I thought of when I came here four years ago," Smith said of being recognized among the nation's elite. "I was the guy who got the last-second offer and I was going to have to sit behind the starters. It has been one huge learning process and one huge journey."

Smith began his high school volleyball career as a backup setter. He took advantage of an opening at middle blocker during a tournament his junior year, then began honing the myriad skills required of a middle blocker with two seasons of club volleyball.

"I didn't start playing club until after my junior year," he recalled. "When I graduated high school, I was planning to walk on at UC Santa Barbara. But I started playing well my last year of club, and UCI and Pepperdine started recruiting me."

Smith said he chose UCI over Pepperdine because it had an engineering program.

Speraw, of course, had an engineering plan of his own, turning a virtual afterthought program into a national power. UCI won the MPSF last season and lost in the NCAA semifinals to finish 27-5. The Anteaters, ranked No. 1 much of 2006, entered this season ranked No. 1.

Through most of that process, Smith was a valuable cog, but largely a complimentary player.

This season, he has become a go-to attacker and a consistent blocking weapon.

"Hitting has been the most consistent and strongest part of my game since I came to UCI," Smith said. "I really wanted to improve my blocking this season."

Experience, confidence, improved strength and the tutelage of Speraw, a former standout middle blocker at UCLA, have helped make Smith a force at the net.

"You don't just pick up a textbook and learn how to become a middle blocker," Smith said. "It's a process that takes years of repetition. You have to read the setter to know where to go, get over there quick, and then try to get your hands in the right spot. Blocking can be frustrating, because you can do everything perfectly, but if the guy hits it an inch more to the left [than anticipated] it could go off your arm and out of bounds [for a kill]."

Smith has delivered plenty of frustration to the other side of the net this season. And when he does execute a block, he typically celebrates with a beaming smile and a Tiger Woods' fist pump.

"I have a blast every time I play and I'm always fired up about a block," said Smith, whose severely impaired hearing (a combined 70 to 80 decibel loss in both ears) requires him to wear hearing aids. "A block fires up your whole team and it takes a little confidence out of the other guy."

Smith said his efforts to widen his repertoire of shots, as well as his continued synchronicity with Thornton, have helped him become a more productive hitter.

"My first three years, my bread-and-butter shot was wrist away to the right side of the court," Smith said. "Speraw really encouraged me to open up my range and, now, I can hit to the left, the right, or at a very sharp angle to the right.

"Speraw runs his offense through the middles and I don't know how Thornton does it, but he just finds me and makes my job that much easier."

Smith downplays his impaired hearing, and his upbeat personality, combined with near-seamless verbal skills, makes it easy for teammates, friends and professors to do the same.

"I've always been mainstreamed, so it has never been a big deal for me," said Smith, who relies on lip-reading when conversing.

Smith also downplays his higher profile on the court this season.

"It's weird," he said of the heightened attention on his game. "It's definitely cool that I'm being recognized, but I'm just a middle blocker. My job is trying to do what I can do and just try to make it easier for our go-to guys."

Still content, it seems, just to skate beyond the radar.

Eaters Awarded 6 ALL-MPSF Honors

April 19, 2007

SIX UC IRVINE MEN’S VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS GARNER ALL-MPSF HONORS

Irvine, Calif. – Six UC Irvine men’s volleyball players earned All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation honors, including middle blocker David Smith who was named to the first team.

Smith earned first-team honors after leading the league with a .573 hitting percentage. He also ranked third in blocking at a 1.44 clip. The 6-7 senior is currently second in the country in hitting percentage overall (.556) and is sixth in blocking (1.42). Smith has hit .500 or better in 20 of 29 matches this year and set the school record for hitting percentage in a match with a .938 performance (15-0-16) at UC Santa Barbara. Smith was a third team All-MPSF honoree last season.

Seniors Jayson Jablonsky and Matt Webber garnered second team All-MPSF accolades. Jablonsky led the team against MPSF opponents with a 3.80 kill and 4.57 point average. He is second all-time in UCI career kills (1,429) and is the school record holder for career aces with 121. The outside hitter ranked fourth among MPSF players in aces with a 0.38 mark. Jablonsky grabbed MPSF Player of the Year and first team All-MPSF honors last season as well as being named AVCA National Player of the Year.

Webber averaged 3.61 kills in league play and tops the squad with a 3.85 kill average overall. He has fired 41 service aces this season, five shy of the current season mark. The opposite shared the fourth spot in aces (0.38) with Jablonsky. Webber was also awarded second-team all-conference honors in 2006.

Senior setter Brian Thornton, junior middle blocker Aaron Harrell and sophomore libero Brent Asuka were named to the All-MPSF third team.

Thornton was fourth in the MPSF (12.65) and is fourth nationally in set assists with a 13.09 average. The setter has guided the Anteaters to .353 team hitting percentage this year which ranks fourth nationally. Thornton is third all-time in UCI assists (4,339), the most in the rally score era. He earned second-team All-MPSF honors last season.

Harrell hit .456 against MPSF opponents this season, which ranked fourth and was 10th in service aces (0.27). The middle blocker ranks ninth nationally in hitting percentage (.456) and is averaging 2.17 kills and 1.12 blocks per game overall. The junior also earned third-team recognition in 2006.

Asuka averaged 1.91 digs against league opponents and 2.26 overall, which ranks 15th nationally. He had 21 digs against Cal State Northridge which is the fourth most in the country this year and ranks second in the UCI match record books. Asuka was a first team honoree and MPSF Newcomer of the Year, a year ago.

It is the second consecutive year UC Irvine has had six athletes earning All-MPSF honors.

The third-ranked Anteaters will host No. 9 Hawaii in a MPSF Quarterfinal match Saturday (Apr. 21) at Crawford Court beginning at 7:00 p.m.

UCI "Forks" the Tritons in 3

Mike Ortiz Rips By the UCSD Block

April 14, 2006

UC IRVINE TAKES UC SAN DIEGO, 3-0 IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE (Boxscore)

La Jolla, Calif. – No. 3 UC Irvine defeated UC San Diego 3-0 (30-27, 30-25, 30-19) at the RIMAC Arena to close the regular season.

The Anteaters improve to 24-5 overall and 17-5 in the MPSF, while UCSD ends the year 5-23 overall and 2-20 in league action.

Jayson Jablonsky led all players with 14 kills while hitting .650 (14-1-20). Matt Webber added 10 kills and five digs while the middle blockers Aaron Harrell and David Smith each pitched in eight kills in the victory. Harrell was errorless on the night hitting .571. Senior setter Brian Thornton totaled 36 set assists and a team-high four blocks. Mike Ortiz had two kills and Ryan Ammerman floated five assists. The Anteaters hit .400 for the match and out-blocked the Tritons 7-4.

UC San Diego was led by Jason Spangler with 12 kills followed by Will Ehrman with nine kills. Eric Leserman had a match-high seven digs.

The Anteaters are the third seed in the MPSF Tournament and will host a quarterfinal match Saturday (April 21) at 7:00 p.m. in Crawford Hall.

UCI Sweeps The Beach

April 14, 2006

NO. 3 UC IRVINE SWEEPS LONG BEACH STATE ON SENIOR NIGHT (Boxscore)

Irvine, Calif. -- After honoring UCI's four seniors, the third-ranked Anteaters blanked No. 12 Long Beach State, 3-0 (30-25, 30-21, 30-19) Friday at the Bren Events Center in front of 1,726 fans.

Senior opposite Matt Webber led all players with 13 kills, hitting .500 (13-3-20) and firing three service aces. With the three service aces, Webber moves into second on the UCI season aces list with 41, five shy of the school record set by Spencer Benus in 2004. Senior outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky totaled 11 kills and also fired three service aces, while senior middle blocker David Smith hit .727 on eight kills in 11 swings without an error. Smith also had a team-high four blocks. Senior setter Brian Thornton orchestrated the Anteaters to a .449 team hitting percentage, while recording 41 assists, two kills and two blocks. Sophomore Taylor Wilson pitched in 10 kills and Brent Asuka had a match-high 11 digs.

Long Beach State was led by Dean Bittner with 11 kills, the only 49ers to hit double-digits. Paul Lotman and Teddy Liles each totaled seven kills, while Lotman had six digs. Long Beach State out-blocked UCI, 8.5 t0 7.0, but hit just .193 on the night.

UCI led 18-12 in game one, but Long Beach State went on a 8-2 run to tie the game at 20-20 on a Lotman kill. The Anteaters would use two Forty-niner errors, including a block by Jablonsky and Smith to extend the lead to 22-20. UCI would never relinqish the lead, taking the set 30-25.

With the score tied 8-8, the Anteaters went on a 11-4 spurt to open up a 19-12 advantage. The Anteaters would win the game 30-21 behind four kills by Webber and Wilson.

The final game was all UCI as they jumped out to a 7-3 lead and never looked back going on to the 30-19 victory.

The Anteaters improve to 23-5 overall and 16-5 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play. Long Beach State drops to 11-17 on the year and 6-16 in league play. The win gives UCI two points in the Black & Blue Rivalry Series sponsored by Duke's of Huntington Beach.

UCI will close out the regular season, traveling to UC San Diego Saturday (Apr. 14) for a 7:00 p.m. match at the RIMAC Arena.

Final Weekend of MPSF Regular Season

April 9, 2007

UC IRVINE CLOSES OUT THE REGULAR SEASON: No. 3 UC Irvine will close out the regular season, hosting No. 12 Long Beach State Friday (Apr. 13) at 7:00 pm. in the Bren Events Center then traveling to UC San Diego Saturday (Apr. 14) for a 7:00 p.m. first serve.

Friday’s match versus Long Beach State is part of the Black & Blue Rivalry Series presented by Duke’s of Huntington Beach. The Forty-Niners currently lead 25-15. UCI’s four seniors, Brian Thornton, Jayson Jablonsky, Matt Webber and David Smith will also be honored before that match.

2008 NCAA TICKET DRAWING: Friday's match will also feature a drawing for two tickets to the 2008 NCAA Championship hosted by UC Irvine. Free tickets for the drawing will be available on the Bren Center concourse.

VERSUS THE OPPONENTS: UCI trails Long Beach, 26-7, but leads UC San Diego, 26-4 in the series records.

The Anteaters defeated the Forty-Niners in five games earlier this year with Matt Webber leading all players with 20 kills, nine digs, six total blocks and three service aces. Middle blocker David Smith recorded a match-high 13 total blocks, which included a season-high 11 block assists. Paul Lotman led LBSU with 16 kills and four aces. The Forty-Niners enter the week 11-15 overall and 6-14 in the MPSF. They will travel to UCLA Wednesday before heading to the Bren Center.

UC San Diego is 5-21 overall and 2-18 in league play. The Anteaters had a season-high 11 service aces in the 3-0 win over the Tritons earlier this year.

MPSF PICTURE: The Anteaters have secured a MPSF quarterfinal match at home on April 21, but the opponent is yet to be determined. The Anteaters can be no lower than the No. 3 seed, as they hold a tiebreaker over UCSB. UCI enters the week in third place, one game behind BYU, who travels to Pacific for a pair of matches. The MPSF semifinals (Apr. 26) and final (Apr. 28) will be held at the No. 1 seed Pepperdine. UCI has made a post-season appearance three of the last four years.

MPSF STANDINGS (as of April 9)
1. Pepperdine 19-1
2. BYU 16-4
3. UC Irvine 15-5
4. UC Santa Barbara 13-7
5. UCLA 11-9
6. CS Northridge 10-10
7. Hawaii 9-11
7. USC 9-11
9. Pacific 8-12
10. Long Beach State 6-14
11. Stanford 2-18
11. UC San Diego 2-18

ANTEATERS GO TO NO. 3 IN THE POLLS: UC Irvine dropped one spot to No. 3 in the CSTV/AVCA Coaches Poll. It is the second time this year the Anteaters have been ranked third (also Feb. 12). Except for those two weeks at No. 3, the Anteaters have been ranked either No. 1 or No. 2 25 times since Feb. 20, 2006. UCI has been ranked No. 1 at some point in three of the last five years, including a school record eight weeks in 2006.

ON THE RECORD: UC Irvine is 22-5 on the season and 15-5 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. The teams’ 22 victories so far this year are the second most in program history behind last year’s 27 wins. The 15 league victories are the second most in program history behind last year’s 20-2 MPSF season. UCI has won 43 of the last 50 matches dating back to Jan. 31, 2006.

HOME & AWAY: UCI is 11-2 at home this year and are 27-3 dating back to last season. This season, UCI is 8-3 when playing on opponents' home courts.

TOTALLY THORNTON: Senior setter Brian Thornton has totaled 129 set assists, 17 digs and eight blocks over the last two matches. He has recorded a solo block in each of the last four matches. The setter has eight solos on the year, which is fourth on the team. He is fourth on the team in total blocks with 68 and is third in digs with 136. Thornton currently has 1,245 set assists which ranks ninth on the UCI season list.

JABLONSKY TAKES OVER THIRD IN CAREER ATTEMPTS: Following last week’s action, senior outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky moved into third on UCI’s career attack attempts list with 2,815. He is also third in career kills just 14 kills shy of second place with 1,404 currently. He is the all-time leader in aces with 114.

WEBBER SERVES ‘EM UP: Senior Matt Webber has recorded at least one service ace in the last 15 matches and leads the team with 38. He ranks third in the UCI season record books, eight shy of the school record of 46 set by Spencer Bemus in 2004.

SMITH TOPS MPSF: Middle blocker David Smith leads the MPSF in hitting percentage with a .565 mark. He is also ranked third in the league in blocking at 1.47 blocks per game.

BALANCED ATTACK: UCI was ranked fourth nationally in hitting percentage (.349) with six players averaging 2.00 kills or more per game.

5-Game Barn Burner Loss for UCI @ UCLA

April 6, 2007

NO. 4 UCLA UPSETS NO. 2 UC IRVINE IN FIVE (Boxscore)

Los Angeles, Calif. -- After trailing by two games, UCLA battled back to take the next three in an 3-2 (23-30, 14-30, 30-28, 30-28, 17-15) upset of No. 2 UC Irvine Friday at Pauley Pavilion.

The Anteater block was big in game one, out-blocking the Bruins, 6-2 and taking the set 30-23. UCI hit .462, while UCLA hit just.179.

UC Irvine took game two 30-24 with Matt Webber and Taylor Wilson each adding four kills.

UCLA turned on the block in games three and four totaling 13 blocks to UCI's 3. The Bruins took game three 30-28 and game four 30-28. In game three, UCI rallied from a 25-27 deficit on a Jablonsky kill and ace to tie the score at 27-27. After each scoring a point, a kill by Paul George was followed by a Bruin block for the 30-28 UCLA win.

UCI jumped to a 3-0 lead in game five behind the serving of Brian Thornton and two Taylor Wilson kills. UCI maintained the lead until another Bruin block tied the score at 10-10. After trading points, a kill on an overpass gave the Bruins the 12-11 advantage. A Smith kill knotted the game at 12-12. Two sideouts preceeded a Wilson kill to put UCI up 14-13. A Garrett Muagututia kill tied it at 14-14 before a Thornton set that was intended for Smith trickeled over the net for the point 15-14. A Bruin kill and service ace gave UCLA match point before an Anteater attempt was blocked for the Bruin 17-15 victory.

UCI falls to 22-5 on the year and 15-5 in the MPSF, while UCLA improves to 17-10 overall and 11-9 in league action.

UCI's Jayson Jablsonky led all players with 19 kills. Taylor Wilson had 17 kills followed by Matt Webber with 14 and Aaron Harrell and David Smith with 12 kills each. Smith was errorless on the night, hitting .800 (12-0-15). Brian Thornton had a double-double with 64 assists and a career-high 12 digs. He also added five total blocks. Wilson, Webber and libero Brent Asuka each had nine digs on the night. Harrell led the team at the net with seven blocks.

Steve Klosterman and Paul George each had 17 kills in the win. The Bruins had 26 blocks for the match.

David Smith Featured on NCAAsports.com!

Check it out at:

http://www.ncaasports.com/volleyball/mens/story/10105991

Feature: Good communication

April 3, 2007

By Amy Farnum
NCAASports.com Staff Writer

Good communication and timing is pertinent to a team’s success in the sport of men’s volleyball, and a player’s hearing impairment could definitely shake that delicate balance, but UC Irvine’s David Smith hasn’t let it.

Smith was born with a 70-80 percent decibel loss in both ears, which is considered severe, and wears hearing aids and lip reads.

“It’s something I’ve always had,” said Smith. “I was born with it as far as they can tell. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was three years old though. They really don’t know why.”

The native of Saugus, Calif., grew up playing sports like baseball, basketball and soccer and following in the footsteps of his older brother, Robert. When Smith reached high school, he decided to join the volleyball team as Robert had.

“There was actually another guy on my high school team who was a year older and hard of hearing, too,” said Smith. “He wasn’t as severe as I was, but still had to wear hearing aids when he played, too. I had the advantage of my (high school) coach already being broken in with somebody who was hard of hearing.”

Now, the 6-7 senior is one of the best middle blockers in the nation for the second-ranked Anteaters. He leads the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with a .552 hitting percentage, which also ranks fourth in the nation. Smith’s 1.48 blocks per game is fifth in the nation, and he continues to climb the UCI career charts. He is the Anteaters’ career leader in block assists with 425, and total blocks with 474.

“Once you get on the court, you really don’t have time to listen and pay attention to everyone,” said Smith. “You just do what you have to do when the ball is in play. If something goes wrong, you can talk about it after the play.”

Smith’s natural volleyball ability has more than compensated for his hearing impairment, but there are times when he cannot hear another player calling for the ball, and in that case, the “David Smith Rule” goes into effect.

If the ball is coming his way, head coach John Speraw has given Smith an automatic pass to take it, because he has exceptional ball control skills for a middle blocker. This season, however, the rule has not had to be followed that often.

“This year, with Brent (Asuka) I can tell when he’s going to step in, even though it’s a ball I usually would take,” said Smith. “It’s something I didn’t have last year. Last year, I would have taken every ball. It’s a communication chemistry thing. I won’t hear him screaming me off sometimes, but I still know he’s almost always going to be there.”

The small adjustments Speraw has made, like making sure he is facing Smith at a timeout so he can read his lips, and Smith’s bond with his teammates over the last four years has also made the hearing impairment practically a non-issue.

“Obviously, just being around the guys, they understand where the line is and what I can hear and cannot hear,” said Smith. “It’s also a case of team chemistry and there are some things we don’t have to say anymore, because we just know it.”

Speraw believes Smith is a key reason why the Anteaters have been so competitive this season in the tough MPSF.

“We’re a better team this year, but our conference is better, and in order for us to compete at a high level we needed our players to continue to improve,” said Speraw. “(Smith) has done more of that than any of the seniors. He has really come into his own this year and I think he’s going to be an All-American and deservedly so.”

The Anteaters have already clinched a berth in the MSPF Tournament, and Smith is looking forward to helping his team improve on last year’s runner-up finish.

“I think that everything is finally clicking,” said Smith. “Everything I’ve been learning for the last three-and-a-half years is finally starting to come together. Our team is so much more efficient and so much smoother than it used to be. It’s been so much fun. I’ve been playing with six of these guys over the last four years, and that’s the longest time I’ve been with a group.”

#2 'Eaters at #4 Bruins

April 2, 2007

UC IRVINE CONTINUES ON THE ROAD TRAVELING TO NO. 4 UCLA: No. 2 UC Irvine will stay on the road this week, traveling to No. 4 UCLA Friday (Apr. 6) at 7:00 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion in the lone match of the week.

VERSUS THE BRUINS: UCLA holds a 35-7 advantage in the series records, but the Anteaters have won the last four outings.

UCI has swept the Bruins twice this season, once in the championship match of the UCSB/Elephant Bar Tournament and most recently at the Bren Center. At the Bren, Matt Webber led the Anteaters with 16 kills, eight digs and three blocks. Middle blocker David Smith added eight kills, while hitting .636 (8-1-11). The Bruins were led by Steve Klosterman with a match-high 21 kills.

UCLA enters the week, 15-10 overall and 10-9 in MPSF play, but entertains Cal Baptist in a non-conference match before hosting UCI.

#1 Waves Outlast #2 'Eaters

March 31, 2007

NO. 2 UC IRVINE FALLS TO NO. 1 PEPPERDINE (Box)

Malibu, Calif. -- No. 1 Pepperdine needed five games to defeat No. 2 UC Irvine, 3-2 (28-30, 30-20, 30-25, 22-30, 15-13) at the Firestone Fieldhouse Saturday.

It was a balanced UC Irvine attack as Matt Webber and Jayson Jablonsky each had 19 kills, while David Smith added 14 kills and Taylor Wilson had 11 kills. Aaron Harrell posted nine kills. Smith led the team with seven block assists. Libero Brent Asuka led all players with 10 digs. Setter Brian Thornton tallied 65 assists, the second most this season for the senior, and had a match-high two solo blocks to go with five digs.

UCI lead 20-17 in game one before the Waves tied the score at 20-20 on a kill and two blocks. Following a UCI timeout, the Anteaters scored the next three on a Pepperdine service miscue followed by a kill by Harrell and a block by Harrell and Webber. A Carroll kill for Pepperdine ended the UCI scoring, 23-21. The Waves narrowed the score to 28-27 forcing another UCI timeout, but Webber responded with a kill to give the Anteaters game point. A Schleppenbach kill delayed the game until Harrell pounded a kill in the middle to give UCI the first set, 30-28.

Game two was all Pepperdine taking the second set, 30-20. The teams were tied 5-5 before Pepperdine out-scored UCI 4-1 to take the 9-6 advantage and never looked back. The Waves hit a blistering .577 (17-2-26), while the Anteaters committed six service errors.

All calls went Pepperdine's way as the Waves took the third game, 30-25. Pepperdine led 23-18 before UCI made a 4-1 run to close to 24-22. The Anteaters appeared to have another point but a blocking error was called to give the Waves the 25-22 cushion. Pepperdine, who would end the game out-scoring UCI 5-3, recorded seven blocks in the stanza.

The Anteaters hit .481 in game four while the Waves hit just .120. UCI opened up a 11-7 lead and pushed the score to 20-12 before going to 30-22 victory.

UCI was its own worst enemy to begin the final game as the Waves scored their first five points on two service errors and three blocks. The Anteaters rallied back to take the 8-7 lead, but Pepperdine knotted the score at 8-8. The teams traded points until 11-11 when Pepperdine took a 13-11 lead on a pair of kills. Jablonsky had a kill before a service error to make it 14-12. A David Smith kill was followed by another service error to end the match. UCI had six of its 25 service errors in game five, including the final three tosses. Pepperdine hit just .167 in the final game.

The Anteaters snap a 10-match winning streak and go to 22-4 overall and 15-4 in the MPSF. Pepperdine wins its 18th consecutive and improves to 21-1 overall and 17-1 in league action.