UC Irvine Anteater Volleyball - AKA "Eater VolleyBlog"

Makin' the move...

2010-02-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

Hey all, after 3 years of blogging here on blogger.com I'll be moving over to the new ANTEATER VOLLEYBALL BLOG URL. Check it out. I still will post here for a little while longer to compare traffic.

ANTEATER VOLLEYBALL BLOG

Paul Spittle in the movie, "Beach Kings"

2009-10-07T10:03:00.000-07:00

UCI Press Conference After Defeating the Buckeyes

2009-05-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

UC Irvine Press Conference - 05/07/2009 after defeating Ohio St.

Lauds & Laurels’ outstanding student-athlete

2009-05-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

Original Article

Great article on Steller!

Jon Steller
Lauds & Laurels’ outstanding student-athlete
A winning season
Volleyball player Jon Steller is a standout on the court, in the community and at school (05.01.2009)

On his right arm, fifth-year volleyball player Jon Steller has tattooed Greek numbers symbolizing his favorite biblical passage: “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”

He can see the tattoo when he makes a “kill” – a volleyball spike the opposing team is unable to return; when he rolls up his sleeves while volunteering at a free healthcare clinic in Mexico; and when he’s in class, pursuing a double major in neurobiology and the classics at UC Irvine.

“It’s a way to check if I’m living according to my philosophy – if I’m doing the right thing,” says Steller, who hopes to become a doctor.

That philosophy has made him a winner on the court, in the community and at school, earning him the 2009 Lauds & Laurels award for outstanding student-athlete. (The UCI Alumni Association’s Lauds & Laurels ceremony takes place Thursday, May 14, at the Hilton Irvine.)

Steller has helped his teammates reach the top of their game, winning the national title in 2007 and delivering another white-knuckle season this spring.

“After we won the national title, we went to the White House and met President Bush. It was a neat experience to shake his hand and give him a stuffed Anteater,” Steller says.

Among many other athletic and academic honors, he made the 2007 Living Our Values student honor roll and was named to the 2008 American Volleyball Coaches Association All-America Second Team.

Still, Steller’s not in the game for personal glory.

After a knee injury and a painful loss in the 2006 NCAA semifinals, he says, he “learned to set aside my own goals for team goals.”

“Out of this team awareness sprouted a social awareness,” Steller wrote in his medical school application. “Assuming responsibility for my teammates, my friends and my family, while honorable, isn’t enough. I have a social responsibility to step outside my comfortable Southern California life, whether it is 10,000 miles or 10 minutes from home, because I have the capacity to make a difference.”

In 2007, he spent three weeks in Ukraine on a humanitarian mission, visiting orphanages and establishing a summer camp for homeless children. “Many are toddlers abandoned by their parents. We went there to give them some attention and hope,” Steller says.

He also belongs to OrangeFISH (Fellowship for International Service and Health), a student-run nonprofit that provides medical services to the needy abroad. Under its auspices, Steller in May 2008 assisted a doctor at a clinic for the poor outside Tijuana, Mexico.

“Jon transcends what it means to be a student-athlete by his global perspective and service,” wrote athletics director Michael Izzi in his Lauds & Laurels nomination letter.

This fall, after marrying his high school sweetheart, Steller will begin medical school at UCI – his first choice, he says, because “it has the same philosophy that I do of wanting to serve the underserved.”

— Kathryn Bold, University Communications

Four Men's Volleyball Players Earn All-American Distinction

2009-05-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

UC Irvine Story on All-Americans

Four Men's Volleyball Players Earn All-American Distinction
Ryan Ammerman named to the first team

May 5, 2009

Irvine, Calif. – Four UC Irvine men’s volleyball players earned American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American honors including Ryan Ammerman who was named to the first team.

Sophomore outside hitter Jordan DuFault, sophomore middle blocker Kevin Wynne and freshman opposite Carson Clark were each selected to the second team. It is the first All-American honor for each player.

Ammerman is averaging 12.55 set assists which is ranked 12th nationally. He leads the team in service aces with 28. The senior becomes the fifth UCI player to earn first team distinction. He was named AVCA National Player of the Week as well as MPSF Co-Player of the Week on Mar. 8, 2009. He was also named first team All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF).

DuFault is averaging 3.25 kills and 3.93 points per set. He also averages 1.81 digs and 0.91 blocks per set. The third team All-MPSF selection garnered AVCA National Player of the Week and MPSF Co-Player of the Week on Apr. 13.

Wynne is ranked 14th nationally in blocking with a 1.34 mark. He ranks third overall among MPSF players in hitting percentage (.467) and led the league in MPSF-matches only (.479). The sophomore was a second team All-MPSF choice.

Clark, a redshirt freshman, joins Brent Asuka as the only two UCI freshmen to earn All-American status in their first year. He leads the team in kills averaging 3.94 per set, which is 17th in the country. The opposite is hitting .344 overall which is 25th in the country. He was honored as the MPSF Freshman of the Year as well as first team and All-Freshman team accolades.

No. 1 seed UC Irvine takes on No. 4 Ohio State in the NCAA Championship semifinal Thursday (May 7) in Provo, UT at 8:00 p.m. Pacific time.

4 Anteaters are All-Americans!

2009-05-04T17:14:00.000-07:00

2009 AVCA-All America Teams

Congratulations and great work for the guys!

1st Team
Ryan Ammerman

2nd Team
Carson Clark
Jordan DuFault
Kevin Wynne

NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Info Link

2009-05-03T21:48:00.000-07:00

NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Information

'Eaters to Play for Another National Championship in Provo!

2009-05-03T11:19:00.001-07:00

Just announced on ESPN News!

UCI enters the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Final Four as the #1 seed! Here are the semifinals:

Semi #1: #3 USC vs. #2 Penn St., 6:00 PST, Thursday 5/7. (ESPNU)
Semi #2: #4 Ohio St. vs. #1 UCI, 8:00 PST, Thursday 5/7. (ESPNU)

If there are any corrections I'll post them here!

GO 'EATERS!

Anteaters stunned

2009-05-01T14:01:00.000-07:00

Daily Pilot Article by Barry Faulkner

Published Thursday, April 30, 2009 11:00 PM PDT
Sports
Anteaters stunned
VOLLEYBALL: USC upsets top-ranked UC Irvine at the Bren to move on to the championship.

By Barry Faulkner

IRVINE — The invincibility of the UC Irvine men’s volleyball team took a substantial hit Thursday night, as visiting No. 4-ranked USC pounced on the top-ranked Anteaters to claim a 30-25, 30-25, 30-27 victory in the semifinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament at the Bren Events Center.

The loss does not figure to cost UCI its NCAA title hopes, as the Anteaters (24-6) are still expected to earn an at-large into the four-team NCAA Championship, May 7 and 9 at BYU.

USC, however, appeared to be a team potent enough to get to Provo, Utah. The Trojans (19-10), the No. 5 seed in the MPSF Tournament, will need to defeat No. 2-ranked Pepperdine in Saturday’s tournament final to earn the conference’s guaranteed berth in the Final Four.

UCI had won six straight matches, 13 in a row at home and 10 consecutive meetings with USC.

Instead, the Anteaters were forced to wave goodbye to their final home crowd of the season, and hope to regroup to bid for their second NCAA crown in three seasons.

“I still think we probably get the at-large [NCAA Tournament berth],” UCI Coach John Speraw said. “We should. We were the best team all season. But it’s a political decision and I told the guys they need to prepare themselves for the reality of the possibility that a decision could go against them.

“But I think we’re the best team and we can go out to Provo and win a title.”

UCI will learn its NCAA Tournament fate Sunday at 10:30 a.m. when the championship pairings will be announced.

Murphy Troy, a 6-foot-8 sophomore outside hitter, paced the winners with 19 kills, matching UCI senior outside hitter Taylor Wilson for match-high honors.

Troy hit .600, making just one error on 30 swings.

Tony Ciarelli, a 6-6 freshman outside hitter, had 18 kills and a match-high four ace serves for the Trojans.

Wilson finished with a .484 hitting percentage as UCI hit .462 as a team in the match.

USC hit .392 as a team, but produced 12 aces, doubling UCI’s total.

UCI, the nation’s top blocking team, posted a 4.5-4 edge in team blocks, and made 14 service errors, to just six by the Trojans.

“That is probably the best [aces to service errors] ratio in the history of the MPSF,” said Speraw, who said his team’s poor defense was the key.

“We didn’t do enough. We didn’t pass the ball right off the bat … Our offense actually played great. When you’re hitting about .490 and you’re getting your butt kicked, that says something about what your defense is doing.”

USC seized a 6-1 lead in the opening set and lead by five several times before the Anteaters rallied to pull even at 20-20 and 21-21.

But five service errors, including three late, helped UCI squander a .379 hitting percentage.

USC hit .353 in the first set and had three aces with only three service errors.

The Trojans maintained the intensity in Game 2, pulling away from a 6-6 deadlock to earn a 13-7 advantage that eventually became 23-16, before closing it out. UCI hit .517 as a team in Game 2, but USC hit .406, behind powerful kills from Troy and Ciarelli.

At the end of the second set, Murphy had 13 kills and was hitting .632. Ciarelli, the nephew of Newport Harbor High football and track and field assistant coach Tony Ciarelli, had 11 kills. Both Troy and Ciarelli had three aces apiece entering Game 3.

Freshman Carson Clark had 13 kills and led the ’Eaters with 12 digs and three aces.

Senior setter Ryan Ammerman, like Clark a first-team All-MPSF performer, had 44 assists.

NCAA Selection Show for 2009 NCAA Final Four

2009-05-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

We NEED to get into the Final Four! You know I'll be praying on this one!

Men's NCAA Selection announcement will be Sunday between 1:30 and 2 p.m. ET on ESPNews

Trojans Rock Eater Nation

2009-05-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

Fifth-seed USC Upsets No. 1 UC Irvine, 3-0 In MPSF Semifinal
Anteaters hit .462 for the match

April 30, 2009

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. – Fifth-seed USC upset No. 1 seed and No.1 ranked UC Irvine, 3-0 (30-25, 30-25, 30-25) in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation semifinal match at the Bren Center Thursday.

Pepperdine defeated Cal State Northridge in the other semifinal, 3-1 (27-30, 40-38, 30-26, 30-23) so the Waves will meet the Trojans in the championship match Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Center.

The Trojans, who are ranked fourth nationally, end UCI’s six-match winning streak and knock off the Anteaters for the first time in 11 tries. UCI goes to 25-5 overall while USC improves to 19-10.

UCI hit .462 (53-11-91) for the match, the third highest offensive total for the Anteaters this year. USC hit .392 (52-12-102) and fired 12 service aces, the most aces registered against UCI this season. The Anteaters had committed just four receiving errors in the last three matches combined. UCI had a season-low 4.5 blocks and still managed to out-block the Trojans who had just 4.0.

UCI was led by Taylor Wilson with 19 kills, hitting at a .484 clip (19-4-31). The senior also recorded two aces. Opposite Carson Clark added 13 kills, three aces, a team-high three blocks and a match and career-high 12 digs. Middle blocker Kevin Wynne hit .545 with seven kills and two blocks.

Murphy Troy led the Trojans with 19 kills hitting .600 (19-1-30). Tony Ciarelli put away 18 kills and a team-best eight digs. Setter Riley McKibben added 42 set assists and seven digs.

USC jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the first set and never trailed in the game. The Trojans led 18-13 before UCI went on a 7-2 run to tie the game at 20-20. Following an Anteater service error, Riley McKibben recorded a kill to give USC a two-point cushion, 23-21. Taylor Wilson put away a kill following an Irvine timeout, but the Trojans responded with a 3-0 spurt to go ahead 26-22 on their way to a 30-25 victory.

UCI hit .527 in the second set, but the Trojans took a 2-0 lead with another 30-25 victory. USC fired five aces and hit .457. All USC needed was a kill by Murphy Troy followed by a pair of kills by Tony Ciarelli to take a 9-6 led and the Anteaters would get no closer than three the rest of the way.

In the third set, UCI jumped out an early 6-3 lead but USC knotted the score at 18-18. The teams remained closed and with the score tied at 25-25, USC used a kill by Ciarelli and an Anteater attack error to go ahead 27-25. USC would side out for the 30-27 victory and the match 3-0.

Interview with Coach Speraw at About.com

2009-04-30T08:34:00.000-07:00

Speraw Interview at About.com

KCBS/KCAL Footage from 4/29/09

2009-04-29T23:33:00.000-07:00

Check out Taylor Wilson & Ryan Ammerman on camera before the MPSF Tournament Semifinal Matchup vs. USC.

KCAL9/KCBS2 FOOTAGE

UC Irvine Battles USC In MPSF Semifinals

2009-04-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

Anteaters take on Trojans

April 28, 2009

UC IRVINE BATTLES USC IN MPSF SEMIFINAL: No. 1 seed UC Irvine (25-4, 19-3) will battle fifth-seeded USC Thursday (Apr. 30) in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation semifinal match at the Bren Center beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The Anteaters and Trojans will be the second match of the night with No. 3 Cal State Northridge taking on No. 2 Pepperdine at 5:00 p.m

The championship match will be held on Saturday (May 2) at 7:00 p.m.

The winner earns the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Championships held on the campus of BYU at the Smith Fieldhouse May 7-9.

VS THE OPPONENTS: UCI leads USC in the series records, 20-17, winning the last 10 against the Trojans. The Anteaters defeated USC 3-1 at the Bren three weeks ago. UCI used a team effort to defeat the Trojans with Jordan DuFault leading the team with 17 kills, while Taylor Wilson had 15 kills and a career-high seven block assists. The Anteaters hit .338 (60-15-133) for the match, while the Trojans hit .240 (63-27-150). UCI committed just nine service errors to USC's 20 and won the battle at the net, out-blocking USC 15.5 to 6.0. The Trojans were led by Tony Ciarelli with a match-high 23 kills. Murphy Troy added 17 kills, four service aces and 10 digs, while Riley McKibbin recorded 52 set assists and a team-high 14 digs.

UCI won the first meeting of the year, 3-2 in the Galen Center. Wilson led UCI with 19 kills, while Jon Steller played the final three sets recording 14 kills and two service aces. USC’s Troy recorded a match-high 29 kills followed by Ciarelli (17), Austin Zahn (13) and Hunter Current (10).

This will be the first post-season meeting between the two schools.

WILSON NAMED SPORTS IMPORT/AVCA NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior Taylor Wilson was named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men’s National Player of the Week.

The senior led the No. 1-ranked Anteaters to a 3-1 win over then-No. 9 UCLA in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) quarterfinal match. Wilson hit .412 and put away a career-high 29 kills in 51 swings with eight errors. He also had six digs, two aces and two blocks, while racking up an 8.00 points per game average. The 29 kills topped his previous career-best of 24 set in 2008.

This is the third time Wilson has earned Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Player of the Week honors in his career and the second time this season (Feb.2, 2009) he has been recognized.

UCI RANKED NO. 1: UC Irvine remained the No. 1 team in the country in the latest Bison/AVCA Coaches Poll. The Anteaters have been ranked in the nation’s top 10 for 73 consecutive weeks, including No. 1 for 19 of those weeks. UCI has been ranked No. 1 for six weeks this season, second only to Penn State who held the top spot for seven weeks, including the preseason poll. The Anteaters have been ranked No. 1 in four different years (2003, 2006, 2007, 2009) under head coach John Speraw, including three of the last four seasons.

Taylor Wilson Awarded AVCA Player of the Week 4/27/09

2009-04-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

Wilson's Stellar Performance Keys Anteaters to MPSF Tournament Win

April 27 - Taylor Wilson, a 6-7 outside hitter for then-No. 1 University of California, Irvine, has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Week. The Mission Viejo, Calif. native earned the award for his outstanding play in leading the Anteaters to a 3-1 win over then-No. 9 UCLA in First-Round action of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) tournament this past weekend. In that match, Wilson hit .412 with a career-high 29 kills in 51 swings with eight errors. He also had six digs, two aces and two blocks, while racking up an 8.00 points per game average. The 29 kills topped his previous career-best of 24, a mark in which he set in 2008. This is the third time Wilson has earned Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Player of the Week honors during his time in an Anteaters' uniform, also marking the second time this season (Feb.2, 2009) he has been recognized. This is also the 15th time an athlete from UC Irvine has garnered the award, four of those coming this season. The last Anteater to be honored this year was Jordan DuFault on April 13, 2009. UC Irvine is coached by John Speraw.

"The Fiver with Rob-on-the Mic"

2009-04-26T07:56:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone, this is a trial episode of my first PodCast. I'm looking into other methods but this is what I could post immediately.

April 26, 2009 Episode

'Eaters Oust Bruins in MPSF Quarterfinal

2009-04-26T00:23:00.001-07:00

http://www.ucirvinesports.com/sports/m-volley/recaps/042609aaa.html

Taylor Wilson's Career-High 29 Kills Leads No. 1 UC Irvine To A 3-1 Victory Over UCLA

Wilson posts second most kills by an Anteater this season

April 25, 2009

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. - Senior outside hitter Taylor Wilson pounded a career-high 29 kills to lead No. 1 UC Irvine to a 3-1 (30-23, 31-29, 30-32, 30-21) victory over ninth-ranked UCLA in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation quarterfinal match at the Bren Center Saturday.

The Anteaters, the tournament's No. 1 seed, advances to play No. 5 USC in a semifinal match next Thursday (Apr. 30) at the Bren Center. No. 2 Pepperdine will face No. 3 Cal State Northridge in the other semifinal.

UCI improves to 25-4 overall, while eighth-seeded UCLA ends the season 14-16.

Wilson's 29 kills betters his previous best of 24 set in 2008 and is the second most this season behind Jon Steller's 32 (at Pepperdine). The senior hit .412 (29-8-51) and also recorded two aces and six digs. Redshirt Carson Clark added 18 kills and sophomore Jordan DuFault totaled 16 kills and 10 digs. Setter Ryan Ammerman tallied 61 set assists, three service aces, nine digs and three blocks. Middle blocker Kevin Wynne had a match-high five blocks to go with six kills. Libero Brent Asuka had a team-high 11 digs.

UCI did not block well, but held the 8.0 - 6.5 advantage. The Anteaters hit .350 while the Bruins hit .291 for the match.

UCLA was led by Jack Polales with 18 kills and a team-best four blocks, while Garrett Muagututia followed with 17 kills. Libero Tom Hastings had a match-high 13 digs. Kevin Ker recorded 50 set assists and eight digs in the loss.

In the first set UCI led 13-11 before a Jordan DuFault kill was followed by a UCLA ball-handling error and a kill by Taylor Wilson to put the Anteaters ahead, 16-11. UCI maintain at least a two-point cushion the rest of the way as they took the set, 30-23.

The teams were tied 17 times in the second set, the last at 29-29 before Wilson put-away back-to-back kills for the 31-29 UCI victory.

UCLA jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the third set and controlled the game until UCI closed within 24-23 on a Carson Clark kill. UCLA responded with three straight points to go up 27-23. The Bruins would lead 28-24 before the Anteaters rallied on a kill by Clark and two more from Wilson to knot the score at 28-28. The teams traded points until the Bruins had a kill by Jack Polales and the last Anteater swing went long for the 32-30 UCLA win.

A pair of Clark kills combined with a Wilson kill and a UCLA attack error gave UCI the 8-4 advantage in the fourth set. Ryan Ammerman served UCI to six consecutive points to extend the lead to 19-9 as the Anteaters went on to win 30-21. UCI hit .407 in the set to UCLA's .094 mark.

2009 All Conference Honors

2009-04-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

http://www.ucirvinesports.com/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/042309aaa.html

Five UC Irvine Players Named All-MPSF; Carson Clark Named Freshman of the Year
Clark earns top freshman accolade

April 23, 2009

Irvine, Calif. – Five UC Irvine men’s volleyball players were named to All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation teams, including Carson Clark who was named to the first team as well as Freshman of the Year.

Clark, an opposite, leads the No. 1 ranked Anteaters with a 3.90 kill and 4.52 point average, which ranks eighth among MPSF players in both categories. In 16 starts this season, he has averaged 4.73 kills, 5.48 points 1.55 digs, 0.82 blocks and 0.32 aces per set. The redshirt freshman ranks 17th in the country in kills per set, the only freshman to rank in the Top 20. He also has a .344 hitting percentage which is 26th nationally. Clark has led the team in kills in 13 of 26 matches he played in, including 11 of his 16 starts. Clark, who was also selected to the All-Freshman team, joins Brent Asuka as the only two UCI players to earn first team distinction in their first season with the Anteaters.

Senior setter Ryan Ammerman was also a first-team honoree after guiding the Anteaters to a .315 hitting percentage which is fourth best in the nation. The Anteaters have hit over .350 in 10 matches this year including a season-best .517 against UC San Diego. Ammerman is averaging 12.37 set assists which ranks 13th nationally and is 36th in the country in blocking (1.07). The senior has also fired a team-high 25 aces this year. He was named Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week as well as MPSF Player of the Week (Mar. 9) earlier this season.

Sophomore middle blocker Kevin Wynne was named to the second team after leading the conference in hitting percentage overall (.479) and in MPSF matches-only (.485). Wynne also owns a 1.42 blocking average against MPSF opponents which ranks fourth and is 14th nationally in blocking overall (1.36). He was named MPSF Player of the Week on Mar.16.

Sophomore outside hitter Jordan DuFault was a third-team honoree, while senior outside hitter Taylor Wilson was named to the honorable mention squad. DuFault is second on the team in kills (3.27) and points (3.99). He was named AVCA National Player of the Week and MPSF Co-Player of the Week on April 13. Wilson is third on the team in kill average with a 2.99 mark. He was named Sports Import/AVCA National Player of the Week as well as MPSF Player of the Week on Feb. 2.

It is the first all-conference honor for each of the Anteaters.

2009 MPSF All-Conference Players/Teams

2009-04-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

http://www.mpsports.org/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/042409aaa.html

2009 All-MPSF Men's Volleyball Teams Announced
Paul Carroll Named Player of the Year

April 23, 2009

2009 MPSF Player of the Year
PAUL CARROLL • #12 • SENIOR • OPPOSITE • PEPPERDINE
Pepperdine senior opposite Paul Carroll (Forster, Australia/Great Lakes College) is leading the nation in kills for the second straight year. An AVCA All-American first teamer the last two years and now a three-time All-MPSF first team selection, he is averaging 6.29 kills, 2.15 digs, 1.04 blocks and 0.29 aces while hitting .395. He's been named the AVCA Player of the Week twice this season and the MPSF Co-Player of the Week three times. Carroll has led Pepperdine in kills in every match this season, with at least 14 every time, 20 or more kills on 16 occasions and 30+ kills seven times. He had a career-high tying 37 kills in a win vs. UC Irvine on Feb. 20, which also tied his own school single-match record for the rally-scoring era. Carroll just became the fourth player in Pepperdine history to record 2,000 career kills and now stands third on the list with 2,012.

2009 MPSF Freshman of the Year
CARSON CLARK • #9 • FRESHMAN • OPPOSITE • UC IRVINE
UC Irvine redshirt freshman Carson Clark (Santa Barbara, CA/Santa Barbara HS) leads UC Irvine in kills (3.90) and points per set (4.52) overall, which ranks eighth among MPSF players in both categories. In 16 starts this year, he is averaging 4.73 kills, 5.48 points 1.55 digs, 0.82 blocks and 0.32 aces per set. Clark ranks 17th in the country in kills per set, the only freshman to rank in the Top-20. He owns a .344 hitting percentage which is 26th nationally, ranking only behind MPSF players Paul Carroll and Eric Vance among non-middle blockers on the list. Clark led the team in kills in 13 of 26 matches he played in, including 11 of his 16 starts. He recorded a career-best 24 kills against UC Santa Barbara on Jan. 14, 2009.

2009 MPSF Coach of the Year
KEVIN RING • FOURTH YEAR • HEAD COACH • UC SAN DIEGO
UC San Diego head coach Kevin Ring directed the Tritons to 13 wins this season, including eight MPSF wins, both school records. The Tritons were nationally ranked in the top-10 for most of the year and contended for an MPSF playoff spot until the final weekend of the season. The 2009 season comes on the heels of a record setting 2008 season for wins. Ring directed the Tritons to several notable wins this season, including defeating St. Francis and George Mason at the Hall of Fame Classic, and defeating UCLA, USC, Hawaii, UCSB and Pacific in the MPSF. UCSD also had several near upsets, including taking Pepperdine to five sets. The Tritons lose just one starter and return their top four point scorers from the 2009 campaign.

OTHER ANTEATERS MAKING ALL-MPSF:

1st Team - Ryan Ammerman (S)
2nd Team - Kevin Wynne (MH)
3rd Team - Jordan Dufault (OH)
Honorable Mention - Taylor Wilson (OH)
All-Freshmen Team - Carson Clark (OPP)

UCI downs Pacific, Become MPSF Regular Season Championship

2009-04-19T13:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.ucirvinesports.com/sports/m-volley/recaps/041909aab.html

No. 1 UC Irvine Captures MPSF Regular Season Title With 3-0 Win At Pacific

Anteaters win second regular season title and enter MPSF Tournament as No. 1 seed

April 18, 2009

Final Stats

Stockton, Calif. - No. 1 UC Irvine captured the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season title with a 3-0, (36-34, 30-17 30-23) victory over Pacific at the Spanos Center Saturday.

With the victory, UC Irvine wins the MPSF regular season title with a 19-3 record, one game ahead of Pepperdine (18-4). It is the second time in program history the Anteaters have won the league's regular season title (2006) and will be the No. 1 seed for the MPSF Tournament.

Top-seeded UCI will take on No. 8 UCLA Saturday (Apr. 25) at the Bren Events Center at 7:00 p.m. The quarterfinal match has been declared a "Black-Out" and fans are encouraged to wear black, in particular black Eater Nation t-shirts which are worn by the UCI student section and will be available for purchase at the match. Partial proceeds from the sale of the "Black-Out Eater Nation" t-shirts go to the Adolescent and Young Adult cancer program at the UC Irvine Medical Center.

No. 1 ranked UC Irvine improves to 24-4 overall, the second most wins in the country this year (Penn State, 25-3). Pacific closes out the year 3-28 overall and 0-22 in MPSF play.

Sophomore Cory Yoder led UCI with a season-high 15 kills, while hitting .583. Yoder committed just one attack error in 24 swings. Redshirt freshman Carson Clark came off the bench to record 10 kills and senior Taylor Wilson hit .500 with seven kills. Setter Ryan Ammerman played in two games with 27 set assists, three blocks and a team-best six digs. Middle blocker Austin D'Amore had six kills, an ace and three blocks, while middle blocker Bryan Simmons hit .571 (5-0-7) and added two blocks. Outside hitter Cole Reinholm added four kills, two aces and a block in two sets. Setter Anthony Spittle recorded 18 set assists and an ace in the win, while brother Nick had four digs.

Pacific's Jeff Hendershot had a match-high 25 kills and 10 digs. Mark Bauhs matches Hendershot with 10 digs, while Eric Fuchino tallied 43 set assists. Kevin Pratte added eight kills.

UCI hit .431 (54-10-102) compared to UOP's .248 (49-23-105). The Anteaters out-blocked the Tigers, 7.5-5. UCI had a nine service aces, the third highest total of the year.

UCI jumped out early in the first set with a 6-0 run which included a kill by Cory Yoder, three kills from Jon Steller and a kill and an ace from Taylor Wilson to take 12-5 lead. The Tigers made a run late with a 5-0 spurt on consecutive kills, an Anteater attack error and a block to close within 26-25. UOP tied the score at 27-27 and took their first lead of the match on a Sean Daley ace, 28-27. A kill by Austin D'Amore was followed by a block by D'Amore and Ammerman to put UCI back ahead 29-28. Following a Pacific timeout, the Tigers went back on top with back-to-back kills, 30-29. A kill by Yoder combined with a Wilson and Ammerman block gave UCI set point again (31-30) only to be denied by a service error and a kill by Jeff Hendershot, giving UOP the 32-31 advantage. The teams traded points until a Bryan Simmons kill was followed by a Pacific attack error to give the Anteaters the 36-34 victory.

UCI led 15-11 in the second set when Kevin Wynne took over with a kill and two aces to open the gap to 18-11. Carson Clark would record six kills as the Anteaters took the set 30-17. UCI would hit .536 with just two errors and also fire four aces in the set.

Cole Reinholm continued UCI's hot serving with a pair of aces to take an early 5-2 lead in the third set. Clark had a kill and ace before by a pair of Tiger attack errors extended the UCI lead to 10-3. The Anteaters won the set 30-23 as Yoder led the `Eaters with five kills.

MPSF Champ 'Eaters vs. Bruins in MPSF Quarterfinal

2009-04-18T20:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.ucirvinesports.com/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/041809aaa.html

UC Irvine Captures No. 1 Seed For MPSF Tournament

MPSF Quarterfinal Matches Announced

April 18, 2009

Irvine, Calif. -- With a win over Stanford Friday night, UC Irvine has secured the No. 1 seed for the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament.

The top-ranked Anteaters will host eighth-seeded UCLA in a quarterfinal match next Saturday, April 25 at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Events Center. Tickets are available at Bren Center box office (949) 824-5000.

UCI will close out the regular season at Pacific tonight (Apr. 18).

MPSF QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE

Saturday, April 25; 7:00 p.m.

# 8 UCLA at # 1 UC IRVINE

# 5 or 4 Stanford vs. # 4 or 5 USC (at # 4 Seed)

# 6 BYU at # 3 CS NORTHRIDGE

# 7 Long Beach State at # 2 PEPPERDINE

Eaters Chop Down the Cardinal - MPSF Regular Season Champs?

2009-04-18T10:41:00.001-07:00

With the 'Eater sweep of Stanford, combined with the Pepperdine loss to BYU on Friday night, THE ANTEATERS ARE THE MPSF REGULAR SEASON CHAMPIONS!

No. 1 UC Irvine Hits .457 In 3-0 Victory Over Stanford
Hot-hitting, service aces and blocks help Anteaters sweep

April 17, 2009

Final Stats

Stanford, Calif. – No. 1 UC Irvine hit .457 and swept No. 4 Stanford (30-28, 30-24, 30-22) at Maples Pavilion Friday night.

The top-ranked Anteaters improve to 23-4 overall and 18-3 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Stanford goes to 20-10 on the year and 13-8 in league play.

Senior setter Ryan Ammerman directed a balanced Anteater attack with UCI posting a .457 (58-10-105) hitting percentage, the third best offensive attack this season. Ammerman not only dished 53 set assists, but recorded six blocks, three aces and four kills. Redshirt freshman Carson Clark had a double-double with 16 kills and 10 digs while hitting .481 (16-3-27) and firing three aces. Senior Taylor Wilson totaled 15 kills, hit .406 (15-2-32) and added six digs and four blocks. The reigning National Player of the Week, Jordan DuFault, continued his hot-hitting with a .611 mark against Stanford, recording 12 kills in 18 attempts with just one error. Freshman middle blocker Austin D’Amore totaled seven kills and six block assists, while libero Brent Asuka had a match-high 14 digs.

UCI held a 9-2 blocking advantage and fired seven aces to Stanford’s one. Stanford hit .277 (46-15-112) on the night.

Stanford was led by Evan Romero with 13 kills followed by Brad Lawson with 11. Setter Kawika Shoji tallied 39 set assists, five blocks and five kills. Erik Shoji matched Asuka with 14 digs.

In the first set, the Cardinal took a two-point cushion late in the match on an Anteater service and attack error to go ahead, 22-20. UCI responded with kills by Carson Clark and Taylor Wilson to knot the score at 22-22. With the score tied at 26 all, Nick Spittle came in and fired an ace that was followed by a Stanford attack error to give UCI the 28-26 advantage. The teams traded points until Jordan DuFault ended the set with a kill, 30-28. Wilson led UCI with five kills in the set, while Austin D’Amore hit .750 (3-0-4) and added four blocks. There were 19 ties in the first set.

UCI led 11-9 in the second set before a DuFault kill was followed by a pair of Clark aces to extend the Anteater lead to 14-9. Ammerman opened the UCI lead to 19-12 on back-to-back aces. Stanford could get no closer than four the rest of the match as the Anteaters won the set 30-24.

Stanford closed with 12-10 in the third set, before UCI went on a 3-0 run which included a kill by Clark and two from DuFault to take the 15-10 advantage. Wilson recorded three straight kills to push the advantage to 18-12. UCI hit a .500 (24-3-42) to take the third set 30-20. Both Wilson and Clark registered six kills in the final set.

The Anteaters will travel to Pacific tomorrow night (Apr. 18) to close out the regular season.

Freshmen Phenomena

2009-04-16T22:42:00.000-07:00

Freshmen Carson Clark and Austin D'Amore Have Put Up Impressive Numbers in First Year

Talented freshman are one of the keys to Anteaters' success in 2009

April 16, 2009

Irvine, Calif. -- Freshmen Carson Clark and Austin D'Amore have been a big part of UCI's success this year and have put up impressive numbers in their MPSF debut.

As a freshman, Clark leads the No. 1-ranked team with a 3.87 kills and 4.47 points per set average. He saw limited action behind All-American Jon Steller earlier in the season, but in 15 starts this season, the opposite has averaged a remarkable 4.70 kills, 5.42 points 1.45 digs, 0.85 blocks and 0.28 aces per set. Entering the week, he ranks 18th nationally in kills per set and is the only freshman ranked in the NCAA's top 20 in kill average. Clark is ranked 27th in the country in hitting percentage with a .338 mark, ranking only behind Pepperdine's Paul Carroll and Northridge's Eric Vance among non-middle blockers on the list. The redshirt freshman has recorded kills in double-digits 14 times this year, including 20 or more on seven occasions. He has led the team in kills in 12 of 26 matches this year, including 10 of his 15 starts.

D'Amore moved into the starting role in the last nine matches and currently leads the MPSF in blocks against MPSF teams-only with 1.61 average . He ranks second behind teammate Bryan Simmons in block average overall with a 1.53 mark. D'Amore has recorded six or more block assists in 11 of 19 matches this year. The middle blocker, who is averaging 1.22 kills, has a not committed a hitting error over the last three matches (13-0-28) and is averaging 2.09 blocks. He had a career-best 10 kills versus Hawaii as well as a career-high nine total blocks last week against USC.

The top-ranked Anteaters battle No. 4 Stanford Friday (Apr. 17) and Pacific Saturday to close out the regular season.

JD Sweeps Player of the Week Honors

2009-04-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

Jordan DuFault Sweeps Player of the Week Honors
DuFault earns first National Player of the Week honor

April 13, 2009

Irvine, Calif. – UC Irvine outside hitter Jordan DuFault has been named Sports Imports/AVCA Men’s Volleyball National Player of the Week as well Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Co-Player of the Week after leading the Anteaters to victories over then No. 4-USC and then-No. 1 Pepperdine.

DuFault, a 6-4 outside hitter, hit .491 (31-3-57) and averaged 4.43 kills, 4.93 points, 1.71 digs and 1.0 blocks for the week. In UCI’s 3-1 victory over USC, DuFault hit .500 on 17 kills in 32 attempts and only one error. He also recorded six digs and three blocks in the match. In a 3-0 sweep of Pepperdine, he hit .480 with 14 kills in 25 swings and just two errors, while also tallying six digs and four blocks in the victory.

This is his first career national and conference honor. DuFault is the third UCI player to garner National Player of the Week accolades this season joining Taylor Wilson (Feb. 2, 2009) and Ryan Ammerman (March 9, 2009). He is the fifth Anteater to earn MPSF distinction (Kevin Wynne 3/16, Ammerman 3/9, Wilson 2/2 and Jon Steller 1/26) in 2009.

No. 1 UC Irvine travels to No. 4 Stanford Friday and Pacific Saturday to close out the regular season schedule before hosting a MPSF play-off match April 25. The Anteaters are 22-4 overall and 17-3 in the MPSF.

JD Receives 1st-Ever AVCA POTW Honors!

2009-04-13T14:25:00.000-07:00

DuFault Propels Anteaters to Wins Over Two Top-Five Opponents

April 13 - Jordan DuFault, a 6-4 outside hitter for then-No. 2- University of California, Irvine, has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Week. He receives the award after helping the Anteaters to wins over two nationally-ranked opponents last week, including a sweep of then-No. 1 Pepperdine. In UCI's first match of the week, a 3-1 victory over then-No. 4 Southern California, DuFault hit .500 on 17 kills in 32 attempts and only one error. He also netted six digs and three blocks in the match. Then, in the Anteaters' 3-0 triumph over the Waves, he hit .480 with 14 kills in 25 swings and just two errors, while also tallying six digs and four blocks in the victory. For the week, DuFault hit .491 and averaged 4.43 kills, 1.71 digs and 1.0 blocks per game. This is the first time DuFault has received Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Player of the Week honors. It is also the third time this season that an Anteaters' athlete has received the award. The previous two winners were Taylor Wilson (Feb. 2, 2009) and Ryan Ammerman (March 9, 2009). UC Irvine is coached b John Speraw.

The #1 Waves Go Down to the #2 'Eaters

2009-04-12T00:55:00.000-07:00

Seniors Go Out With A Bang As No. 2 UC Irvine Sweeps No. 1 Pepperdine

Anteaters hit .352 and out-block the Waves 16 to 6

April 11, 2009

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. – No. 2 UC Irvine swept No. 1 Pepperdine, 3-0 (30-29, 30-24, 30-22) on senior night at the Bren Events Center in front of a season-high 2,587 fans.

UCI improves to 22-4 overall and moves into a first place tie in the MPSF standings with Pepperdine at 17-3. The Waves go to 19-3 overall. It is the 10th win all-time versus the Waves and only the second three-game sweep of Pepperdine in the series history. The last 3-0 victory was Jan. 6, 2003.

UCI once again used a balanced attack, hitting .352 (56-13-122). The Anteaters were guided by senior setter Ryan Ammerman with 47 assists, three kills, five digs, five total blocks and two aces. Redshirt freshman Carson Clark led the team with 16 kills and had eight digs. Sophomore Jordan DuFault hit .480 from the outside with 14 kills and just two errors in 25 attempts. Senior outside hitter Taylor Wilson logged 10 kills and six block assists, while senior libero Brent Asuka had a team-best 11 digs. In the middle, sophomore Kevin Wynne totaled a match-high seven blocks, hit .538 with seven kills, while freshman Austin D’Amore hit .545 with six kills and six blocks. Senior Jon Steller fired a service ace.

The Anteaters dominated the net, out-blocking Pepperdine 16 to 6.

Pepperdine’s Paul Carroll recorded a match-high 19 kills, while Matt McKee had 14 kills. Kasey Krider totaled 42 set assists and nine digs, while libero Sean Grubbs had a match-high 12 digs in the loss.

The first set saw 13 ties and the lead was never more than two for either team. With the score knotted at 29-29 a Pepperdine service error was followed by a block by UCI’s Austin D’Amore and Taylor Wilson to give the Anteaters the 31-29 victory. UCI used 5.5 blocks and six kills from Carson Clark to take the set.

The score was tied 22-22 in second set before UCI had kills by Jordan DuFault and D’Amore and a Pepperdine attack error to go ahead 25-22. The Anteaters scored the last three points of the set on a Ryan Ammerman ace, a block by Clark and Kevin Wynne and another Ammerman ace.

UCI jumped out to a 7-3 advantage in the third set and never relinquished the lead. Consecutive kills by Wynne, D’Amore and DuFault end the game 30-22 and the match.

UCI honored its six graduating seniors, Ryan Ammerman, Nick Spittle, Jon Steller, Brent Asuka, Taylor Wilson and Nick Goldsborough-Reardon in a pre-game ceremony.

With one more week remaining in the regular season, UCI is guaranteed to host a MPSF quarterfinal match on April 25. The Anteaters travel to Stanford and Pacific to close out the MPSF schedule.

'Eaters Sweep the Trojans in the Regular Season

2009-04-08T23:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.ucirvinesports.com/sports/m-volley/recaps/040909aaa.html

Team Effort Lifts No. 2 UC Irvine Over No. 4 USC, 3-1

Jordan DuFault leads UCI with 17 kills

April 8, 2009

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. - No. 2 UC Irvine used a team effort to defeat No. 4 USC, 3-1 (30-15, 22-30, 30-25, 30-24) at the Bren Events Center in front of a season-high 2,421 fans.

UCI improves to 21-4 overall and 16-3 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. UCI's 21 wins are the third most in program history. It is UCI's 10th consecutive win over the Trojans who go to 16-8 on the year and 12-7 in the MPSF.

Jordan DuFault led the Anteaters with 17 kills while hitting .500 (17-1-32), while senior outside hitter Taylor Wilson recorded 15 kills and a career-high seven block assists. Freshman middle blocker Austin D'Amore had a career and match-best nine total blocks and libero Brent Asuka tallied a match-high 16 digs. Setter Ryan Ammerman had four kills, 49 set assists and 10 digs in the win. Opposite Carson Clark added eight kills and sophomore middle blocker Kevin Wynne totaled seven kills, hitting .636 and five blocks. Senior opposite Jon Steller came off the bench to hit .500 on six kills in 12 attempts without an error. Serving specialist Nick Spittle fired two aces.

USC was led by Tony Ciarelli with a match-high 23 kills. Murphy Troy added 17 kills, four service aces and 10 digs, while Riley McKibbin recorded 52 set assists and a team-high 14 digs.

UCI dominated the net, out-blocking USC 15.5 to 6.0. The Anteaters hit .338 (60-15-133) for the match, while the Trojans hit .240 (63-27-150). UCI committed just nine service errors to USC's 20. Both teams dug 50 balls.

UCI jumped out to a quick 6-1 advantage in the first set and continued to lead 23-11 on consecutive kills by Taylor Wilson, Jordan DuFault, Carson Clark and Kevin Wynne followed by a block by Clark and Wynne. Two Nick Spittle aces were part of UCI's 7-4 run to end the set, 30-15. The Anteaters were on fire in the first set, hitting .593 and totaling three aces and five blocks. Wilson led UCI with five kills, hitting .500 and adding three blocks. USC was limited to a .156 hitting percentage.

Game two belonged to USC as the Trojans took a 4-1 lead and never looked back knotting the match at 1-1 with a 30-22 victory. USC owned a 20-14 advantage, but a Trojan service error was followed by two Anteater blocks and a USC attack that went out to close the margin to 20-18. A kill by Tri Bourne ended the streak and UCI got no closer the rest of the way. USC hit .303 in the second stanza, while the Anteaters hit just .032.

USC led 9-8 in the third set before UCI went on an 8-0 spurt to take a 16-9 lead. The Anteaters would continue to lead as the Trojans tried to rally on a Murphy Troy kill narrowing the margin to 24-21. UCI would out-score USC, 6-4 to end the game 30-25 in favor of the Anteaters. Jordan DuFault paced UCI with eight kills.

UCI held a comfortable 21-15 advantage only to watch USC score five unanswered which included three kills by Tony Ciarelli to close the score to 21-20. A Trojan service error stopped the momentum and after an Austin Zahn kill, UCI scored twice on back-to-back kills by Wilson to go ahead 24-21. A kill by Jon Steller ended the set 30-24 and the match, 3-1.

UCI will host No. 1 Pepperdine Saturday at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Center in the final regular season home match. UCI will honor its six seniors prior to the match.

Eaters Rebound on Night #2 vs. the Cougars

2009-04-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

No. 1 UC Irvine Rallies To Beat No. 6 BYU
Anteater moxie leads to big comeback in game four

April 3, 2009

Final Stats

Provo, Utah – Senior Taylor Wilson was the catalyst as No. 1 UC Irvine mounted a gritty comeback to win the fourth set and defeat No. 6 BYU, 3-1 (30-28, 26-30, 30-27, 30-27) at Smith Fieldhouse in front of 3,878 fans.

UCI mounted an epic comeback in the fourth set trailing 20-13. UCI hung around and was down 24-19 before Taylor Wilson, who came in midway thru the set, recorded a kill then stepped back to the service line and the Anteaters blocked three consecutive balls to trail 24-23. Wilson put away another kill then UCI locked down the net once more with a Ryan Ammerman solo block to take its first lead of the game, 25-24. A BYU attack error followed to give UCI a 26-24 cushion. Jordan DuFault and two Carson Clark kills countered three Cougar kills to set up match point, 29-2. Wilson knocked a kill off the block for the set, 30-27 and the win, 3-1.

The Anteaters improve to 20-4 overall and 15-3 in the MPSF, while BYU goes to 15-10 on the year and 11-7 in league play. UCI improved to 8-2 on the road this season.

UCI was led by freshman Carson Clark with a match-high 21 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Jordan DuFault added 11 kills and recorded a match and season-high 13 digs. Middle blocker Kevin Wynne totaled 10 kills, two solo blocks and six block assists, while outside hitter Cory Yoder, who made his first start of the year, tallied 10 kills which tied his season-high to go with a season-best seven digs and career-high five block assists. Freshman middle blocker Austin D’Amore had a team-high eight block assists and four kills. Outside hitter Taylor Wilson hit .500 with three kills in six swings in the final set. Setter Ryan Ammerman recorded 57 set assists and four blocks, while libero Brent Asuka collected 10 digs.

The Anteaters, the nation’s best blocking team, held a slight advantage at the net out-blocking BYU 18.5 to 18. UCI’s 18.5 blocks is tied for the most this season. For the match, UCI hit .226 while the Cougars hit .141.

Alex DaPron led BYU with 16 kills followed by Kent Tuttle with 12 kills. Futi Tavana recorded a match-high nine block assists, while libero Joel Silva totled 11 digs in the loss.

In the first set, UCI used a 5-2 run which was capped by a dig that landed for a kill to open a 13-8 advantage. The Anteaters held its largest lead, 23-16, on another dig for a kill before BYU rallied to close within 25-24 on one of UCI’s eight service errors in the set. BYU would tied the score at 28-28 before Carson Clark would record a kill and a BYU attack error sailed long for a 30-28 UCI victory.

The teams remained close in the second set until a call was reversed in favor of BYU that started a 3-0 spurt by the Cougars to take a 12-9 lead. UCI tied the set at 18-18 on a block by Cory Yoder and Kevin Wynne only to watch BYU go on a 6-0 run to give the Cougars a 24-18 cushion. UCI would make it interesting with four straight to close to 29-26 but another Anteater service error gave the set to BYU, 30-26.

UCI opened an 18-15 lead on a triple block but BYU had a UCI service error plus consecutive kills and a block to go ahead 19-18. After the teams traded a pair of points, the Anteaters returned the favor with a kill by Clark, a pair of blocks and a Cougar attack that was wide to take back the lead, 24-21. UCI would not relinquish the lead again and win the set 30-27.

UC Irvine returns to Irvine for its final two regular season home matches, entertaining USC Wednesday (Apr. 8) and Pepperdine Saturday (Apr. 11). Both matches begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Center.

D'Amore Makes Junior National Team

2009-04-04T09:31:00.000-07:00

UC Irvine's Austin D'Amore Named To U.S. Men's Junior National Training Team
D'Amore to train with USA team after season ends

April 3, 2009

Irvine, Calif. – USA Volleyball's High Performance Department announced that UC Irvine freshman Austin D’Amore is one of 19 players that will vie to be on the U.S. Men’s Junior National Team for the 2009 FIVB World Championship on July 31-Aug. 9 in Pune, India.

The training period and logistical plans for the Men’s Junior National Training Team are not yet finalized.

2009 USA Men's Junior National Training Team
Name (Position, City, State, School, Region)
Thomas Amberg (Middle Blocker/Opposite, El Cajon, Calif., UCLA, Southern California)
Jim Baughman (MB, Valencia, Calif., Long Beach State, So Cal)
Michael Bunting (Outside Hitter, Wyomissing, Pa., Loyola, Chicago, Keystone)
Kyle Caldwell (Opp., Newport Beach, Calif., UCLA, So Cal)
Tony Ciarelli (OH, Huntington Beach, Calif., USC, So Cal)
Kasey Crider (Setter, Granite Bay, Calif., Pepperdine, Northern California)
Austin D'Amore (MB, Lake Elsinore, Calif., UC Irvine, So Cal)
Kyle Friend (OH Boca Raton, Fla., Long Beach State, Florida)
Tyler Jaynes (MB, Granite Bay, Calif., Pepperdine, No Cal)
Joseph Kauliakamoa (Setter, Las Vegas, Nev., BYU, No Cal)
Rusty Lavaja (MB, St. Charles, Ill., BYU, Great Lakes)
Brad Lawson (OH, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Stanford, Aloha)
Steven Shandrick (MB, Lake Forest, Calif., USC, So Cal)
Erik Shoji (Libero, Honolulu, Hawai’i, Stanford, Aloha)
Mike Stefani (OH, Hamburg, N.Y., Orchard Park HS, Western Empire)
Matthew Stork (Setter, Topanga, Calif., Cal State Northridge, So Cal)
Joseph Sunder (Opp., Greensburg, Pa., Penn State, Keystone)
Murphy Troy (OH, St. Louis, Mo., USC, Gateway)
Nick Vogel (MB, El Cajon, Calif., UCLA, So Cal)

Alternates to 2009 USA MJNTT
Tri Bourne (OH, Honolulu, Hawai’i, USC, Aloha)
Austin Ellis (MB, Corona del Mar, Calif., Stanford, So Cal)
Jay Petty (Opp., Downers Grove, Ill., Lewis, Great Lakes)

Staff
Head Coach - Shawn Patchell, BYU
Asst. Coach - John Hawks, Long Beach State

Irvine Falls to the Cougars

2009-04-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

No. 1 UC Irvine Falls At No. 6 BYU
Anteaters struggle offensively and snap seven match winning streak

April 2, 2009

Final Stats

Provo, Utah – No. 6 BYU upset No. 1 UC Irvine, 3-1 (30-24, 20-30, 30-18, 30-28) at Smith Fieldhouse Thursday.

The Anteaters, the fourth best hitting team in the country, hit a dismal .185 for the match, the worst offensive outing of the year. The nation’s best blocking team was also out-worked at the net with BYU topping UCI 15.5 to 11.5.

UCI snapped a seven match winning streak and goes to 19-4 overall and 14-3 in the MPSF while BYU improves to 15-9 on the year and 11-6 in league play.

Freshman Carson Clark was the only Anteater in double-figure kills, leading the team with 14. Sophomore middle blocker Kevin Wynne was impressive hitting .667 with six kills and no errors in nine swings and knocking down a match-high seven block assists. Outside hitters Cole Reinholm and Cory Yoder came off the bench to each add six kills apiece. Brent Asuka had a match-high 13 digs.

BYU was led by Andrew Stewart’s 15 kills followed by Kent Tuttle with 10 kills. Futi Tavana added nine kills, while Russell Lavaja led the Cougars with seven total blocks.

In the first set, BYU led 11-10 then outscored UCI, 6-3 with all three of the Anteaters’ points coming on Cougar service errors to extend the lead to 17-14. UCI would get no closer than three the rest of the way as BYU won the set 30-24. UCI hit just .154 to the Cougar’s .385 clip. BYU also out-blocked UCI 5-1.

UCI’s block came alive in the second set leading the Anteaters to a 30-20 victory. UCI out-blocked the Cougars 8-1, while Jordan DuFault ignited the Anteater offense with five kills. With the score tied at 11-11, UCI scored four unanswered, three of them on blocks to open a 15-11 advantage.

BYU went on an 8-0 run to put the Cougars up 14-5 and never looked back as they cruised to a 30-18 victory in the third set. The Anteaters hit a dismal .048, in the worst loss in a set this year.

The Cougars went on a 4-0 run and out-scored UCI 7-1 to open a 17-11 lead in the fourth set. UCI hung around scoring three straight to close within 29-28, but an Anteater service error sailed long to give BYU the 30-28 victory and match. UCI committed 10 service errors in the final set.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. PDT in Smith Fieldhouse.

Back-to-Back Sweeps of Hawaii Completed

2009-03-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

Freshmen Shine In UC Irvine's 3-0 Victory Over No. 13 Hawaii
Austin D'Amore records career-high 10 kils

March 27, 2009

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. – Freshmen Carson Clark and Austin D’Amore were too much to handle as No. 1 UC Irvine defeated No. 13 Hawaii, 3-0 (30-19, 30-24, 32-30) at the Bren Events Center Friday.

UCI’s wining streak goes to seven as the Anteaters improve to 19-3 overall and remain at the top of the MPSF standings with a 14-2 record. Hawaii drops to 6-15 on the year and 3-13 in league play.

Clark, a freshman opposite, pounded a match-high 20 kills, while D’Amore, a freshman middle blocker, recorded a career-high 10 kills and hit .562 (10-1-16). The duo each added five block assists. Senior Taylor Wilson totaled eight kills and had six digs to share the team lead with Jordan DuFault who also recorded seven kills and five blocks. Middle blocker Kevin Wynne hit .500 (6-1-10) and had a match-high seven blocks. Senior setter Ryan Ammerman guided the team to a .379 hitting percentage with 50 set assists, five digs and three blocks.

Last night the Anteater serving was the key, but tonight UCI’s blocking was dominant with a 14 to 7 advantage. For the second consecutive night, Hawaii hit .125 (35-23-96).

Hawaii was led by Brennon Dyer with 11 kills and five digs. Sean Carney recorded 10 kills and five digs, while Gus Tuaniga had seven kills and Matt Rawson added five blocks.

UCI’s freshmen started the match off on fire with Carson Clark recording eight kills and Austin D’amore adding seven (.700) without committing an error as the Anteaters won the set 30-19. UCI took control of the set on back-to-back blocks to go ahead 8-3. The Warriors would get no closer than two the rest of the way.

With the second set tied at 21-21, UCI scored three unanswered on kills by Clark and Taylor Wilson plus a Hawaii attack error (24-21). UCI would close out the set out-scoring the Warriors 6-3 for the 30-24 victory.

Hawaii led 25-22 late in the third set before UCI used two Jordan DuFault kills, a Warrior attack attempt that went long and a block by Kevin Wynne and Ryan Ammerman to take the 26-25 advantage. The teams would trade points until a kill by Ammerman was followed by an attack error by Brennon Dyer to end the set, 32-30.

UCI will travel to BYU for a pair of matches next Thursday and Friday (Apr. 2-3).

Night # vs. Hawaii-- The Sweep

2009-03-26T23:52:00.001-07:00

Taylor Wilson Leads No. 1 UC Irvine To Sweep Of No. 13 Hawaii
Austin D'Amore Records Career-High 8 Block Assists

March 26, 2009

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. – Taylor Wilson led top-ranked UC Irvine to a 3-0 victory over No. 13 Hawaii (30-17, 30-25, 30-26) Thursday at the Bren Events Center.

The Anteaters win their sixth in a row and improve to 18-3 overall and 13-2 in the MPSF. Hawaii drops to 6-14 on the year and 3-12 in league play.

Wilson paced UCI with a match-high 15 kills, three aces and three blocks. Jordan DuFault recorded nine kills followed by Carson Clark with seven. Senior Jon Steller totaled six kills and had two aces while middle blocker Austin D’Amore totaled six kills and hit .750 (6-0-8) while knocking down a career and match-best eight block assists. Middle blocker Kevin Wynne also had six kills with Cole Reinholm adding three kills. Setter Ryan Ammerman tallied 38 set assists, two blocks and three blocks. Libero Brent Asuka recorded a match-high seven digs.

UCI hit .329 for the match and fired nine aces while out-blocking Hawaii 9 to 5. Hawaii was held to a .125 hitting percentage.

Sean Carney was the lone Hawaii player in double-digit kills with 11. Brennon Dyer and Gus Tuaniga each recorded five digs with Tuaniga firing three aces. Setter Nejc Zemljak recorded 27 set assists and five digs.

UCI stretched an 8-7 lead to 18-9 on three aces and two of Jordan DuFault’s team-high five kills in the first set. The Anteaters fired six service aces on its way to a 30-17 game one victory.

Hawaii jumped out to a 7-4 lead in the second set but UCI went on an 8-3 run to take a 12-10 lead. UCI led 12-11 before scoring four straight on a kill by Austin D’Amore, two blocks by D’Amore and DuFault and an ace by Taylor Wilson to go ahead 16-11. The Warriors closed to 22-21 on a kill by Sean Carney before Jon Steller fired two aces and Taylor Wilson buried two kills to give the Anteaters the 27-21 cushion. Wilson put away eight kills as UCI took the set, 30-25.

UCI started the third set 6-0 and never looked back as UCI recorded a 30-26 victory on a kill by Steller.

The two teams are back in action again tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Center.

Steller Article on "Peter's People" @ UCI

2009-03-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, this was a great piece on Jon Steller, Sr. OPP from Fresno, CA. Click on the image above to view!

Ammerman Article in Daily Pilot

2009-03-26T07:19:00.000-07:00

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2009/03/26/sports/uci/dpt-spammerman032609.txt

Published Thursday, March 26, 2009 12:18 AM PDT
Sports
Ammerman proves to be worth wait

VOLLEYBALL: UCI’s 6-foot-9 setter, a fifth-year senior, has stepped up to help Anteaters claim nation’s No. 1 ranking.
By Barry Faulkner

Watching an expressionless Ryan Ammerman take the court, moving sloth-like — trudging really — into the crucible of competition, one could easily fathom that the pace of his progress in the UC Irvine men’s volleyball program has been somewhat less frenetic than that of global warming.

Some, Ammerman among them, might suggest that glaciers have liquefied in the time it has taken the seemingly perennial rookie from the Rockies to assume, at the center of the Anteaters’ offense, the stature that his 6-foot-9 frame had promised.

There were multiple instances, one as recent as last summer, when the outwardly sedate setter from Parker Colo., a Denver suburb, had all but decided to slip away to a potential professional future in Europe, rather than face the excruciating self-doubt that, last year, made his hair fall out in clumps.

The stress-induced affliction prompted a virtual season-long Mohawk, a display considered a diametrical departure for the guy known by his friends and teammates for comporting himself with all the cool of a Colorado winter.

“I finally came to the point where I didn’t really care what happened this year, in terms of volleyball,” said Ammerman, whose development Coach John Speraw cites as the leading factor in UCI’s ascension to the No. 1 national ranking.

The Anteaters (17-3, 12-2 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) put their top ranking on the line tonight at 7 against MPSF visitor Hawaii at the Bren Events Center. The two teams also meet Friday at 7.

“When I was in Europe last summer [coaching a junior team with UCI assistant Dave Kniffin and filling out pickup games designed to showcase players attempting to catch on with professional teams], I was thinking about staying there,” said Ammerman, who admitted that after his initial redshirt season in 2005, he actually enrolled at Metro State, a Division II school in Denver, but elected to stay at UCI.

“My ultimate decision [to return from Europe] came down to wanting to be around the guys one more year, regardless of what happened in volleyball,” said Ammerman, who shared national player of the week laurels after his 52 assists keyed a five-game triumph at then-top-ranked Cal State Northridge March 13. He had a career-high 66 assists one week before in a five-game win at UCLA.

“I just wanted to be in Newport [Beach] one more year and enjoy the college experience.”

Coincidentally, it was the experience he obtained over a month of coaching and barnstorming in Germany, Italy, Austria, Slovenia and Spain, as well as the daily affirmation provided by Kniffin, that instilled in Ammerman the belief that he could still hang with the guys on the court, as well as at the beach house.

“It was the turning point in my career,” Ammerman said of the trip to Europe. “I developed a new sense of confidence about myself over there that I really hadn’t had since high school. I saw that I was capable of playing at that level. And just being around Kniffin, who is a very positive guy, really helped. Kniffin [a former UCI setter] was confident in me and I just haven’t had very many people confident in me since I’ve been [at UCI] working and striving hard to improve and improve and improve. He was able to show me that I actually was a good setter and I just needed to believe that.”

Speraw, known for mining nuggets from the outreaches of the club circuit, also saw something in Ammerman, who before his junior year at Chaparral High, morphed from a 5-foot-11 unknown into a 6-foot-6 prospect competing for the Colorado Gold club program.

High school volleyball in Colorado was also a club sport at the time and Ammerman, whose father played club volleyball and basketball at Purdue and whose mother played volleyball at Alaska-Anchorage, commuted two hours each way to Boulder to find only slightly better competition at what was then the state’s only club.

“Living in Colorado, my coach pretty much my whole life had been my dad,” said Ammerman, who chose UCI over Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne and George Mason, though other schools offered more lucrative scholarships if he would convert to outside hitter. [My dad] loved the game, but he didn’t know much, especially about setting, because he was a middle blocker. Everything I learned about setting growing up was pretty much self-taught. So, I knew when I got [to UCI], I was going to be behind the curve with guys who were playing against good competition every weekend, every year.”

Ammerman’s initial experiences as an Anteater did nothing to alter that assessment.

“I wasn’t very good and I wasn’t even playing during practice,” Ammerman recalled of his redshirt season. “It was very frustrating.”

The frustration continued the next two seasons as an apprentice to All-American Brian Thornton, from whom Ammerman learned a great deal and, now as an assistant coach at Orange Coast College, is still a valued mentor with whom Ammerman regularly consults.

When Thornton graduated after helping lead the 2007 team to the program’s first NCAA crown, Ammerman was expected to assume the starting job.

“Last year was supposed to be my time to step in and I still wasn’t ready,” said Ammerman, whose penchant for perfection and analytical nature magnified every misdeed to mountainous proportions. “I had zero confidence in myself to do much of anything and that’s why I struggled so much last year. It was not much fun for me, because I wasn’t performing at the level I was supposed to and I knew that.”

Speraw, who frequently benched Ammerman last season, said his problems were mostly mental.

“Ammo always wants to be great and he has been great this season,” Speraw said. “But he’s better when he realizes he doesn’t have to be great.”

Ammerman said inconsistent placement of his sets has been his biggest concern, but added that his willingness to accentuate his strong serving, as well as his formidable blocking and hitting presence at the net, help him work through periodic instances when his aim goes awry.

“I used to get all wound up about a mistake, but this year, one of my goals has been to be more mellow and level-headed,” Ammerman said. “I used to constantly over think and over analyze things and Speraw always tells me I try too hard to be perfect. Sometimes, I need to just step back and see that I am doing things right and playing well. I need to accept that I can make a mistake and move on.”

Ammerman credits the continual support of his teammates and coaches for bolstering a confidence that seems to have fully blossomed.

“My teammates are awesome, and I definitely can’t say enough about what Speraw and Kniffin and [assistant Mark] Presho have meant to my development,” Ammerman said. “Not very many people saw my potential as a setter in high school, but Speraw was able to recognize and trust that one day I might develop into something good. I’m thankful that he did.”

Said Speraw: “He’s having a great season. His improvement from last year to this year has been awesome to watch; really fun to see.”

Now many of Speraw’s colleagues also see what Ammerman has become — a potential All-American and a catalyst in the ’Eaters’ quest for their second national title in three seasons.

And Ammerman said that recognition from opposing coaches, many of whom must wonder to themselves “Where did this guy come from?” is noticeable.

“I can definitely see that [surprise] in their eyes when I shake their hand at the end of matches,” Ammerman said.

This season will not be the end of Ammerman’s volleyball career.

The social science major who is scheduled to graduate after next summer, said he plans to play professionally in Europe. He is also hopeful about a future on the pro beach circuit.

“My life is volleyball and it has been that way for a long time,” Ammerman said.

Once again, it is also his bliss.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.

There's A New #1 in the Nation!

2009-03-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

http://www.ucirvinesports.com/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/031609aaa.html

UC Irvine Climbs To No. 1 In Rankings
Anteaters earn No. 1 ranking four different years under John Speraw

March 16, 2009

Irvine, Calif. -- The UC Irvine men's volleyball team (17-3, 12-2) moved to No. 1 in the Bison/AVCA Coaches Poll.

UCI has been ranked No. 1 in four different years (2003, 2006, 2007, 2009) since head coach John Speraw's arrival in 2003, including three of the last four seasons. The Anteaters have been ranked in the nation’s top 10 for 67 consecutive weeks, including No. 1 for 14 of those weeks.

The Anteaters are idle this week for final exams and return to action hosting Hawaii March 26 and 27 at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Events Center.

Kevin Wynne Shares MPSF POTW Honors

2009-03-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.mpsports.org/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/031709aaa.html

WYNNE AND BITTNER MPSF MOLTEN PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Woodland, Calif. - UC Irvine sophomore middle blocker Kevin Wynne (Mission Viejo, CA/Capistrano Valley HS) lifted the Anteaters to a key win at top-ranked CS Northridge in five sets last Friday. He hit .500 (12-4-16) while knocking down a match and season-high nine blocks, also one shy of a career-high. This defensive effort was against one of the top offenses in the nation. UCI defeated a No. 1 ranked team for the fourth time ever.

Woodland, Calif. -Long Beach State junior opposite Dean Bittner (Lakewood, CA/Lakewood HS) led his team to a win over IPFW and '08 national champ and No. 4 Penn State. He was the Active Ankle Tournament MVP for totaling 31 kills in eight sets (3.88 KPS) while hitting .369. He served three aces vs. the Lions and had 11 total blocks in the two matches (1.38 B/S). Also Nominated: Kevin Sagers (BYU), Jeff Menzel (UCSB).

#2 UCI Upsets #1 CSUN

2009-03-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

No. 2 UC Irvine Takes Down No. 1 Cal State Northridge, 3-2
Battle of top two teams does not disappoint
March 13, 2009

Northridge, Calif. – The battle of the top two teams in the country did not disappoint as No. 2 UC Irvine upset No. 1 Cal State Northridge, 3-2 (27-30, 30-28, 30-23, 26-30, 15-10) at the Matadome Friday.

The Anteaters improve to 17-3 overall and 12-2 in the MPSF, while Northridge goes to 16-3 overall and 12-3 in league action. UCI won its fifth in a row and snaps the Matadors 10-match winning streak. The Anteaters are 4-0 in five set matches this year.

Four Anteater players recorded kills in double-figures led by sophomore outside hitter Jordan DuFault with 17. He also recorded eight digs and six blocks. Freshman Carson Clark totaled 14 kills, seven digs and seven blocks. Middle hitter Kevin Wynne had a match-high nine blocks, which ties his season-high to go with 12 kills, hitting .500 (12-4-16) for the match. Sophomore Cory Yoder came off the bench to put away 10 kills. Setter Ryan Ammerman, the reigning National Player of the Week, had six kills, 52 set assists and two aces, while libero Nick Spittle had eight digs.

UCI out-blocked Northridge 18 to 12. UCI hit .287 (65-26-136) while the Matadors hit .305 (68-25-141) on the night.

Cal State Northridge’s Eric Vance had a match-high 20 kills and nine digs. Tanner Nau had 17 kills and four aces, while Jacek Ratajczak added 13 kills, hit .522 and had a team-best six blocks. Ali’i Keohohou had a match-high 14 digs and Matt Stork recorded 63 set assists.

UCI jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the first set behind the tough serving of Carson Clark and without taking a single swing then continued to lead 9-4 on just four attempts. UCI was cruising to a 20-15 advantage until Northridge rallied on a 6-1 run to tie the score at 21-21 on a kill by Tanner Nua. With the score tied 23-23, Nau fired back-to-back service aces to give the Matadors the 25-23 cushion. The Anteaters would close to 28-27 on a Northridge serving error before the Matadors won the set on a kill by Jacek Ratajczak and a block, 30-27.

The Matadors held the 18-14 advantage in the second set before Ryan Ammerman stepped to the service line and rallied UCI to five straight points which included an ace and kills by Clark and Kevin Wynne. Northridge closed the gap to 29-28 on an Eric Vance kill, but a Matador service error gave UCI the set, 30-28.

Following a 17-17 tie, UCI scored three unanswered on two Matador miscues and a service ace by Austin D’Amore to take a 20-17 lead in the third set. The Anteaters would take a 26-20 lead on kills by Clark and Wynne, an ace by Jordan DuFault and a Northridge attack error. UCI would go on to win the set 30-23 behind Nick Spittle’s solid defense. The Matadors hit .062 (11-9-32) in the set as UCI recorded six blocks.

In the fourth set, UCI led 14-12 before Northridge rallied to take a 17-15 lead. Northridge scored on an Anteater attack attempt that sailed just wide and a kill by Vance off the block to go ahead 22-20. CSUN would extend the lead to 27-23 on a Vance solo block and then win the set 30-26 to force a fifth set. Cal State Northridge hit .520 (15-2-25).

The Anteaters started strong with a 5-1 lead and built a 10-5 advantage on their way to a 15-10 victory. UCI did not commit a hitting error in the final set, hitting .562 (9-0-16).

UCI will take next week off for finals and return to action hosting Hawaii April 26 and 27 in the Bren Center.

Ryan Ammerman Sweeps Player of the Week Honors

2009-03-12T08:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.ucirvinesports.com/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/030909aaa.html

Ammerman becomes the 13th Anteater to earn National Player of the Week honors

March 9, 2009

Irvine, Calif. – UC Irvine setter Ryan Ammerman has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men’s National Player of the Week as well as Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Co-Player of the Week with Pepperdine's Paul Carroll.

Ammerman guided the second-ranked Anteaters to victories of Loyola-Chicago and No. 11 UCLA last week. In a sweep of Loyola-Chicago to begin the week, Ammerman recorded 29 assists, and added eight blocks, leading his squad to a .299 hitting percentage. In the match at UCLA, he tallied a career-high 66 assists in five games, adding a team-high 11 digs, while leading UCI to a .336 hitting percentage. His 66 assists are ranked eighth in the UCI rally scoring record books.

For the week, Ammerman averaged 11.88 assists per game, while adding nearly two digs and blocks per game, all while leading the Anteaters to an impressive .322 hitting percentage.

No. 2 UC Irvine will travel to No. 1 Cal State Northridge Friday (Mar. 13) at 7:00 p.m. in the Matadome.

Ammo MPSF Player of the Week 3/9/09

2009-03-12T08:25:00.001-07:00

http://www.mpsports.org/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/031009aaa.html

CARROLL AND AMMERMAN MPSF MOLTEN PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Woodland, Calif. - Pepperdine senior opposite Paul Carroll (Forster, Australia) totaled 57 kills in 10 sets, leading the Waves to a pair of five-set comeback MPSF road wins. At No. 6 Long Beach State, he had 26 kills, a career-high 16 digs, and eight blocks. The Waves were down 2-0 in sets that night. At No. 10 UC San Diego, Carroll slammed 31 kills (.467), along with 13 digs, eight blocks, and two aces. Pepperdine came back from a first set loss. For the week, Carroll hit .393 (57-13-112), while averaging 5.70 kills, 2.90 digs, and 1.60 blocks.

Woodland, Calif. - UC Irvine senior setter Ryan Ammerman (Parker, CO/Chapparel HS) dished out a career-high 66 assists, eighth-most in UCI single-match rally scoring history, in guiding the Anteaters to a five-set win at No. 11 UCLA. He added 11 digs for the double-double and led the team to a .336 hitting attack. In a 3-0 home win over Loyola-Chicago earlier in the week, Ammerman had a career-high eight blocks.

Ammo AVCA Player of the Week 3/9/09

2009-03-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.avca.org/awards/players-of-the-week/men-division-one-two/

Ammerman Sets Career High, Leads Anteaters to Two Wins
March 9 - Ryan Ammerman, a 6-9 senior setter for then-No. 2 UC Irvine, has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Week. Ammerman and the Anteaters won two matches last week, including a road test at the always-tough Pauley Pavilion. In a sweep of Loyola-Chicago to begin the week, Ammerman recorded 29 assists, and added eight blocks, leading his squad to a .322 hitting percentage. In the match at UCLA, ranked No. 11 last week, Ammerman tallied a career-high 66 assists in five games, adding a team-high 11 digs, while leading UCI to a .336 hitting percentage. His 66 assists are ranked eighth in the UCI rally scoring record books. For the week, Ammerman averaged nearly 12 assists per game, while adding nearly two digs and blocks per game, all while leading the Anteaters to an impressive .322 hitting percentage. This is the first Sports Imports Division I-II Men's National Player of the Week Ammerman has received, and he is the thirteenth player from UCI ever to earn those honors. UC Irvine is coached by John Speraw..

'Eaters Best the Bruins in 5

2009-03-09T14:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.ucirvinesports.com/sports/m-volley/recaps/030709aaa.html

No. 2 UC Irvine Escapes No. 11 UCLA, 3-2
Jordan DuFault and Carson Clark lead UCI with 21 kills each

March 6, 2009

Final Stats

Los Angeles, Calif. – Sophomore Jordan DuFault and freshman Carson Clark each recorded 21 kills as second-ranked UC Irvine escaped No. 11 UCLA 3-2 (30-26, 30-28, 27-20, 29-31, 15-11) at Pauley Pavilion Friday.

UC Irvine improves to 16-3 overall and remains tied for the MPSF lead with Cal State Northridge at 11-2. The Anteaters and Matadors will battle next Friday at 7:00 p.m. in the Matadome. UCLA falls to 8-11 on the year and 4-8 in league play.

DuFault tied his career-high with 21 kills, while hitting .500 from the outside and recording eight digs. Clark put away 21 kills from the rightside for the second straight MPSF match, while adding three service aces and a career-high 10 digs. Senior Taylor Wilson had nine kills and setter Ryan Ammerman totaled a career-high 66set assists, 11 digs and six total blocks. Freshman Austin D’Amore led all players with eight total blocks and tied his career-high with six kills. Middle blocker Kevin Wynne recorded six total blocks, while outside hitter Cory Yoder came off the bench in the final three sets to add five kills and five digs. Serving specialist Nick Spittle fired three aces.

The Anteaters out-blocked UCLA, 16 to 9 and out-dug the Bruins 50-45. UCI hit .336 for the match, while UCLA hit .261.

UCLA’s Jack Polales had a match-high 22 kills followed by Brett Perrine with 15 kills. Jamey Ker totaled a match-high 15 digs.

UCLA jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead in the first set, but the Anteaters rallied to tie the score at 6-6 and took their first lead at 9-8 on a Carson Clark kill. Following a 16-16 deadlock, UCI scored the next three points to take the 19-16 advantage. The Bruins closed to 25-23, but back-to-back kills by Clark gave UCI the 27-23 cushion as they went onto the 30-26 victory. Clark put away eight kills in the set.

In the second set, there were 12 ties the last at 19-19 before the Anteaters scored four straight on a pair of Bruin miscues and kills by Jordan DuFault and Austin D’Amore to give UCI the 23-19 edge. UCI continued to lead 25-21 before UCLA out-scored the Anteaters 7-4 to close to 29-28. Jordan DuFault ended the set with a kill, 30-28.

UCLA hit .406 and won the third set 30-27. UCI hit .333, but had seven service errors. The Bruins took a 1-0 lead and never trailed, but watched the Anteaters close to 27-26 on a DuFault ace. The teams each scored a point before the Bruins scored the next two to win the set.

UCI led 17-16 in the fourth set before UCLA committed three straight errors (service error, attack error, ball handling error) to give the Anteaters the 20-16 advantage. UCLA would not go away, tying the set at 24-24 then took a 25-24 lead. The teams would remain tied three more times including 27-27. UCI would then stuff two consecutive attacks to take a 29-27 lead only to watch the Bruins record the next four kills to win the set 31-29.

UCI led 6-3 in the final set, before an Anteater block was followed by two Nick Spittle service aces to extend the margin to 9-3. UCLA narrowed the lead to 13-10 on four consecutive points until a Bruin service error stopped the spurt and gave UCI match point 14-10. A Bruin kill delayed the win, 15-11.

UC Irvine improves to 16-3 overall and remains tied for the MPSF lead with Cal State Northridge at 11-2. The Anteaters and Matadors will battle next Friday at 7:00 p.m. in the Matadome. UCLA falls to 8-11 on the year and 4-8 in league play.

Ramblers Get Rumbled by Eaters

2009-03-04T21:59:00.000-08:00

UCI out-blocked the Ramblers 12.5 to 3.0
UC Irvine Middle Blockers Key 3-0 Victory Over Loyola-Chicago

UCI middles hit .538 and record 10 total blocks

March 4, 2009

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. – UC Irvine middle blockers were key as the second-ranked Anteaters swept Loyola-Chicago, 3-0 (30-23, 30-27, 30-21) in a non-conference match at Crawford Court Wednesday.

Sophomore middle blocker Kevin Wynne led UCI with 10 kills in 15 attempts without an error to hit a season-high .667. Freshman middle blocker Austin D’Amore led the team with eight total blocks, while adding six kills, which ties his career-high. Setter Ryan Ammerman matched D’Amore with eight total blocks while dishing 29 assists and guiding a balanced Anteater attack to a .299 hitting percentage. Senior Taylor Wilson had eight kills and two service aces, sophomore Jordan DuFault added seven kills and nine digs, while senior Jon Steller pitched-in four kills and a season-best eight digs. Libero Brent Asuka popped up 11 digs.

The Anteaters, who improved to 15-3 overall, owned the net, out-blocking the Ramblers 12.5 to 3.0. Loyola-Chicago (8-6) hit .121 for the match.

Krisjanis Berzins led the Ramblers with a match-high 11 kills. Michael Morice and Mike Bunting each added nine kills, while George Kamberos had 11 digs.

Loyola-Chicago used back-to-back aces by Mike Bunting to give the Ramblers the 14-11 edge in the first set. The Anteaters then outscored LUC, 9-3, the final to points of the spurt on Kevin Wynne kills to take a 20-17 lead. Wynne led all players with seven kills as the Anteaters took the set 30-23.

In the second set the score was tied at 17-17 before UCI had four unanswered points, two which were kills by Jordan DuFault to put the Anteaters ahead, 21-17. LUC closed within 28-26, but the teams traded points to give UCI the set 30-27 on another Wynne kill.

UCI jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the third set, but LUC rallied to knot the score at 7-7. The teams remained close until UCI used a kill by Austin D’Amore and three Rambler attack errors, the last a solo block by Ryan Ammerman, to give the Anteaters an 18-14 cushion. UCI would go on to take the set 30-21.

The Anteaters travel to UCLA Friday (Mar. 6) for a 7:00 p.m. first serve in Pauley Pavilion.

Tritons Swept in Match & for 2009 Season

2009-02-26T08:42:00.000-08:00

Block Leads No. 2 UC Irvine to Sweep of No. 12 UC San Diego
Anteaters out-block Tritons 15.5-2

Feb. 25, 2009

Final Stats

LaJolla, Calif. – Second-ranked UC Irvine out-blocked No. 12 UC San Diego, 15.5 to 2 on their way to a 3-0 (30-25, 30-28, 30-24) victory at the RIMAC Arena Wednesday.

UCI (13-3, 9-2) dominated the net and held the Tritons (6-9, 2-8) to a .144 hitting percentage. The Anteaters, who hit .418, had the best blocking margin (13.5) of the year.

UCI led 6-5 in the first set then scored three straight on two Triton miscues and a kill by Taylor Wilson to go up 9-5. The Anteaters continued to lead, 20-14 only to watch UCSD score five unanswered to close within 20-19. A kill by Austin D’Amore stopped the streak and the Anteaters outscored the Tritons 10-6 to end the set, 30-25 on a Cory Yoder kill. Jon Steller led all players with eight kills, hitting .800 (8-0-10).

With the teams tied at 13 all in the second set, UCI used a kill by Jordan DuFault followed by three consecutive blocks by DuFault and Kevin Wynne to take the 17-13 advantage. The Tritons were down 20-16 and rallied on a 6-2
run to tie the set at 22-22. The teams would trade points until a kill by Steller was followed by a block by Jordan DuFault to give the Anteaters a 25-23 cushion. San Diego rallied once more to knot the score at 27-27. Another Yoder kill was followed by a UCSD attack error, 29-27. A kill by Jason Spangler delayed set point until Steller recorded a kill, 30-28.

In the third set UCI jumped out to an 8-2 lead which included two kills, a block and a service ace by D’Amore. UC San Diego could get no closer than two the rest of the way as UCI took the set 30-24 and the match 3-0.

Jon Steller led the Anteaters with 12 kills, hitting .600 without an attack error (12-0-20) from the right side. Jordan DuFault hit .615 (9-1-13), recording nine kills and a career-high nine total blocks, including a career high eight block assists. Outside hitter Cory Yoder recorded nine kills, while setter Ryan Ammerman tallied 39 set assists. Middle blockers Kevin Wynne and Austin D’Amore owned the net with seven and six blocks, respectively. D’Amore had six kills while Wynne totaled four. Libero Brent Asuka had a match-best eight digs.

Frank Fritsch had 11 kills while Will Ehrman added 10 for the Tritons. Phil Bannan recorded 39 set assists and shared the team lead in digs with six along with Eric Lesserman.

UCI returns home to host No. 6 Long Beach State Friday (Feb. 27) at 7:00p.m. in the Bren Events Center.

Waves Outblock & Outlast the Eaters

2009-02-23T13:17:00.000-08:00

http://ucirvinesports.cstv.com/sports/m-volley/recaps/022109aaa.html

No. 3 Pepperdine Tops No. 2 UC Irvine, 3-1
Jon Steller pounds career-high 32 kills

Feb. 20, 2009

Final Stats

Malibu, Calif. – Paul Carroll put away a nation’s best 37 kills as No. 3 Pepperdine beat No. 2 UC Irvine, 3-1 (27-30, 30-27, 39-37, 30-26) at Firestone Fieldhouse Friday.

Carroll put away 37 kills which ties his career-high while hitting .462 (37-7-65). He also had a team-high 16 digs. The Waves out-blocked UCI, 21 to 7.5, the most blocks against the Anteaters this season and second fewest for UCI this year. UCI was its own worst enemy with 24 service errors.

Pepperdine’s block dominated the beginning of the first set and helped the Waves jump out to a 6-0 start. Pepperdine had built a 13-6 lead, before UCI climbed back into the game with a 9-2 run to tie the score at 15-15. UCI would score the next five behind the strength of Kevin Wynne’s serving which included an ace, 20-15. Pepperdine would not get closer than two the rest of the set as UCI won 30-27. The first set was not an offensive showcase by the top two hitting teams in the MPSF as UCI hit -.021 and Pepperdine hit -.073. The Waves had 8.5 blocks.

With the score tied at 22-22 in the second set, Pepperdine used one of UCI’s nine service errors followed by two Carroll kills to open a 25-22 advantage. UCI would close to 28-26 on a Jon Steller kill but another Anteater service error gave the Waves set point 29-26. A kill by Bryan Simmons delayed the set as Pepperdine won 30-27 on a block.

In a marathon set three, Pepperdine held off six UCI set points to claim the 39-37 victory. The 39-37 score ties UCI’s fourth set versus USC for the longest set in the MPSF this season. The Waves used a kill by Carroll, an Anteater attack error and a kill by Cory Reicks to win the set.

In the fourth set, the Waves led 25-24 then used an Irvine service error, a kill by Matt McKee and a block to take the 27-24 lead. Rodnei Santos would end the set and match with a kill 30-26.

Rodnei Santos followed Carroll with 12 kills and a match-high 13 block assists. Kasey Crider had 61 set assists and 13 digs for the Waves.

For UCI, opposite Jon Steller had a career-high 32 kills. Middle blocker Kevin Wynne was the only other Anteater in double-digit kills with 10. Setter Ryan Ammerman had a career-high 64 set assists and libero Brent Asuka had a season-high 19 digs.

UCI snaps an eight-match winning streak and goes to 12-3 overall and 8-2 in MPSF play. Pepperdine improves to 9-1 and moves ahead of the Anteaters on the top of the MPSF standings with an 8-1 record.

Match Notes vs. USC

2009-02-19T01:07:00.000-08:00

First of all, if you went to the USC link for video and audio for tonight's match, you were not imagining that I was on the broadcast link with Mark Shore of USC! The funny thing is the SID for USC Tim said that his color/game analyst was not showing up for his play-by-play broadcaster. He approached me and asked me if I wanted to jump into the broadcast and I figured, "Why not?". In any case, when USC Coach Bill Ferguson saw me next to him he smiled and reminded me that we were on USC's radio/video as we shared a laugh! There were quite a few 'Eater fans there tonight-- even the alumni parents like Rick & Nancy Smith and the Jablonsky clan. It's always good to see old faces (no-- not their age).

SC came out to play tonight-- that's for sure. Murphy Troy and Tony Ciarelli a pretty powerful 1-2 combo for the Trojans. McKibben ran a pretty good offense and the best hitting team in the MPSF backed it up with the stats out-hitting Irvine 82K for .314 vs. 64K for .301. The MHs, Current and Zahn seemed unstoppable in the 1st and 2nd sets opening it up at the outside for Ciarelli. Troy couldn't get it going on until late in the 2nd-- he was subbed out in the 1st with Stevens. Luke Morris (L) stepped in and tooks some BBs in the back from from OPPs Clark & Steller throughout the entire match.

SC came up short due to service errors (29 vs. 22 for Irvine), some inconsistent and untimely passing by Troy and an extremely determined trio of Steller (who came off the bench in the 3rd for Clark), Wilson and Cole Reinholm (who also came off the bench). Austin D'Amore came in for Simmons and was integral to fortifying the 'Eater block. It seemed like Troy was going to have a hay day at the outside until he came in.

In the 4th, Irvine had at least 3 match points but couldn't seal the deal. There was a crucial call that would have tied it at 38-38 that Steller hit from the right side that was hit wide, but the officials called it wide. From the video replay it looked like Steller got the block, but I don't blame them-- it was a tough one to see.

In the 5th it was all about Wilson, Steller and Reinholm. Reinholm was particularly impressive tonight because of his passing AND his ability to get timely kill for point to keep the cushion for the rest of the 5th.

Trojans Taken Down

2009-02-19T01:05:00.000-08:00

http://ucirvinesports.cstv.com/sports/m-volley/recaps/021909aab.html

UC Irvine Outlasts USC, 3-2
Wilson and Steller lead Anteaters

Feb. 18, 2009

Boxscore

Los Angeles, Calif. – Senior Jon Steller got 14 kills off the bench to spark the No. 2-ranked UC Irvine men's volleyball team to a 30-25, 23-30, 30-25, 37-39, 15-11 win over No. 5 USC in the Galen Center in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match Wednesday.

In posting its ninth consecutive win over the Trojans, UC Irvine improved to 12-2 overall and maintained its hold on first place in the MPSF at 8-1 in league play. USC dropped to 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the MPSF.

For the Anteaters, Taylor Wilson had 19 kills while hitting .366 and added 6 blocks, while Carson Clark had 13 kills (hitting .500) and six digs. Steller played the final three sets recording 14 kills and two service aces. Libero Brent Asuka had nine digs, while middle blocker Austin D'Amore had six blocks off the bench and Kevin Wynne served a career-high five aces. Setter Ryan Ammerman tallied 60 set assists and seven digs in the victory.

Four Trojans were in double figures kills led by Murphy Troy’s match-high had 29. Tony Ciarelli had 17 (hitting .364) with seven digs and four blocks, while Austin Zahn recorded 13 kills while hitting .611 and Hunter Current had 10 kills and four blocks. Libero Luke Morris added a match-high 13 digs.

Both teams hit over .300, with USC at .314 and UCI at .301. The Anteaters had 10.5 blocks to the Trojans' 9.5. UCI served 10 aces to go along with 22 serving errors, while USC recorded 5 aces but had 29 serving errors.

The Anteaters broke open the first set with a 5-0 run to take 22-15 lead. The run was sparked by a kill by Taylor Wilson and a service aces by Kevin Wynne. UCI would win the set 30-25. The Anteaters hit at a .500 clip (13-124) with just one hitting error.

The second set was all Trojans as USC jumped out to an 11-4 lead and never looked back winning 30-23. UCI hit a .207 (11-5-29) while USC hit .593 (18-2-27).

UCI came on strong at the end of the third set, scoring three straight on a Trojan service error and kills by Cole Reinholm and Jon Steller to go up 28-24. Steller would end the set 30-25 with a kill.

After USC overcame a 7-2 deficit in the fourth set, the Trojans caught up at 10-10 and then the set seesawed throughout until a Zahn kill and a UCI hitting error ended it, 39-37.

UC Irvine built a 7-3 edge in the fifth set and USC could never get closer than 2 points as Steller ended the match with a kill.

UC Irvine Release 2/16/09

2009-02-16T16:32:00.000-08:00

http://ucirvinesports.cstv.com/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/021609aaa.html

No. 2 UC Irvine Battles No. 5 USC and No. 3 Pepperdine On The Road

Important MPSF Showdowns for Anteaters this week

Feb. 16, 2009

UC IRVINE TRAVELS TO USC; PEPPERDINE: Second-ranked UC Irvine (11-2, 7-1) will travel to No. 5 USC Wednesday (Feb. 18) at 7:00 p.m. in the Galen Center then heads to No. 3 Pepperdine Friday (Feb. 20) at 7:00 p.m. in Firestone Fieldhouse.

BIG MATCH-UPS THIS WEEK: UCI leads the MPSF with a 7-1 record and will face 6-1 Pepperdine and 6-1 USC on the road.

VS THE OPPONENTS: UCI holds an 18-17 lead in the series records with USC, capturing the last eight outings. The Trojans are 9-2 overall, winning their last four matches. USC’s only two losses were to No. 1 Penn State and No. 2 Pepperdine.

Pepperdine owns a 36-9 advantage in the series records, but UCI has won the last three meetings. The Waves are 7-1 overall, suffering their first loss of the year at Stanford, 3-1, last week. Pepperdine will host UCLA Wednesday before entertaining the Anteaters.

ON THE RECORD: The Anteaters’ 11 wins are the most by an MPSF school this year. UCI, who leads the MPSF, has won seven consecutive matches and 10 of their last 11 contests.

FAST START: UCI’s 11-2 record is tied for the second best start in school history. The 2007 squad also began the year 11-2, while John Speraw’s first team in 2003 started the season 12-1.

IN THE RANKINGS: UC Irvine moved up to No. 2 in the Bison/AVCA Coaches Poll. The Anteaters have been ranked in the nation’s top 10 for 58 consecutive weeks.

DIGGING MACHINE: Libero Brent Asuka recorded a season-high 18 digs in the win over UC Santa Barbara. His 18 digs are the fourth most in the country this season. The senior has averaged 13 digs over the last three matches and is averaging 2.50 per set overall.

WYNNE IN THE MIDDLE: Sophomore Kevin Wynne recorded a career-high 14 kills while hitting .650 (14-1-20) in the victory over UC Santa Barbara last week. The middle blocker also added seven total blocks. For the year, Wynne is averaging 1.90 kills and 1.40 blocks per set.

ANTEATERS SLIP PAST UC SANTA BARBARA: UCI needed five games to defeat No. 12 UC Santa Barbara at home in the lone match of the week.

Sophomore Jordan DuFault had 15 kills to led a quartet of Anteaters with double figure kills. DuFault also had 12 digs in the victory. Jon Steller and Kevin Wynne each added 14 kills, a career-high for Wynne who hit .650 (14-1-20) in the middle. Taylor Wilson added 13 kills, while libero Brent Asuka had a season-high 18 digs in the win.

Slippin' Past Santa Barbara

2009-02-12T08:07:00.000-08:00

Brent Asuka

Story @ http://ucirvinesports.cstv.com/sports/m-volley/recaps/021209aaa.html

UC Irvine Slips Past UC Santa Barbara, 3-2
Wynne recordeds career-high 14 kills; Asuka has season-high 18 digs

Feb. 11, 2009

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. – Third-ranked UC Irvine needed to go the distance to escape with a win over No. 12 UC Santa Barbara, 3-2 (30-28, 27-30, 30-32, 31-29, 15-12) at the Bren Events Center Wednesday.

Defense was key as UC Santa Barbara recorded 62 digs for the match behind Mike Runkle’s match-high 22. UCI started slow at the net, but ended the night out-blocking the Gauchos, 18.5 to 14.5.

UC Irvine had a balanced attack with Jordan DuFault leading the Anteaters with a double-double, 15 kills and 12 digs. Jon Steller and Kevin Wynne each added 14 kills, a career-high for Wynne who hit .650 (14-1-20) in the middle. Taylor Wilson added 13 kills, while libero Brent Asuka had a seasn-high 18 digs in the win. Setters Ryan Ammerman and Anthony Spittle tallied 38 and 27 set assists, respectively with Ammerman recording seven digs. Freshman Austin D’Amore tied his career-best with seven block assist to lead UCI with eight total blocks followed by Wynne with seven total blocks.

UC Santa Barbara’s Jeff Menzel led all players with 27 kills. Cullen Irons had 15 kills and 11 digs, while Scott Slaughter recorded 12 kills and a match-high 10 total blocks. Setter Vince Devany recorded 69 set assists and 12 digs in the loss.

UCSB jumped out to a 9-5 lead in the first set before UCI rallied behind the serving of Bryan Simmons to take a 10-9 advantage on a Jordan DuFault kill. UCI continued to lead 21-17 before UCSB went on a 5-1 run to tie the score at 22-22. UCI would use a kill by Jon Steller and a Gauchos attack error to go up 29-27. Following a kill by Sam Moisenco, Steller ended the set with a kill, 30-28. Taylor Wilson paced UCI with six kills, while Steller added five.

UCSB used an Anteater attack error and a kill by Cullen Irons to take a 22-20 advantage in the second set and would never trail again. Jeff Menzel put away eight kills to lead the Gauchos to the 30-27 victory.

The Gauchos held the 23-20 lead in the third set before UCI knotted the score at 24-24 on a Austin D’Amore kill. The teams traded points until UCSB stuffed two consecutive Anteater attack attempts to take the set, 32-30.

UC Santa Barbara opened a small 20-18 cushion on a Jake Rosener kill in the fourth set. The Anteaters came back to tie the set at 21-21 on a kill by DuFault and a block by Carson Clark and Kevin Wynne. With the score tied 29-29, a UCSB service error was followed by another block by D’Amore and Clark to force the fifth set, 31-29.

UCI scored the last three points on the fifth set on a kill by Taylor Wilson, a block by D’Amore and Wilson and a Gaucho attack that sailed wide, 15-12.

The Anteaters improve to 11-2 overall and 7-1 in the MPSF, while UCSB falls to 3-8 on the year and 1-7 in MPSF play. UCI will return to action next Wednesday (Feb. 18), traveling to No. 4 USC for a 7:00 p.m. first serve at the Galen Center.

UC Irvine Keeps Pace at the Top of the MPSF

2009-02-10T07:35:00.000-08:00

http://mpsports.cstv.com/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/021009aaa.html

UC Irvine Keeps Pace at the Top of the MPSF
UC Irvine became the first team to win six MPSF matches, picking up wins over Stanford and Pacific.

USC's Murphy Troy earned MPSF player of the week honors.
Feb. 9, 2009

UC IRVINE (6-1 MPSF, 10-2 overall) won two home matches this past week, 3-0 over No. 6 Stanford and 3-1 over Pacific. Freshman Carson Clark tallied 23 kills (.588) and five blocks and Taylor Wilson picked up a 16-kill (.500) and six-block night vs. the Tigers. The Anteaters, first to six MPSF wins, host UC Santa Barbara Wednesday (Feb. 11) in the week's only match.

Tigers Caged by 'Eaters

2009-02-08T00:22:00.000-08:00

Cole Reinholm
No. 3 UC Irvine Wins Sixth Straight With 3-1 Victory over Pacific

Four Anteaters record double-digit kills

Feb. 7, 2009

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. – Third-ranked UC Irvine defeated Pacific, 3-1 (30-21, 30-17, 28-30, 30-24) at Crawford Court Saturday.

UCI won its sixth straight match and improves to 10-2 overall and 6-1 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Pacific falls to 2-10 on the year and 0-7 in the MPSF.

UCI jumped out to a 9-4 leads in the first two sets and cruised to a 2-0 lead. In the third set, UCI led 22-18 before the Tigers rallied to tie the score at 23-23 on a kill by Jason Borchin. The teams traded points until Pacific scored three unanswered on a Borchin ace and two Anteater attack errors to take the 29-26 lead. Kills by Carson Clark and Austin D’Amore narrowed the margin to 29-28 before a Jeff Hendershot kill ended the set 30-28 for the Tigers.

In the fourth set, UCI peeled off five straight points on an ace from Austin D’Amore and kills by Cole Reinholm and Bryan Simmons as well as a pair from Clark to build a 15-10 advantage. The Tigers would get no closer than three the rest of the way as UCI won the set 30-24 and the match 3-1.

UCI freshman Carson Clark led all players with 23 kills and hit .588 (23-3-34) from the right side. Senior Taylor Wilson had 16 kills, six blocks and eight digs. Junior Cole Reinholm totaled 12 kills and junior Bryan Simmons recorded a career-high 10 kills and seven total blocks. Setter Ryan Ammerman tallied 50 set assists and five blocks, while freshman middle blocker had a match-high eight total blocks. Libero Brent Asuka had a match-high nine digs in the victory.

Pacific was paced by Jeff Hendershot with 12 kills, hitting .526 (12-2-19) and recording five digs. Sean Daley recorded 10 kills followed by Jason Borchin with eight kills and five digs. Joe Forbes had a team-high five blocks, while Mark Bauhs had 39 set assists.

The Cardinal Crushed by UCI

2009-02-07T00:38:00.000-08:00

UC Irvine Sweeps Stanford

Bryan Simmons records career-high nine block assists

Feb. 6, 2009

Final Stats

IRVINE, Calif. --- Jon Steller led UC Irvine with 11 kills while Bryan Simmons totaled a career-high nine block assists to lead the Anteaters to a 30-,25, 30-23, 30-22 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation win over Stanford Friday at the Bren Center. The win lifted UCI to 9-2 overall (5-1 MPSF) while the Cardinal dropped to 7-5 (3-4) overall.

Steller committed just two errors in 19 attempts for a .474 average while Taylor Wilson and Kevin Wynne put away 10 kills apiece. The Anteaters hit an efficient .317 while holding Stanford to a .164 hitting percentage on the night. Ryan Ammerman put up 42 assists while Brent Asuka totaled a team-high 12 digs. Wilson and Ammerman combined for eight block assists as UCI recorded an 11-7 block advantage in the win.

UCI jumped out to an 8-1 lead over Stanford in the first set for its largest lead of the frame. The Cardinal chipped at the lead and came as close as two points at twice, the last coming at 22-20 on a kill by Evan Barry. However, the Anteaters responded with a 6-1 run, stifling the Cardinal attack at the net on four plays to lead 28-21. The duo of Wilson and Simmons denied Evan Romero at the net for the game-winning point.

The Anteaters were off to a fast start in the second set, leading 5-1 to force an early timeout by Stanford. The UCI lead extended to six on a service ace by Jordan DuFault but the Cardinal rallied to cut the lead to three at 16-13. However, at 23-20, UCI strung together five straight points for a 28-20 advantage and took a 2-0 set lead on a kill from Wilson.

In the final frame, UCI broke away from a 3-3 tie with a five-point run, capped by back-to-back service aces by Steller for an 8-3 lead and cruised to a 30-22 win.

Taylor Wilson Sweeps Player of the Week Awards

2009-02-03T08:42:00.000-08:00

From UCIrvinesports.com: http://ucirvinesports.cstv.com/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/020209aaa.html

Taylor Wilson Sweeps Player of the Week Awards

Wilson named National Player of the Week for second time in his career

Feb. 2, 2009

Irvine, Calif. -- UC Irvine senior outside hitter Taylor Wilson was named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men’s National Player of the Week as well as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Co-Player of the Week sharing the honor with Stanford's Brad Lawson.

He was instrumental in two UC Irvine victories last week. The outside hitter began the week with a .500 hitting performance against Princeton, recording 12 kills and just one error in 22 swings. He also added three block assists and two digs.

Wilson ended the week with a season-high 17 kills and five block assists in the win over UCLA. After losing the first set to the Bruins, Wilson almost single-handedly evened the score at 1-1 with eight kills, an ace and four block assists while hitting .462 (8-3-12). He contributed to 11 of the Anteaters' points as UCI collectively hit just .194 in the second set with no one else recording more than two kills.

For the week, Wilson averaged 4.14 kills, 4.86 points and 1.14 blocks.

This is Wilson’s second Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men’s National Player of the Week honor, having also earned the distinction Jan. 28, 2008. It is also the 12th time an athlete from UC Irvine has grabbed the award.

Wilson Also Receives MPSF POTW Honors!

2009-02-03T08:04:00.000-08:00

http://mpsports.cstv.com/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/020309aab.html

LAWSON AND WILSON MPSF MOLTEN PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Woodland, Calif. - Stanford freshman outside hitter Brad Lawson (Honolulu, HI/Iolani School) led the Cardinal to an improbable comeback win over No. 7 Long Beach State this past Friday. Down two sets and three separate match points, he knocked down three kills to finish off the third set and keep Stanford in the match. This effort was en route to a 27-kill night (5.4 K/S) with a huge .438 attack, in addition to 11 digs for a double-double. Against UC San Diego, he had another double-digit night with 11 kills, for a combined 38 kills (.386) and 17 digs on the week.

Woodland, Calif. - UC Irvine senior outside hitter Taylor Wilson (Mission Viejo, CA/Capistrano Valley HS) led the Anteaters to a pair of victories last week over Princeton and No. 8 UCLA. Against the Tigers, he was 12 for 22 attacking with just one error (.500), and followed up with a 17-kill (.387), five-block night vs. the Bruins. He tallied eight kills, four blocks, and an ace in the second set alone to begin the comeback. Wilson hit .434 for the week and averaged 4.14 kills and 1.14 blocks per set.

Taylor Wilson AVCA/Bison Player of the Week 2/2/09

2009-02-02T15:04:00.000-08:00

For the original story visit: http://www.avca.org/divisions/men/player-of-the-week/

Congrats to Taylor "Bones" Wilson-- GREAT WEEK, MATE!

Wilson Propels Anteaters to Perfect 2-0 Week

Feb. 2 - Taylor Wilson, a 6-7 senior outside hitter for then-No. 4 UC Irvine, has been named the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Week. He earned the award for his solid play in leading the Anteaters to two victories last week, which included a victory over Mountain Sports Pacific Federation foe UCLA. In UC Irvine's first match of the week, a 3-0 win over Princeton, Taylor recorded 12 kills in just one error in 22 attempts for a .500 attack percentage. He also added three block assists and two digs during the. He followed that performance with a monster outing against then-No. 8 UCLA, smashing 17 kills to hit at a .378 clip and totaling five block assists, four digs and an ace in a 3-1 triumph. Wilson notched eight kills, an ace and four block assists in the second set alone, allowing the Anteaters to knot the score at 1-1 and eventually go onto the win. For the week, Wilson turned in a .434 hitting percentage over the two matches, while averaging 4.14 kills, 1.14 blocks and 4.86 points per game. This is Wilson's second Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Week honor, having also earned the distinction Jan. 28, 2008. It is also the 12th time an athlete from UC Irvine has grabbed the award. The last Anteater to receive the honor was Jon Steller on April 7, 2008. UC Irvine is coached by John Speraw.

Daily Pilot 01/31/09 - "UCI: Settle and Hum"

2009-01-31T15:53:00.000-08:00

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2009/01/31/sports/uci/dpt-spucivolley013109.txt

Published Saturday, January 31, 2009 12:09 AM PST
Sports
UCI:
settle and hum
VOLLEYBALL: After woeful start, Anteaters quell nerves and conquer UCLA, with Taylor aiding four-game victory Friday.

By Barry Faulkner

For a photo gallery, click here.

IRVINE — All it took was a little context and chronology to turn what appeared to be a disastrous start into a valuable lesson for the UC Irvine men’s volleyball team Friday night.

The No. 4-ranked Anteaters settled some collective nerves, then systematically manhandled No. 8-ranked UCLA for a 20-30, 30-24, 30-17, 30-28 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation victory before a spirited crowd of 1,564 at the Bren Events Center.

“The most valuable thing about this match was Game 1,” UCI Coach John Speraw said. “I think it’s maybe the most important game that we’ll have this season, up until the playoffs. It’s impossible, or very rare, when you can simulate the nervousness and the energy and how you manage that early in a big match.

“We had a big crowd and the guys knew it. It was against UCLA, the guys knew it. They came out and they were nervous and they were tight and they didn’t play very well. And the team on the other side of the net was playing great ... You kind of get used to the big crowds and you kind of get used to playing all the teams in our conference, then all of a sudden you get to the final four, and if that’s where we’re hoping to be, and they’re going to have that same kind of experience. They may have to look back on this match and remember what happened, and how to manage that and maybe remember how they played and have some strategies about how to improve. That’s why I loved it.”

UCI senior Taylor Wilson, who had a season-high 17 kills and hit .387 in what Speraw called his best match of the season, also enjoyed the atmosphere, and his team’s ability to eventually embrace it.

“It was the first time we had seen quite that size of a crowd this season and we were a little jittery at first,” Wilson said. “I think it’s really sweet seeing the Bren this packed. And, once we got our nerves out of the way in the first game, we were real fired up in the second game.

“That’s the first time we’ve been blown out at the beginning of a match and I think some people were getting in each other’s way a little bit and some people were saying a few negative things here and there. But I think the guys kind of settled everybody down, we gained a little momentum, and did a pretty nice job of settling in.”

Speraw said Wilson, as well as senior opposite Jon Steller, who had a team-high 18 kills and hit .400, were the ones primarily responsible for UCI (8-2, 4-1 in conference) settling for its fourth straight win, its seventh in its last eight matches.

“One of the things we’ve learned from years past, is that if you can have one good opposite and one outside hitter play well, you’re going to have a good shot,” Speraw said. “This season, it has been either Carson Clark or Stellar [playing well at opposite], because both of them have been great. And for most of the matches, [the top outside hitter] has really been Jordan DuFault. Tonight, it wasn’t Jordan ... It was about Taylor producing for us and it’s really nice to see. Really nice.”

Wilson who battled injuries all of last season and was slowed early this season by a sprained ankle, helped the Anteaters overcome an impressive performance by UCLA junior outside hitter Garrett Muagututia. The Bruins’ beast, whose stocky build might be more suited to football than volleyball, had 22 kills, a .390 hitting percentage, and was the visitors’ leading service receiver. He also had a match-high four ace serves, all in the first game, six digs and two block assists.

Senior setter Ryan Ammerman had 53 assists for the ’Eaters, helping the hosts hit .350 as a team.

Senior libero Nick Spittle came off the bench to post a match-high 10 digs, while junior middle blocker Ryan Simmons (seven block assists), Ammerman (six), Wilson and sophomore middle Kevin Wynne (five each) helped UCI post a 15-5 to 10 team blocking advantage.

Newport Harbor High products Kyle Caldwell (five kills and two aces) and Brett Perrine (three kills and two block assists) contributed for the Bruins (4-5, 2-3).

Bruins Busted Up by the 'Eaters

2009-01-30T23:43:00.001-08:00

Steller and the 'Eater Crew

UC Irvine Topples UCLA, 3-1
Team effort propels Anteaters

Jan. 30, 2009

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. – The fourth-ranked UC Irvine men’s volleyball team started slow then rolled to a 3-1 (20-30, 30-24, 30-17, 30-28) victory over No. 8 UCLA at the Bren Center Friday in front of 1,564 fans..

UCI improves to 8-2 overall and 4-1 in the MPSF, while UCLA falls to 4-5 on the year and 2-3 in league play.

The Anteaters used a solid team effort with Jon Steller recording 18 kills to lead UCI. Senior outside hitter Taylor Wilson had a season-high 17 kills and five blocks, while junior Jordan DuFault added nine kills, nine digs and four blocks. Middle blockers Bryan Simmons and Kevin Wynne recorded eight and seven kills, respectively with Simmons totaling a match-high seven blocks. Setter Ryan Ammerman quarterbacked the team to a .350 hitting percentage while dishing a season-high 53 set assists to go with nine digs and six blocks. Libero Nick Spittle led all players with a season-best 10 digs.

UCI out-blocked the Bruins, 15.5-10 and fired seven aces to UCLA’s four.

UCLA’s Garrett Muagututia had a match-high 22 kills and was followed by Jack Polales with nine kills. Setter Matt wade had 44 set assists and a team-high eight digs.

After being tied 15-15 in the first set, UCLA went on a 7-0 run which included four aces by Muagututia to open a 22-15 advantage on their way to the 30-20 victory.

In the second set, UCI led 19-17 before getting a pair of kills from Carson Clark and one each from Wilson and Wynne combined with two Bruin attack errors to break open the set, 25-17. Wilson would put away eight kills in the set to spark UCI. The Anteaters, who managed just one block in the first set, rejected 6.5 in the second.

UCI outscored UCLA 8-3 in a run which included four Anteater blocks to take a 20-12 lead in the third set and never looked back as they won 30-17. Steller paced UCI with seven kills.

In the fourth set, UCI separated themselves with three straight points on a UCLA hitting error followed by a kill by Wilson and an ace by Steller to take the 15-12 lead. UCI maintained at least a two-point lead until the Bruins used three Muagututia kills to close within 29-28. Steller pounded a kill to end the match, 30-28.

#8 UCLA vs. #1 UC Irvine Friday!

2009-01-29T11:16:00.000-08:00

Brent "Sake" Asuka, Jon Steller, and Kevin "Fish" Wynne: Eater Comraderie

UC IRVINE HOSTS UCLA: Fourth-ranked UC Irvine (7-2, 3-1) will host No. 8 UCLA Friday at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Center.

Steller Shares MPSF Co-Player of the Week

2009-01-27T15:31:00.000-08:00

STELLER NAMED MPSF PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior Jon Steller was named co-MPSF Player of the Week with Pepperdine’s Paul Carroll. Steller combined for 35 kills while hitting .403 for the week. He averaged 5.64 points and 1.00 blocks per set. It is the third career MPSF weekly honor for the senior.

Eaters Cage the Tigers

2009-01-26T23:14:00.000-08:00

UC Irvine Sweeps Princeton, 3-0

Cole Reinholm fires career-high five aces

Jan. 26, 2009

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. – Fourth-ranked UC Irvine defeated Princeton, 3-0 (30-27, 30-21, 30-20) in a non-conference match at Crawford Court Monday.

Freshman Carson Clark led all players with 14 kills and a team-high seven digs. Senior Taylor Wilson totaled 12 kills, hitting .500 (12-1-22) from the outside. Cole Reinholm recorded a season-high 10 kills and a career-best five service aces. Freshman middle blocker Austin D’Amore added three kills and a match-high five total blocks, while libero Kenny Webster recorded four digs. Senior setter Nick Goldsbrough-Reardon totaled 27 set assists and was followed by Anthony Spittle with 11 set assists. Greg Gelb added one dig.

Princeton was paced by Vincent Tuminelli with 10 kills. Phillip Rosenberg had eight kills and a match-high eight digs, while Carl Hamming had eight kills in the loss.

UCI led 18-17 then peeled off four straight points to open up a 22-17 lead. Princeton would get as close as 29-27 before Austin D’Amore banged a ball from the middle to give UCI the first set, 30-27. Senior Taylor Wilson had the hot-hand, hitting .800 on five kills in six attempts without an error.

In the second set, Cole Reinholm fired a pair of service aces during a 5-3 Anteater spurt to put UCI up 15-10. The Anteaters would take the set 30-21.

Reinholm fired three more aces in the final set as UCI took the game 30-20.

UCI will host No. 8 UCLA Friday at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Center.

The Beach Gets Bashed

2009-01-23T23:26:00.001-08:00

The 6'7"+ Club: Steller, Simmons & Wilson Regulating the Net

UC Irvine Takes Down Long Beach State, 3-1
Anteaters take 9-6 lead in Black & Blue Series

Jan. 23, 2009

Final Stats

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Fifth-ranked UC Irvine had three players with double-digit kills as the Anteaters defeated No. 7 Long Beach State, 3-1 (34-32, 32-30, 28-30, 30-27) Friday night at the Walter Pyramid.

The Anteaters (6-2, 3-1 MPSF) rallied down 27-23 in the first set to knot the score at 28-28. The teams traded points until UCI ended the set scoring three straight on a kills by Ryan Ammerman and Jon Steller and a Long Beach attack error, 34-32.

In the second set, UCI again trailed 21-19 before a Jordan DuFault kill was followed by a Nick Spittle service ace to tie the score at 21 all. The teams would trade points until UCI held a late lead at 27-25, but a service error was followed by a Dean Bittner kill for Long Beach to make the set all square at 27-27. Tied at 30-30, a triple block by Steller, DuFault and Kevin Wynne gave the Anteaters set point. DuFault ended the game with a service ace, 32-30.

Long Beach State (3-3, 2-1 MPSF) won the third set, 30-28 behind a .419 hitting percentage.

In the fourth set, UCI scored three straight on a kill by DuFault, and two consecutive LBSU hitting errors to open a 22-16 cushion. The Anteaters led 29-25 only to watch the Forty-Niners record kills by Jim Baughman and Dan Alexander to close with 29-27, but DuFault ended the match with a kill, 30-27.

Senior Jon Steller led UCI with 19 kills and a season-high six block assists. Outside hitter Jordan DuFault totaled 16 kills, six digs and seven total blocks. Senior Taylor Wilson added 11 kills and five digs, while setter Ryan Ammerman had 43 set assists, six digs and four block assists. Junior Bryan Simmons tied his career-high with eight block assists and sophomore Kevin Wynne had eight kills and six block assists. Libero Brent Asuka led UCI with nine digs.

Dean Bittner paced Long Beach State with 25 kills, three aces and 10 digs. Josh Riley matched a career-high with 14 kills while leading the team with a .522 hitting percentage. Tommy Pestolesi had 15 kills and 14 digs in the loss.

LBSU out-dug UCI, 50-32, but the Anteaters owned the net with an 18-10 advantage.

With a win on the road, UCI gains three points in the Black & Blue Rivalry Series presented by Duke’s of Hungtington Beach. The Anteaters now lead the series 9-6.

UCI will host Princeton Monday (Jan. 26) in a non-conference match at 7:00 p.m. in Crawford Court.

Thoughts on UCSD & Long Beach St.

2009-01-23T10:22:00.000-08:00

Eater family, friends and fans,

The boys took on UCSD on Monday night and surprisingly took the Tritons in 3 sets. Why am I surprised? Because this was the same team that took the Anteaters to 5 sets last year and beat us twice. I thought there would be a little more fight in the Tritons, but hey, it made for an early night home.

Key combos were the Bryan (AKA, Gene or Richard) Simmons and Ryan Ammerman block at the right pin. You've got a 6'7" & 6'8" combo patrolling the net out there making it difficult to get a ball by the block. There were quite a few double stuffs at the outside because of this tandem. Stepping up their play this season is OH Jordan Dufault, (AKA, JD). He has really a consistent offensive performer and puts up a formidable block.

Tonight will be at the 'Mid @ Long Beach St. The 49ers boast a pretty talented team, add on former Eater assistant coach, John Hawks, and you know it's going to be a highly competive matchup. The 49ers come out with Klipsch, Bittner, Pestolesi, Watten, Baughman and Alexander. The Niners pack some heat, but the Eater block is big. Listen in tonight at http://ucirvinesports.cstv.com/multimedia/on-air.html.

Checkin' out,
Rob

Tritons Downed at Crawford Court

2009-01-21T22:53:00.000-08:00

UC Irvine Hits a Blistering .517 To Sweep UC San Diego, 3-0

All-American Jon Steller leads all players with 16 kills

Jan. 21, 2009

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. – Fifth-ranked UC Irvine hit .517 for the match as the Anteaters swept UC San Diego, 3-0 (30-24, 30-22, 30-19) at Crawford Court Wednesday.

UCI (5-2, 2-1) hit a season-high .517, committing just nine errors to go with 54 kills in 87 attempts. The Anteaters dominated the net, out-blocking the Tritons 14-4. UCSD (1-3, 0-2) hit .218 for the match.

UC Irvine senior All-American Jon Steller led all players with a season-best 16 kills. Sophomore Jordan DuFault added 12 kills, while hitting .417 and tied his career-high with seven block assists. Senior Taylor Wilson hit .500 (9-1-16) and recorded five digs and five blocks, while junior Bryan Simmons matched his career-high with eight kills, hit .778 and led the team with a career-best eight block assists. Setter Ryan Ammerman totaled 46 set assists, two aces and a career-high seven block assists. Middle blocker Kevin Wynne put away six kills and had four blocks.

Joel Davidson was the only UCSD player to reach double-figure kills, totaling 10. Phil Bannan had 23 set assists, while Calvin Ross had eight kills without an error and hit .727 (8-0-11).

After leading 21-18 in the first set, UCI went on a 4-1 run which included kills by Jordan DuFault and Kevin Wynne and a couple of Anteater blocks to open a 25-19 cushion. UCI would take the first set 30-24 behind Jon Steller’s .800 hitting performance. Steller had eight kills and one error on 10 swings.

Taylor Wilson recorded five kills in UCI’s 30-22 second set win. The Anteaters opened up a 5-1 lead in which Wilson had two kills and never looked back.

UC San Diego hit just .034 in the third set as UC Irvine won 30-19.

The Anteaters will travel to Long Beach State Friday (Jan. 23) for a 7:00 p.m. first serve at The Pyramid.

Steller an All-American

2008-04-29T09:35:00.000-07:00

Jon Steller Named Second Team All-America
Steller becomes UCI's 10th All-American

April 28, 2008

Irvine, Calif. - UC Irvine men's volleyball player Jon Steller has been named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-America Second Team.

This is Steller's first All-American distinction and is the 10th UC Irvine player garner the award.

Steller will be honored along with the other All-Americans and the four NCAA Championship teams at a banquet Wednesday at the UCI Student Center. The Player of the Year will also be announced at the banquet.

This season, Steller averaged 3.35 kills and 1.04 digs overall. After becoming a starter, 12 matches into the season, the opposite averaged 4.56 kills, 1.41 digs and 5.15 points per game. He fired a team-high 38 service aces this year which ranks fifth in the UCI season record books. Steller had the third most service aces by an MPSF player and is ranked 18th nationally with a 0.34 ace average.

The junior pounded 20 or more kills six times this year, including a career-high 29 kills against Hawaii which was the seventh most by an Anteater in the rally scoring era. He was named Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week as well as MPSF Co-Player of the Week on Apr. 7 and MPSF Co-Player of the Week Feb. 11, 2008.

UC Irvine ended the season 16-15 overall and seventh in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation with an 11-11 record. The Anteaters are ranked eighth in the country.

UC Irvine will host the 2008 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship May 1 and 3 at the Bren Events Center.

AVCA All-America First Team
Dan Alexander, Long Beach State, So., MB
Matt Anderson, Penn State, Jr., OH
Paul Carroll, Pepperdine, Jr., OPP
Russell Holmes, BYU, Sr., MB
Max Holt, Penn State, Jr., MB
Tony Ker, UCLA, Sr., L
Paul Lotman, Long Beach State, Sr., OH
Daniel Mathews, Ohio State, Sr., S
Eric Vance, Cal State Northridge, Jr., OH
Jonathan Winder, Pepperdine, Sr., S

AVCA All-America Second Team
Dean Bittner, Long Beach State, So., OPP
Dennis Del Valle, Penn State, Fr., L
Kyle Gramit, George Mason, Jr., OPP
Isaac Kneubuhl, Cal State Northridge, Sr., OH
Max Lipsitz, Penn State, So., MB
Cody Loe, Cal State Northridge, Fr., MB
Luke Murray, Penn State, Sr., S
Ivan Perez, BYU, Sr., OH
Kawika Shoji, Stanford, So., S
Jon Steller, UC Irvine, Jr., OPP

Webber's Finnish Team Takes Game 1 of Championships

2008-04-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

Matt Webber, the former Anteater OPP is still banging cannon balls out in Finland. Here's a link to his video interview after taking Game 1 of the Finnish Championships!

http://www.yle.fi/media/asxgene.php?file=tvurheilu/Lentopallo_-_Santasport_nappasi_finaalien_kotiedun.wmv

Steller Sweeps POTW Honors!

2008-04-07T22:02:00.001-07:00

Jon Steller Sweeps Player of the Week Honors
Steller named Sports Imports/AVCA Player of the Week for the first time

April 7, 2008

Irvine, Calif. - UC Irvine men's volleyball player Jon Steller has been named Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week as well as Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Co-Player of the Week after averaging 6.00 kills, 1.29 digs, 1.43 blocks and 6.86 points per game in two wins last week. He shared the MPSF honor this week with USC's Juan Figueroa.

Steller, a junior opposite, posted 27 kills and a career-high seven block assists in an upset of No. 2 Cal State Northridge at home then led the Anteaters with 15 kills versus UC Santa Barbara on the road.

The junior fired an ace against Northridge giving him 36 on the year. His 36 aces ranks fifth in the UCI season record books, 11 shy of Matt Webber's record of 47 set in 2007.

It is Steller's first national award, becoming the 11th Anteater player to earn the AVCA distinction. It is his second MPSF honor, earning the accolade Feb. 11, 2008.

The Anteaters, who are currently ranked seventh nationally, travel to Pacific Friday and No. 11 Stanford Saturday to close out the regular season. UCI is tied for sixth place in the MPSF heading into the final week.

9th Ranked Eaters Upset 2nd Ranked CSUN

2008-04-01T22:50:00.000-07:00

UCI dominated the net with 21 blocks

No. 9 UC Irvine Upsets No. 2 Cal State Northridge, 3-1
Anteaters play third longest game in MPSF history, 42-40

April 1, 2008

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. - The ninth-ranked UC Irvine men's volleyball team upset No. 2 Cal State Northridge, 3-1 (28-30, 30-24, 42-40, 30-18) in the regular season home finale at the Bren Center Tuesday.

The Anteaters snap Northridge's 14-match winning streak and even their record to 13-13 overall and go to 9-10 in the MPSF, while the league-leading Matadors go to 20-5 overall and 15-4 in the MPSF.

Opposite Jon Steller led all players with 27 kills and a career-high seven block assists. Freshman outsie hitter Jordan DuFault added 16 kills, his second highest career kill total, a career-high 12 digs and a career-best seven block assists. Middle blockers Aaron Harrell and Kevin Wynne each recorded seven kills and a team-high eight block assists with Harrell adding a solo for a match-high nine total blocks. Libero Brent Asuka tied his season-high with 18 digs, while outside hitter Kevin Carroll came off the bench to play solid defense with seven digs to go with four kills and a .500 hitting percentage. Setter Anthony Spittle recorded 55 set assists and a career-high six blocks.

The Anteaters dominated the net, out-blocking Northridge 21-7.5. The 21 blocks was the second most for UCI this season.

Northridge had a balanced attack led by Isaac Knewubuhl and Eric Vance with 17 kills apiece. Kevin McKniff added 15 kills and Mike Gaudino recorded 11 kills. Libero Ali'i Keohohou led the team with 11 digs.

UCI led 10-8 early in game one, but Northridge battled back to take their first lead at 12-11. The Matadors would continue to lead opening up a 24-19 advantage on a kill by Mike Gaudino. The Anteaters rallied to close with 28-27 on a Jon Steller kill, but the teams would trade points until Northridge's Isaac Knewubuhl ended the game with a kill 30-28. The two teams combined for 19 service errors in the first game.

UCI used a 7-1 run to take control of game two, leading 27-20. The Anteaters would go on to take the game 30-24 on a Steller kill.

Cal State Northridge had a 15-11 advantage in game three and continued to lead at 23-21. UCI would score three unanswered to take the 24-23 lead. UCI would go ahead 28-26 on a pair of Steller kills and led 29-27 before the Matadors used kills by Kevin McKniff and Eric Vance to knot the score at 29-29. The marathon would begin with each team trading points until 40-40 when Aaron Harrell put away a kill in the middle was followed by a Matador attack that sailed wide to give UCI the game, 42-40, the longest game in UCI history and the third highest score in MPSF history. The top two (45-43, 43-41) also involved Northridge.

Game four was all UCI as they jumped out to a 5-1 lead and never looked back taking the set 30-18 and the match, 3-1. UCI hit .480 in the game compared to Northridge's .083.

UCI travels to No. 14 UC Santa Barbara Saturday for a 7:00 p.m. match at Robertson Gym.

No. 9 UC Irvine Hosts No. 2 Cal State Northridge In Regular Season Home Finale Tuesday

2008-04-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

Senior, Aaron Harrell

No. 9 UC Irvine Hosts No. 2 Cal State Northridge In Regular Season Home Finale Tuesday
Seniors honored before the match

March 31, 2008

UC IRVINE HOSTS NORTHRIDGE; TRAVELS TO UC SANTA BARABRA: No. 9 UC Irvine (12-13, 8-10) will take on No. 2 Cal State Northridge Tuesday (Apr. 1) at 7:00 p.m. in the Bren Events Center before traveling to UC Santa Barbara Saturday (Apr. 5) at 7:00 p.m. in Robertson Gym.

Tuesday's match versus Northridge is the regular season home finale as UCI will play its last three matches on the road.

A senior ceremony will be held prior to the match.

VS THE OPPONENTS: Cal State Northridge leads the series with UCI, 24-15 all-time. The Matadors won the first meeting of the year, 3-0 in Northridge. Cal State Northridge leads the MPSF with a 15-3 record and are 20-4 overall this year.

UCSB holds a 29-14 advantage over the Anteaters all-time, but UCI has won the last two meetings of the year. UCI has won the last six meetings and nine of the last 10 outings. The Gauchos are 9-14 overall and 6-12 in the MPSF.

IN THE RANKINGS: UC Irvine stayed at No. 9 in the AVCA Coaches poll. The Anteaters have been ranked in the nation's top 10 for 48 consecutive weeks.

HARRELL SETS HITTING PERCENTAGE RECORD: Aaron Harrell set a new UCI match record for hitting percentage with a perfect 1.000 performance against UC San Diego. The middle blocker was 13 of 13 with no errors. Harrell takes the top spot from David Smith who hit .938 against UC Santa Barbara in 2007. The mark also ties the NCAA and MPSF records. This is the second match record Harrell has set this season, breaking the ace record with seven in the first match agianst Hawaii.

ASUKA MOVES UP SEASON RECORDS: Libero Brent Asuka has 245 digs this year which ranks third in the UCI season record book. Asuka holds the school mark with 336 set in 2006. He is 30 digs shy of Greg Ford's second place of 275 set in 2004. The junior has recorded 15 or more digs five times this year.

STELLER SWINGS AWAY: Opposite Jon Steller has averaged 22.40 kills over the last five matches. The junior has put-away double-digit kills in 13 of the last 14 matches, including hitting 20 or more kills five times. On the year, Steller averages 3.09 kills, 0.39 aces and 0.99 digs per game.

ANTEATERS GO 1-1 LAST WEEK: UCI upset No. 3 Long Beach State last week, 3-2 then was upset by UC San Diego, 3-2.

The win against Long Beach was only the ninth all-time and gave UCI a 21-14 lead in the Black & Blue Rivalry Series presented by Duke's of Huntington Beach.

Jon Steller led UCI in both matches with 26 kills versus Long Beach State and 22 against UC San Diego.

’Eaters surprise 49ers

2008-03-28T07:17:00.000-07:00

Published Friday, March 28, 2008 12:00 AM PDT
Sports

’Eaters surprise 49ers
VOLLEYBALL: No. 9-ranked UCI rallies for five-game upset of No. 3 Long Beach State, now tied for the MPSF lead.
By Barry Faulkner

IRVINE — In accordance with finals week, the UC Irvine men’s volleyball team was presented with multiple choices during its 12-day layoff that ended Thursday against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation-leading Long Beach State.

The Anteaters could either pursue the promise Coach John Speraw has proclaimed for them all season — as a team that could ultimately beat any team in the nation — or merely continue its inconsistent path along the precipice of earning one of eight berths into the upcoming conference tournament.

After the first two games Thursday, it appeared the latter was in order as the visiting 49ers (19-4, 14-3 in conference), ranked No. 3 in the nation, posted a pair of impressive wins.

But No. 9-ranked UCI (12-12, 8-9) had another option in mind as it rallied for a 22-30, 22-30, 30-26, 30-27, 15-12 triumph that, as much as anything this season, shows them that in the proper time and place, they can defend their NCAA championship with purpose and poise.

“Long Beach is one of the top teams in the country and it’s playing well right now,” said UCI junior opposite Jon Steller, who led the winners with 26 kills and hit .500 for the match. “I think this gives us a huge confidence boost and, hopefully, we can carry that into this next week when we play [Cal State] Northridge, which is now No. 1.”

Steller was a consistent force at the net all night, but a lineup adjustment in which Speraw inserted Anthony Spittle at setter and Taylor Wilson at outside hitter after the first two games, seemed to help the Anteaters find their rhythm.

“I thought Anthony gave us some nice consistency,” Speraw said of the freshman who finished with a team-best 30 assists. “I thought he set a very nice match. And it wasn’t even that [junior Ryan Ammerman, who started and produced 25 assists] set a poor match. I don’t think we were passing very well [in the first two games]. It’s just that when you’re down, 0-2, you want to change things up.”

Speraw also wanted to see Wilson — a 6-foot-7 junior who started as a sophomore, but has battled ankle problems that have sidelined him for much of this season — in the lineup at the same time as the 6-7 Steller.

“We practiced that lineup this week, but we’d never seen it in a match, so I was glad to get a look at it,” Speraw said.

With Wilson’s passing (10 digs, bettered only by junior libero Brent Asuka’s 12) and his veteran hitting savvy (seven kills and a .278 percentage), the Anteaters finally asserted themselves.

UCI had led only once in the first game (3-2) and the second game (2-1), as the 49ers looked every bit the team that had already swept the ’Eaters twice this season.

But the hosts played the visitors virtually even in Game 3, before pulling away from a 20-20 deadlock on its way to a four-point triumph.

In Game 4, UCI pulled away after being deadlocked at 12, setting up a Game 5 that had not been kind to the ’Eaters all season.

“We’ve had four five-game matches before tonight and we’d lost all of them,” Steller said.

But this time, something was different.

“We had some poise and that was nice to see,” Speraw said. “I’ve always felt we have the potential to be a good volleyball team, we just need to put it together. That’s one of the better teams in the MPSF, and if we play good volleyball, we’re capable of beating anyone in the MPSF. We just need to play consistently high-level volleyball for long periods of time and we haven’t been able to do that very often this season.”

UCI freshman middle Kevin Wynne posted a kill to set up match point and, after a UCI serving error, freshman Cory Yoder (14 kills) caromed a kill off a blocker to give UCI its first five-game win this season.

“I sure hope this is a turning point for us,” said Speraw, whose team entered the match in seventh place in the MPSF. “I think finals week gave us a chance to take a breath and regroup and reevaluate where we are and where we need to go. We committed ourselves to these next [now five] matches [to conclude the regular season].”

49ers Upset by the Eaters!

2008-03-27T22:33:00.000-07:00

No. 9 UC Irvine Rallies To Upset No. 3 Long Beach State, 3-2
Anteaters win in five after losing first two games

March 27, 2008

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. - No. 9 UC Irvine rallied from a two game deficit to upset No. 3 Long Beach State, 3-2 (22-30, 22-30, 30-26, 30-27, 15-12) at the Bren Events Center Thursday.

The Anteaters win their first five-gamer (1-4) of the year and improve to 12-12 overall and 8-9 in the MPSF. Long Beach State goes to 19-4 and 14-3 in league play. Three of Long Beach's four losses this year have come in five games.

Junior opposite Jon Steller led UCI with 26 kills, hitting .500 for the match (26-5-42). Freshman outside hitter Cory Yoder totaled 14 kills and four blocks, while Taylor Wilson came off the bench to add seven kills and 10 digs. Libero Brent Asuka tallied 11 digs, while middle blocker Kevin Wynne had a match-high five block assists. Senior middle blocker Aaron Harrell recorded five kills and four blocks. Setter Anthony Spittle sparked UCI in the final three games with 30 set assists.

Long Beach State was paced by Paul Lotman with 27 kills, 11 digs and four service aces. Dean Bittner recorded 26 kills followed by Josh Riley with 11 kills and Dan Alexander with 10 kills. Alexander also had a team-high four blocks. Libero Dustin Watten had a match-high 13 digs.

In game one, Long Beach State jumped out to a 10-4 lead on the strength of its serving which included three aces. The Forty-Niners went on to a 30-22 win behind Dean Bittner's eight kills.

Long Beach led 7-6 in game two before going on a 3-1 run to extend the lead to 10-7. UCI would pull within 23-21 on a Jordan DuFault kill but another Bittner kill was followed by an Anteater attack error to give LBSU the 25-21 cushion. The Anteaters would get no closer than three the rest of the way as Long Beach took the second game 30-22 with the Forty-Niners ending the game with three consecutive blocks.

UCI led 16-13 in game three before Long Beach rallied on a 6-3 spurt to knot the score at 19-19. UCI used a Forty-Niner service and attack error followed by a Cory Yoder kill to go up 24-21. UCI would go on to win the game 30-26. Long Beach would record seven service errors in the set.

Game four saw the teams tied at 12-12 before UCI went on a 6-2 run to take a 18-14 lead. Long Beach would score three unanswered, the last a Paul Lotman service ace, to narrow the UCI advantage to 25-23 but Lotman would serve into the net on the next possession to end the Forty-Niner run. UCI would win 30-27 to force a fifth game.

A kill by Lotman gave Long Beach a 6-4 lead in game five but a pair of Yoder kills helped UCI take back the lead at 8-7. The Anteaters never trailed again with Yoder putting away the match winner, 15-12.

The win increases UCI's lead in the Black & Blue Rivalry Series presented by Duke's of Huntington Beach to 21-14.

UCI will travel to UC San Diego Saturday (Mar. 29) for a 7:00 p.m. first serve.

Eaters Blank the Buckeyes

2008-03-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

Mac Waite Sealing the Deal in Game 1

Steller Enters UCI Record Book in 3-0 Victory Over Ohio State

The opposite fires a match record six service aces
Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. - Junior Jon Steller tied the UC Irvine match record with six aces as the 10th-ranked Anteaters defeated No. 10 Ohio State 3-0 (30-23, 30-25, 30-13) in a non-conference match at the Bren Center Friday.

Steller shares the top spot in the UCI match record book with Matt Webber (2004), Mike Rupp (1999) and Jarrett Jensen who recorded six aces twice in 2002. The opposite fired four of his career-high six aces in game three.

Steller led the Anteaters with 14 kills along with freshman Cory Yoder who also posted 14 kills in the win. Yoder hit .545 (14-2-22) for the match. Senior Aaron Harrell and sophomore Cole Reinholm each added seven kills with Reinholm totaling a match-high seven digs. Setter Ryan Ammerman tallied three kills and 41 set assists. Junior Mac Waite hit .600 adding three kills on five attempts without an error.

Ohio State was led by Brett Versen and Robbie Klein with 10 kills a piece. Kevin Heine recorded a match-high six block assists as the Buckeyes out-blocked UCI, 9.0-2.0.

UCI's offense ran at a .455 (51-11-88) clip for the match, while Ohio State hit just .188 (32-17-80).

UCI jumped out to a 10-3 lead in game one and never looked back as they took the set, 30-23 behind eight kills from Cory Yoder.

The Anteaters opened an 8-4 advantage in game two and continued to lead at 28-21. The Buckeyes then scored four unanswered to narrow the deficit to 28-24, but out of a UCI timeout Yoder put away a kill to set up game point. Following a UCI service error, Cole Reinholm pounded a kill to end the game, 30-25. Steller had eight kills and two aces in the frame.

Steller's serving was ignited in game three, rocketing four aces in a 6-0 run to give UCI a 26-12 lead. The Anteaters would out-score the Buckeyes 4-1 to end the game, 30-13 and the match, 3-0. The 17-point win is the largest margin of victory by an MPSF team this season.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow (Mar. 1) at 2:00 p.m. in the Bren Events Center.

STELLER the 2nd Eater to be MPSF Player of the Week!

2008-02-12T10:59:00.000-08:00

Jon Steller Named MPSF Co-Player of the Week
Steller earns first conference accolade

Feb. 11, 2008

Irvine, Calif. -- Junior Jon Steller was named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Co-Player of the Week after helping UCI to a pair of wins last week over No. 5 Pepperdine and No. 11 USC.

Steller recorded a season-high 21 kills and a career best nine digs versus Pepeprdine then hit .524 against USC adding 13 kills and two aces. For the week, Steller averaged 4.86 kills, 1.57 digs and 0.86 blocks.

Steller shared this week's honor with UC Santa Barbara's Theo Brunner. This is Steller's first conference accolade and the second for an Anteater player this year (Taylor Wilson, Jan. 28).

Sixth-ranked UCI will battle No. 1 BYU Friday and Saturday (Feb. 15 & 16) at the Bren Center. First serve for both matches is 7:00 p.m.

Video Unveiling of 2007 National Championship Banner

2008-02-09T12:05:00.001-08:00

Hey eater fans! Check this out-- it's on The Daily Pilot website

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2008/02/09/video/doc47ad401a31f07420548899.txt

Just push play!

Eaters Sweep the Trojans

2008-02-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

Cory Yoder led UCI with 14 kills

UC Irvine Offensive Attack Dominates In 3-0 Sweep of USC
National Championship Banner Unveiled

Feb. 8, 2008

Final Stats | Photo Gallery

Irvine, Calif. - No. 8 UC Irvine hit .500 as a team as the Anteaters swept No. 11 USC, 3-0 (30-28, 30-26, 30-22) in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match Friday at the Bren Center.

The Anteaters improve to 8-6 overall and 5-4 in the MPSF on the night that 2007 National Championship banner was unveiled at the Bren. USC falls to 6-7 overall and 5-5 in league action.

As a team, UCI hit a season-high .500 (47-7-80) for the match and out-blocked the Trojans, 9-0.

Freshman outside hitter Cory Yoder led UCI with 14 kills, hitting .542 (14-1-24), adding an ace and three blocks. Junior opposite Jon Steller ended the night with 13 kills, hitting .524 (13-2-21) and firing two aces. Senior middle blocker Aaron Harrell hit .636 on seven kills with no errors on 11 attempts and two blocks. Freshman Kevin Carroll also had seven kills, hitting .417 (7-2-12) for the match. Junior setter Ryan Ammerman dished a career-high 44 assists with five digs and three blocks. Freshman middle blocker Kevin Wynne hit .556 (6-1-9) and led all players with five blocks. Junior libero Brent Asuka tallied seven digs in the win.

Juan Figueroa was the only USC player in double-figures with 16 kills. Murphy Troy added nine kills, while libero Luke Morris had a team-high six digs. Senior Jimmy Killian recorded 32 set assists in the loss.

UCI led 9-4 in game one and continued to lead 29-26 before the Trojans scored two unanswered to narrow the lead to 29-28. The run was halted when a USC service error ended the game, 30-28.

The Anteaters started game two on a 5-1 spurt, before USC rallied to knot the score at 7-7. The game was closely contested after that point with never more than a two-point lead. With the score tied 25-25, UCI recorded two kills by Jon Steller followed by a Trojan hitting error to give the Anteaters a 28-25 cushion. Aaron Harrell would end the game, 30-26 on a service ace.

UCI scored four straight to take a 13-9 lead in game three and never looked back as they cruised to the 30-22 victory.

UCI will entertain No. 1 BYU next Friday and Saturday (Feb. 15 & 16) in the Bren Center at 7:00 p.m.

No. 8 UC Irvine Takes Down No. 5 Pepperdine

2008-02-06T22:30:00.000-08:00

Ammerman post career numbers

Feb. 6, 2008

Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. - Junior setter Ryan Ammerman had a career-high 40 set assists to lead No. 8 UC Irvine to a 3-1 (25-30, 30-23, 30-25, 30-28) victory over No. 5 Pepperdine Wednesday at the Bren Events Center.

UCI improves to 7-6 overall and 4-4 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, sweeping the season series with Pepperdine for the first time since 1995. Pepperdine goes to 5-4 overall and in conference play.

Ammerman posted a career-best 11 digs and career-high five block assists to go with the 40 set assists. Jon Steller recorded a season-high 21 kills and nine digs, while freshman Cory Yoder and Kevin Carroll each had 15 kills in the win. Yoder also recorded a career-high nine digs. Senior middle blocker Aaron Harrell recorded a career-high 10 block assists to go with six kills. Freshman middle blocker Kevin Wynne added seven blocks, while libero Brent Asuka totaled 13 digs.

The Anteaters recorded a season-high 17.5 blocks, while the Anteaters' 59 digs was the second most this season.

Cory Riecks led Pepperdine with 15 kills followed by Matt McKee with 11 and J.D. Schleppenbach with 10 kills. Jonathan Winder totaled 45 set assists and a match-high 16 digs. Mark Hulse had a team-high eight blocks, while libero Sean Grubbs added eight digs.

In game one, Pepperdine made a move after leading 11-10, scoring three unanswered points to extend the lead to 14-10. UCI narrowed the margin to 27-25, but the Waves would score three in a row to take the game, 30-25.

With the score tied 19-19 in game two, UCI went on an 8-2 run to go up 27-21. The Anteaters, who used three blocks and a pair of kills by Jon Steller in that run, ended the game on another Steller kill, 30-23.

Pepperdine led 19-16 in game three before the Anteaters went on an 8-1 spurt, which included back-to-back kills by Kevin Wynne to go ahead 24-20. Both teams combined for five service errors in the last 11 points as UCI went on to take the set, 30-25. UCI hit just .171 in the game, but the Waves hit -.097.

Game four was all Pepperdine as the Waves led 23-17. UCI would rally, out-scoring Pepperdine 6-1 to narrow the deficit to 24-23. Aaron Harrell had three consecutive blocks assists in that flurry. Another Steller kill tied the game at 26-26 and the Anteaters took their first lead of the game on a block by Jordan DuFault, 27-26. An Anteater attack error was followed by a Wave service error and attack error to give UCI match point, 29-27. Eric Liebert would put away a kill for Pepperdine before a block by Cory Yoder and Kevin Wynne sealed the victory, 30-28.

UCI will battle No. 11 USC Friday (Feb. 8) at 7:00 p.m. at the Bren Center. The team's National Championship banner will be unveiled at 6:55 prior to the start of the match.

Irvine Sweeps the 'Slugs

2008-01-30T08:52:00.000-08:00

Jordan DuFault with a backside jack

FROM:
http://ucirvinesports.cstv.com/sports/m-volley/recaps/013008aab.html

If you haven't already you've got to check out Nick Spittle's blog in "Passing Time With Nick" at:

http://ucirvinesports.cstv.com/sports/m-volley/spec-rel/spittle-blog.html

Thornton was blogging last year and it looks like Nick will be kickin' down this year!
The 'Eaters saw everyone play this evening. It was great seeing ADP, Nick Spittle, "Chili" Ortiz, Kooter (Kohout), JD, Ammo, Steller and the rest of the boys get a couple swings at the ball!

Team Effort Gives UC Irvine Sweep Of UC Santa Cruz, 3-0
Nine different Anteaters record kills

Jan. 29, 2008
Final Stats

Irvine, Calif. - The UC Irvine (6-5) men's volleyball team swept UC Santa Cruz, 3-0 (30-22, 31-29, 30-24) in a non-conference match Tuesday at Crawford Court.

Game one was all UCI, opening up on an 8-2 run and never relinquishing the lead on the way to a 30-22 win. Freshman outside hitter Cory Yoder led the team with five kills, hitting .833 (5-0-6).

UC Santa Cruz (6-4) led 23-20 in game two before junior Jon Steller stepped back to the service line and fired three consecutive aces to knot the score at 23-23. The Banana Slugs opened another three-point advantage at 28-25 when Steller was the man again recording three of UCI's four kills in a 4-1 spurt to tie the score at 29-29. A block by Steller and Brett Kohout set up game point which was an ace fired by Jordan DuFault (31-29). The Banana Slugs out-hit UCI .310 to .207, but the Anteaters fired five service aces and had four blocks combined with six Santa Cruz service errors.

Game three was much like game one with UCI jumping out to an early lead and going on to a 30-24 victory.

Freshman Jordan DuFault led UCI with eight kills, while Jon Steller and freshman Alex DaPron each tallied seven kills. Steller fired five aces on the night which is tied for fifth in the UCI match record books. Sophomore Cole Reinholm added six kills, while Anthony Spittle recorded 30 assists. Yoder, and seniors Mike Ortiz and Brett Kohout ended the night with five kills with Kohout leading all players with seven blocks.

UC Santa Cruz has two players in double-figure kills led by Brad Sullivan with 12 and Bryan Shires with 10. Setter Eric Rowell had 31 assists and libero Justin Lam led all players with seven digs.

Ninth-ranked UC Irvine will travel to No. 4 UCLA Friday (Feb. 1) for a 7:00 p.m. match at Pauley Pavilion.

Taylor Wilson MPSF & AVCA Player of the Week!

2008-01-28T21:46:00.000-08:00

Taylor Wilson Sweeps Player of the Week Honors
Junior earns first career National Player of the Week distinction

Jan. 28, 2008

Irvine, Calif. -- UC Irvine's Taylor Wilson, a 6-7 right side/opposite, swept the men's volleyball honors this week, earning Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men's Volleyball National Player of the Week as well as Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Week distinction.

Wilson led his team to two road wins over nationally-ranked opponents last week, including an upset of then-No. 2 Pepperdine.

In the Anteaters' 3-1 defeat of the Waves, Wilson put away a career-high 24 kills in 47 attempts and only eight errors for a .340 hitting percentage. The junior also had four digs and three total blocks in the win. He recorded 19 kills, five digs and three total blocks in UCI's 3-1 win over No. 11 USC.

For the week, Wilson averaged 5.38 kills, 1.12 digs and 6.13 points per game. It is Wilson first National honor and the first for an Anteater player this year. Wilson becomes the eighth UC Irvine player to have earned the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Week distinction.

The ninth-ranked Anteaters (5-5, 3-3) will host UC Santa Cruz in a non-conference match Tuesday (Jan. 29) at 7:00 p.m. before traveling to No. 4 UCLA Friday for a 7:00 p.m. match in Pauley Pavilion.

Trojans Upended By Anteaters @ Galen

2008-01-26T00:27:00.000-08:00

Cory Yoder Risin' High

Freshmen Post Career-High Nights To Help No. 10 UC Irvine Past No. 11 USC, 3-1
Yoder; Wynne Post Career-High Kills

Jan. 25, 2008

Final Stats

Los Angeles, Calif. -- Freshmen Cory Yoder and Kevin Wynne posted career-highs in kills to help lead the Anteaters to a 3-1 (30-28, 30-26, 27-30, 30-24) victory over No. 11 USC at the Galen Center Friday.

The score was tied 26-26 in game one when two Trojan attack errors gave UCI the 28-26 advantage. An Anteater service error was followed by a kill by Taylor Wilson to give UCI match point, 29-27. A UCI attack error delayed the victory until Cory Yoder pounded a kill for a 30-28 game one win. The largest lead of game one was two points.

UCI built a 6-3 lead on consecutive kills by Wilson, Anthony Spittle and Yoder and led the rest of the way taking the second set 30-26. Wilson put away seven kills in game two.

Game three was all USC with the Trojans winning 30-27. USC opened the game on a 5-0 spurt. Murphy Troy sparked the Trojans with five kills.

The Anteaters opened game four on a 6-2 run. USC closed within 19-18, but the Anteaters rattled off four straight to give UCI a 23-19 cushion. The Anteaters won the game 30-24 and the match 3-1. USC hit .152 in the final game, while UCI hit .361.

UCI has won two in a row, evening its record to 5-5 overall and 3-3 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. USC goes to 4-5 and 3-3 in league play.

Junior Taylor Wilson led UCI with 19 kills, but freshman Cory Yoder and Kevin Wynne shined posting career nights. Yoder recorded a career-high 16 kills, hitting .469 (16-1-32), while Wynne hit .533 (9-1-15), pounding a career best nine kills. Wynne and senior Aaron Harrell led the team with six blocks. Freshman Kevin Carroll added 12 kills and libero Brent Asuka had a team-high 13 digs. Freshman Anthony Spittle tallied 57 assists, while Jon Steller came in game four and had three kills.

Juan Figueroa paced the Trojans with 20 kills, while Troy Murphy recorded 17 kills. Setter Jimmy Killian totaled 50 assists and a team-high seven blocks. The Trojans out-blocked UCI 16-12.5.

John Speraw: Master Motivator

2007-11-02T16:16:00.001-07:00

FROM OCMETRO.COM

John Speraw
Master Motivator
Head coach of the UCI men’s volleyball team
AGE: 35
RESIDENCE: Irvine
FAMILY: Single

How did John Speraw, head coach of the UCI men’s volleyball team, become only the 2nd person in sports history to win a national volleyball championship as a player, assistant coach and head coach? Talk with Speraw for only a few minutes, and the answer is obvious: his focused determination, stellar leadership skills and technical mastery of the sport.

Thanks to Speraw, UCI’s meteoric rise to national attention was capped with the 2007 NCAA Championship. “One of my proudest moments was watching our guys dog-pile on the court after they won the title,” says Speraw. “We came close the previous year, so this year’s championship was really gratifying.”

Speraw was voted the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Coach of the Year after taking a 9-20 team and transforming it into a team that went 27-5 in 2005-06 – the biggest turnaround in NCAA history. “The most important thing for me,” says Speraw, “is about constantly communicating to our players about positive values and about who we are and what we can do as a cohesive group. The key is to develop players who accept these values.”

Success is nothing new to Speraw. Along with his impressive NCAA track record – as a middle-blocker at UCLA, the Bruins won national championships in 1993 and 1995 – the 6-foot 5-inch Speraw is working as an assistant coach of the U.S. men’s volleyball team and will travel to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games.

While at UCLA, he says, “I got a degree in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics while playing volleyball and working full time.” Incredible...

Speraw’s focus, dedication and a can-do attitude – traits found in successful businesspeople – can pay off for his athletes in a big way. “Our guys learn about leadership through volleyball,” he says. “And there’s definitely a great carryover from athletics to the business world. They learn so many lessons that lead to success.”

—LARRY URISH

John Speraw Named To OC Metro's Hot 25

2007-11-02T16:13:00.000-07:00

Speraw included in OC Metro's prestigious Hot 25 list

Oct. 30, 2007

TO SEE ORIGINAL STORY VISIT:

http://www.ocmetro.com/NEW_SITE/current_issue/cover_story13.php

Irvine, Calif. -- UC Irvine head men's volleyball coach John Speraw was named to the OC METRO Business Magazine's 18th annual list of the Hottest 25 People of Orange County. Speraw joins an accomplished group of Orange County's hottest in business, medicine, sports, finance, art and fashion.

Read more about the Hot 25 at www.ocmetro.com

Speraw guided the Anteaters to their first national championship in 2007 and is 99-59 in five years at the helm of the UCI team. With UCI's national championship, Speraw joins Rod Wilde as the only people to have won a title as a head coach, assistant coach and player.

Anteater Trio Win Bronze Medal At World University Games

2007-08-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

U.S. beats Italy for bronze

Aug. 18, 2007

Bangkok, Thailand - The U.S. men's volleyball team won a bronze medal at the World University Games with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-16) victory over Italy in Bangkok, Thailand.

The U.S. men finished with a 7-1 record, losing only to eventual champion Turkey who won the gold by beating Canada 3-1 (25-11, 23-25, 25-16, 25-21).

Former UC Irvine All-American David Smith totaled six points on four kills and two blocks in the win. Fellow Anteater All-Americans Brian Thornton and Jayson Jablonsky each saw action in the match.

The United States also won a bronze medal at the 2003 World University Games.

U.S. Falls in Semifinal to Turkey; Jablonsky leads team in kills

2007-08-20T07:04:00.000-07:00

Americans Will Play For A Bronze Medal

Aug. 16, 2007

Bangkok, Thailand - The U.S. men's volleyball team lost to defending World University Games champion Turkey 3-0 (21-25, 26-28, 37-39) and will play Italy for the bronze medal.

Former UCI All-American Jayson Jablonsky had a team-high 12 kills, while fellow Anteater All-American David Smith added eight points. Setter Brian Thornton saw action in all three games.

The loss was the first for the U.S. men (6-1) in the tournament. They will play Italy (6-1), which lost to Canada 1-3 (25-20, 18-25, 19-25, 21-25) in Thursday's other semifinal, for the bronze medal on Saturday at 11 a.m. local time (9 p.m. Friday PDT) at Thammasat University.

U.S. Defeats Ukraine in Five; Advances to Semifinals

2007-08-20T07:03:00.000-07:00

Thornton Once Again Sets Team USA to Game Five Victory

Aug. 15, 2007

Bangkok, Thailand -- The U.S. men's volleyball team stormed to a 7-2 lead in the fifth set and went on to defeat Ukraine 3-2 (25-23, 25-22, 22-25, 27-29, 15-8) and advance to the semifinals of the World University Games on Wednesday in Bangkok, Thailand.

The U.S. men (6-0) will face Turkey in a semifinal match at 7:00 p.m. local time (5 a.m. PDT) on Thursday at the Sports Authority of Thailand. Canada and Italy will play in the other semifinal match.

Former UC Irvine All-American David Smith tallied nine points on five kills, two blocks and two aces. Fellow Anteater All-American Brian Thornton played in four games and set Team USA to a victory in game five, the second time in the tournament he has guided the U.S. to victory in the final stanza. Jayson Jablonsky saw action in two games.

The semifinal winners will play in the gold-medal match on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. local time (midnight PDT) at Thammasat University. The losers will play in the bronze-medal match at 11 a.m. local time (9 p.m. Friday PDT), also at Thammasat University.

U.S. Advances to Medal Round With Win Over Chinese Taipei

2007-08-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

Jablonsky leads Americans with 10 kills

Aug. 13, 2007

BANGKOK, Thailand -- The U.S. men's volleyball team advanced to the medal round at the World University Games with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-22) victory over Chinese Taipei on Monday in Bangkok, Thailand.

The U.S. Men won Pool C with a 5-0 record and will face Ukraine (4-1), the second-place finisher in Pool A, in the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 5 p.m. local time. (3 a.m. PDT, 6 a.m. EDT).

Former UC Irvine All-Americans Brian Thornton, Jayson Jablonsky and David Smith were all starters.

"Thornton did a really good job running the offense," head coach Alan Knipe said.

Jablonsky shared the lead in scoring with 10 points, collecting all of his points on team-high 10 kills.

David Smith to carry U.S. flag into Opening Ceremonies at the WUG!

2007-08-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

DATE: 8/7/2007
WUG--David Smith to carry U.S. flag into Opening Ceremonies at the World University Games

by Lisa Ramsperger - U.S. Olympic Committee ((719) 866-4805)

BANGKOK, Thailand – United States Men’s Volleyball player David Smith (Saugus, Calif./UC Irvine) was elected flag bearer of the U.S. team for the 2007 Summer World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand. Smith was named by the Team USA captains and will lead the U.S. delegation into the Opening Ceremonies tomorrow night, Wednesday, August 8, at Rajamangala National Stadium.

“It’s something I never thought I’d be able to do,” said Smith on being elected flag bearer. “It’s an amazing honor, and I’m looking forward to it – it’s going to be exciting.”

Smith just completed his senior season at UC Irvine where he helped the Anteaters to their first NCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship and earned first team All-American honors. The middle blocker led the nation with a .559 hitting percentage, a UCI single season record, and hit .567 (67-6-97) in UCI’s five postseason wins. Smith averaged 2.44 kills per game in 2007, and he led the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation by hitting .573 (199-23-307) against opponents. He is the UCI career block assists leader with 471 and total blocks leader with 520.

“It’s been an amazing year – it’s definitely not what I expected,” Smith said. “I knew each season would get progressively better as I went on, but this year has been out of control. And, it just keeps getting better. I didn’t think at the beginning of this year that I would be participating on the WUG team, and I didn’t think I’d make it all the way here, but I did. It’s just been awesome.”

Smith, 22, is on playing on his first World University Games team. He has been a member of two USA Volleyball squads previously – the USA Junior National team that finished eighth in the 2005 FIVB Men’s U-21 World Volleyball Championships in Andhra Pradesh, India; and in 2004 he helped the USA Junior National Team to second place at the 2004 NORCECA Junior Men’s Volleyball Championship in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Smith is part of a 12-man roster competing on Team USA at the 24th Universiade. The squad is comprised of a group of current and former collegiate standouts (athletes one year out of college are still eligible), including two additional UC Irvine players: Jayson Jablonsky (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Brian Thornton (San Clemente, Calif.). The team is led by Long Beach State Men’s Volleyball Head Coach Alan Knipe.

“We only had about two weeks to train together. But, all of these guys are mostly guys I’ve played against during my college career,” Smith said. “Obviously, I had Jayson Jablonsky and Brian Thornton together with me at UCI. But, the rest are usually guys who you’re trying to stop. Now they’re my teammates so I don’t have to worry about them any more. They’re a great bunch of guys. Our personalities have clicked and everyone is so talented that it’s been easy to come together as a team.

“We’ve been playing well together. Every day we’re getting better and the offense is a lot smoother. I just hope that continues throughout the tournament.”

USA Volleyball opens play against Germany on Thursday, Aug. 9, at 5 p.m. at the IMPACT Convention Center. The team continues pool play with games against Sweden (Aug. 10), Japan (Aug. 11), Poland (Aug. 12) and Chinese Taipei (Aug. 13), with the gold medal match scheduled for Saturday, August 18 at 1 p.m.

The 2007 Summer World University Games run from August 8-18. Team USA consists of 144 athletes – 68 women and 76 men. Overall, more than 140 countries will be participating, and nearly 8,000 athletes will compete. The World University Games or Universiade, which include both summer and winter versions, are held every two years for student-athletes between the ages of 17 and 28. Eligible athletes must be registered for a full course of study at a university or have obtained their degrees within a year of the Games. The World University Games, sponsored by FISU, the International University Sport Federation, bring together top collegiate athletes from around the world for 11 days of competition in a multi-sport Olympic-style event. The U.S. entered the Summer World University Games for the first time in 1965 and hosted the 1993 Games in Buffalo, N.Y.

For more information, please visit www.usocpressbox.org, www.bangkok2007.com, www.fisu.net, or contact the USOC Communications Division (719-866-4529).

Author:
Lisa Ramsperger
Organization:
U.S. Olympic Committee
Phone:
(719) 866-4805

Reinholm Representin' the US Along will Kevin Carroll

2007-07-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

U.S. Junior National Team Finishes Seventh at World Championships
Anteaters gain international experience

July 16, 2007

Irvine, Calif. -- The U.S. Junior Men's National Team finished seventh at the FIVB Men's Junior World Championship with a 3-1 (30-28, 20-25, 25-23, 25-20) victory over Cuba in Morocco Sunday.

The U.S. Junior Men improved on their eighth-place finish in 2005 and equaled their seventh-place performances in 1977 and 1981.

Brazil won its third men's junior world title by defeating defending champion Russia in the championship match, 3-0.

Incoming freshman Kevin Carroll saw action in all four games, but did not record a point.

Prior to the Cuba match, the U.S. fell to Bulgaria 3-0 (24-26, 20-25, 22-25). Carroll recorded five points while UCI sophomore outside hitter Cole Reinholm added one point.

UC Irvine Wins Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy

2007-07-06T09:11:00.000-07:00

UC Irvine Wins Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy
UCI honored by Athletic Directors Association

July 5, 2007

Division I-AAA ADA Release at:
http://nacda.cstv.com/sports/div1aaaada/spec-rel/070307aaa.html

IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine, on the strength of an amazing spring sports season, has received the Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association All-Sports Trophy for 2006-07. The annual award is given to the best all-around sports program in Division I-AAA (non-football schools).

The Anteaters were led by their national championship in men's volleyball and their third place showing in baseball. UC Irvine also scored in women's golf (19th), men's swimming (25th), women's tennis and swimming (33rd) and men's golf (58th).

Thorny, J-Blo & Smith On 2007 World University Games Team

2007-07-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

I'm still looking for a press release but my inside sources (i.e. Bob Thornton & David Smith), we've got SOLID 'EATER representation on the 2007 World University Game team! Congrats to the guys! Be sure to get me a souvenier from your travels!!!

The rest of the team:

S - Jonathan Winder (PEP), Brian Thornton (UC IRVINE)

Opp - Evan Patak (UCSB), Matt Proper (Penn St.)

MB - David Smith (UC IRVINE), Nick Scheftic (UCLA), Andy Hein (PEP)

OH - Robert Tarr (Long Beach St.), Paul Lotman (Long Beach St.), Jayson Jablonsky (UC IRVINE), C.J. Macias (IPFW)

L - Alfie Reft (UH)

Reinholm; Carroll Make Junior National Team

2007-07-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

Anteater due travel to Morocco

July 2, 2007

Irvine, Calif. -- UC Irvine sophomore Cole Reinholm and incoming freshman Kevin Carroll are members of the U.S. Junior National Team that will be participating in the FIVA Men's Junior World Championships July 7-15 in Morocco.

Carroll will be playing on the Junior National Team for the second year, while Reinholm is making his debut as a member of Team USA.

The 12-man team will travel to Italy to compete in a "Friendship Tournament" with Japan and Argentina before heading to Morocco.

The U.S. Men have been slotted into Pool B with defending champions Russia, Brazil, Argentina, Egypt and Slovenia. Matches for Pool B teams will be played in Rabat.

Host country Morocco, Iran, Cuba, Italy, Japan and Bulgaria compose Pool A. Cuba enters the tournament as the reigning NORCECA Men's Junior Continental Champion. Casablanca will host competition for Pool A.

The Americans earned a spot in the championships with a runner-up finish to Cuba in the NORCECA Men's Junior Continental Championship in August 2006.

Reinholm, a member of UCI's national championship team, averaged 2.38 kills and 0.97 digs per game as a freshman. The outside hitter had a career-best 14 kills on two occasions.

Carroll, an outside hitter, hails from Los Alamitos High School and will be joining the Anteater squad in the fall. He was selected as a Mizuno first team All-American, was the MVP of the Orange County All-Star match, earned All-CIF Southern Section Division I first-team recognition and was the Press-Telegram's Dream Team Player of the Year.

Eaters Posing With The Pres

2007-06-20T08:53:00.000-07:00

The White House website has a great picture of the guys with President Bush holding a stuffed anteater & a gold Eater jersey.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/06/images/20070618-2_d-0215-7-515h.html

2007-06-19T14:59:00.001-07:00

President Bush Admires Anteaters (Daily Pilot)

2007-06-19T14:54:00.000-07:00

Published Tuesday, June 19, 2007 12:31 AM PDT
Sports
President Bush admires Anteaters
VOLLEYBALL: While addressing national champs Monday, Commander in Chief says, 'Go Anteaters!'

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2007/06/19/sports/dpt-ucivb19.txt

WASHINGTON — UC Irvine men's volleyball coach John Speraw called it a pinch-yourself-moment. He was talking about meeting President George W. Bush and visiting the White House on Monday, along with 18 other teams that won national championships this year.

As an added treat for the UCI men's volleyball team, President Bush singled out the Anteaters while addressing the teams on the South Lawn. As he told the crowd about the different mascots which were represented by teams, he ended with, "and we even have Anteaters. Go Anteaters!"

"It was unbelievable," UCI senior Jayson Jablonsky said, by telephone, of meeting the President and visiting the White House. "Being able to meet the man that runs the country. It was pretty amazing."

UCI (29-5) won its first national championship in volleyball on May 5, when it defeated Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne in four games at Ohio State.

The Anteaters began Monday at the University of California Washington Center (UCDC) receiving a letter and plaque from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's office. Then it was off to the White House, where team captains Brian Thornton and Jablonsky presented the President with a team jersey and a stuffed Anteater.

The team also took a photo with President Bush. The UCI squad was accompanied by Chancellor Michael Drake.

"I had this thought in my mind that what we've done is pretty special," Speraw said of his thoughts at the White House. "You're out on the volleyball court and the next thing you know, [the President is] there talking about the Anteaters. The whole thing is a pinch-yourself moment for me. Five years ago, there were some tough times, but that seems so far away. It's been incredible."

Speraw, the fifth-year coach, became the third person in NCAA men's volleyball history to win a national championship as a coach and a player. He played for UCLA, which won the NCAA title in 1993 and 1995. He also was an assistant coach for the Bruins when they won NCAA crowns in 1996, 1998 and 2000.

— From staff reports

President Bush Meets with NCAA Championship Teams

2007-06-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

President Bush Meets with NCAA Championship Teams
South Lawn
original link at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070618-2.html#

**There is video up for the speech at the site

4:44 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, all. Please be seated. Welcome to the South Lawn. This is an historic day -- after all, this is the largest gathering that we've had for Champions' Day, and we're glad to welcome the champs here to the South Lawn. I appreciate being with good athletes, good students and good leaders -- and that's what it takes to become a champion.

I appreciate the fact that you've endured tough practices, that you've set big goals, and you worked hard to achieve them. And so we congratulate your coaches, we congratulate your families -- but, most importantly, we congratulate you. We honor America's champs. (Applause.)

The Secretary of the Treasury is with us, Secretary Paulson; thank you for coming, sir. I appreciate the members of the United States Congress that have joined us, and the United States Senate. You don't need to do the gator thing. (Laughter.)

The teams here today span 21 different campuses, in 14 different states -- from California all the way over to Florida. You represent eight different athletic conferences: the Big Ten to the Pac-10 to the West Coast Conference and to the Ivy League. There's Tigers and Badgers, Huskers and Anteaters. (Laughter.) Go Anteaters. (Laughter.) Fight Anteaters.

You've distinguished yourselves on fields and fairways, tracks and tennis courts, rivers and rinks, pommel horses and pools, bowling alleys, mountains and basketball arenas. You have one thing in common: You have achieved the great title, "champion," and nobody can take that away from you.

We have a number of first-time champs here today. The Auburn Women's Outdoor Track and Field Team is here. (Applause.) I think that would go "War Eagle."

AUDIENCE: War Eagle!

THE PRESIDENT: There you go. Don't get carried away here, it's a little -- (laughter) -- it's a little hot. (Laughter.)

Speaking about the Anteaters, UC Irvine Men's Volleyball Team is with us. Congratulations. (Applause.) The Gauchos, UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer Team. Georgia Tech Women's Tennis Team, the first-time champ. Pepperdine Men's Tennis Team is with us. Vanderbilt Women's Bowling Team is with us today. (Applause.) There you go. Wisconsin Men's Indoor Track and Field. (Applause.)

Some of the teams here have been waiting a long time to reclaim a championship. Dartmouth Men's and Women's Skiing Team -- they won their first title 30 years ago, and now they're here at the White House. Congratulations. (Applause.)

Michigan State Men's Ice Hockey Team -- they won their first hockey crown more than 20 years ago, and they're back. Congratulations to you. (Applause.)

We've got some repeat champs here. It's hard enough to win; it's really hard to repeat. Auburn Women's Swimming Team, back-to-back -- (applause.) Ready? War Eagle --

AUDIENCE: War Eagle!

THE PRESIDENT: Cal Women's Crew. (Applause.)

A feat that's really hard to do is win back-to-back NCAA Basketball titles, and we're proud to welcome the Florida Men's Basketball Team. (Applause.)

Not to provoke a rivalry, however, but the Florida State Men's Outdoor Track and Field Team is with us. (Applause.) Maryland Women's Field Hockey Team, repeat champs. (Applause.) Wisconsin Women's Ice Hockey Team, repeat champs. (Applause.)

We've got teams here that have won three championships in a row. (Applause.) That would be called a three-peat. Georgia Women's Gymnastics -- (applause) -- Northwestern Women's Lacrosse -- (applause). I might as well go on the record, all right -- I was disappointed in the footwear. (Laughter.) It's just too conventional, especially on a hot day.

And the Stanford Women's Tennis Team. (Applause.) A three-peat champion, UCLA Women's Water Polo. (Applause.) And by the way, their title was UCLA's 100th overall national championship. Congratulations to UCLA. (Applause.) Five-peat, Auburn Men's Swimming Team. (Applause.)

Some of the teams are adding new chapters to their schools' record books. Cal Men's Water Polo, they won their 12th water polo championship, which is an NCAA record. (Applause.) The Colorado Men's Cross Country Team, the Buffalos won their second title in three years -- and congratulations, welcome back. (Applause.) The North Carolina Women's Soccer Team. (Applause.) Eighteenth championship in the 25 year history of the tournament. Georgia Men's Tennis -- (applause) -- they went undefeated. They claimed their fifth NCAA tennis title. Nebraska Women's Volleyball. The Huskers were ranked number one the entire season, and won their third NCAA championship.

Penn State Men's and Women's Fencing. (Applause.) They won their tenth national championship, more than any other fencing team in the nation. Penn State Men's Gymnastics won their 12th national championship. (Applause.) Stanford Men's Golf. (Applause.) Wire-to-wire victory to earn their eighth NCAA golf title.

So I'm sitting back there with the captains, I said, do you want the one-hour speech, or the five-minute speech? They said, you been outside lately? I said, yes, barely. I said, how about the two-minute speech? (Laughter.) So I want to conclude this ceremony by thanking all the people that are here. I appreciate the fact that you're champions on the field and champions off the field.

You know, I asked some of the seniors what they're going to do, and I remember one girl told me she's going to be Teach for America. That means being a champ off the field. (Applause.) It means giving back something to society. I appreciate the fact that the Pepperdine Men's Tennis Team held a free clinic for children in Washington, D.C. just yesterday.

In other words, you can win on the athletic field, and you can win in the classroom, but you can also contribute to our country by helping somebody in need, by using your championship status to help heal a broken heart or to help somebody live a better life. And so to the champs, I'm glad you're here. For those of you who follow presidential politics, you know I'll be around one more year. I'm looking forward to having you come back. In the meantime, I ask for God's blessings on you, your family and our country. Thanks for coming. (Applause.)

END 4:52 P.M. EDT

Men's Volleyball Visits the White House

2007-06-19T08:21:00.001-07:00

UC Irvine meets the President

June 18, 2007

Washington, DC -- The UC Irvine men's volleyball team, accompanied by Chancellor Michael Drake, went to the White House to be honored for winning a national championship Monday.

The team met President George W. Bush and had a formal photo taken with him before joining 18 other national championship teams on the South Lawn for an address.

During his address to the teams, President Bush was told the crowd about some of the different mascots which were represented by the teams and ended with "and we even have Anteaters. Go Anteaters!".

Team captains Brian Thornton and Jayson Jablonsky presented the President with a team jersey as well as a stuffed Anteater.

The team began the day at UCDC receiving a letter and plaque from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's office.

Jablonsky; Steller named to MPSF All-Academic Team

2007-06-16T03:37:00.000-07:00

Jablonsky; Steller named to MPSF All-Academic Team
Two named All-Academic

May 30, 2007

Irvine, Calif. - Senior outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky and sophomore opposite Jon Steller were named Academic All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Scholar-Athletes.

To receive the award, student-athletes must have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average or better, be a sophomore academically, completed one full academic year at the institution and competed in 50 percent or the team's competition.

Jablonsky is a criminology major and will be graduating in June, while Steller is a biological sciences major.

37 student-athletes from nine MPSF schools were honored.

Future Anteaters on 2007 All CIF Teams

2007-06-16T03:10:00.000-07:00

For complete listing visit:

http://www.cifss.org/index.php?menuID=Page&pid=40

Eater volleyball followers-- check this out! Three of the four incoming high school players make All-CIF team!

6'6" Middle Blocker, Esperanza/Yorba Linda, CA, BRYCE DANKER - 2007 Divisioin I Co-Player of the Year.

6'4" Outside Hitter, Los Alamitos/Los Alamitos, CA, KEVIN CARROLL - 2007 Division I 1st Team

6'6" Opposite Hitter, Santa Barbara/Santa Barbara, CA CARSON CLARK - 2007 Division II 1st Team

Expect these guys to make an immediate impact in practice if not on the court because these guys will make every game they play in competitive!

LA Times Story: Incoming MH Bryce Danker

2007-06-16T03:08:00.000-07:00

http://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/la-spw-hsdanker13jun13,0,3672665.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-highschool

From the Los Angeles Times
TIMES' BOYS' VOLLEYBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Esperanza's Danker raises animals, and his game
By Lauren Peterson
Times Staff Writer

June 13, 2007

Whether it's raising livestock or playing volleyball, Bryce Danker has high expectations for himself.

So far, he has met them all.

A long-time 4-H Club member, the Anaheim Esperanza senior middle blocker had auctioned three grand-champion rabbits at a fair for $1,500 a couple of years ago.

"It's one of my favorite things to do. I like it even more than volleyball," Danker said. "I like the animals, and the people just have different values, different views. It's kind of old-style — a whole different world."

Danker, who also tends to a steer, two baby cows, 20 pigs and assorted chickens being raised at his parents' and his grandmother's homes and has banked about $7,000 for college through livestock sales over the years, has shown he is just as comfortable in the world of athletics.

During the recently completed season, the 6-foot-6 Danker led the second-seeded Aztecs (29-4) to the Southern Section Division I championship by recording 17 kills in a hard-fought 22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 18-25, 15-13 victory over top-seeded Manhattan Beach Mira Costa in the final match May 26 at Cerritos College.

"Nobody was stopping him. He couldn't be stopped," Esperanza Coach Isaac Owens said. "Everybody in the gym knew it was going to him, and they still couldn't stop him."

Danker, who was selected Division I co-player of the year with teammate James Anderson, also had 16 kills in a 24-26, 25-20, 28-26, 22-25, 15-11 victory over Santa Ana Mater Dei in the semifinals, and registered 10 kills in a 25-21, 25-9, 20-25, 25-21 victory over North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake in the quarterfinals.

For his efforts, Danker has been named The Times' 2007 boys' volleyball player of the year.

"I knew it was time for me to step up," he said. "We knew all along that we had the talent and that we could win it, we just had to go out and prove it to ourselves."

Before winning the Division I title, Esperanza won the Orange County Championships and took the title in the Sunset League, generally considered the toughest in boys' volleyball in the Southern Section, with a perfect record.

"Once we did that, we knew what we could do," Danker said. "Going 10-0 kind of set us apart."

With their first section title since 2002, the Aztecs also proved that an 18th-place showing at an early-season tournament in San Diego had been a turning point.

"It sort of took us playing bad to turn things around," said Danker, who will attend UC Irvine. "It was kind of a wake-up call, but every game out from the San Diego tournament, everybody was on top of their games."

Especially Danker.

"It was growing pains early on, just trying to find the right combinations," said Owens, Division I coach of the year. "I think people knew we had some talent, but a lot of people questioned, 'Who's going to be the guy?' "

They found out in the season's home stretch.

"Bryce, he definitely stepped it up at the end," Owens said. "You want to be at your best at the end. We were, and he was the difference, or, he was a big part of the difference for us."

David Smith Named MPV of 2007 USAV National Tournament

2007-06-06T13:48:00.000-07:00

Smith has been on fire! - R

2007 USA OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS - MEN’S OPEN

All Tournament Team - 1st Team
Evan Patak (TPM), Nick Schevtick (Riptide), Jason Octave (Creole)
Tyler Hildebrand (TPM), Matt Proper (Riptide), David Smith - MVP (TPM)

All Tournament Team - 2nd Team
Monte Tucker (Riptide), Robert Tarr (TPM), Michael Salak
Bart Kowalski (Riptide), Kurt Toppell (IDM/3rd Degree), Matt Lyles - MVP (TPM)

Team Paul Mitchell (1st Place):
Scott Damien, Brett Schroeder, Scott Lane, Kyle Robinson, Andy Hein, Ted Lyles, Coley Kyman, David Smith, Mark Presho, Alan Knipe, Robert Tarr, Matt Lyles, Eric Sullivan, Brian Thornton, Paul Spittle, Evan Patak, Tyler Hildebrand

So Cal Riptides (2nd Place):
Jimmy Pelzel, Chris Jacobsen, Matt Proper, Tyler Caldwell, Aaron Boone, Zack Pelzel, RJ King, Bart Kowalski, Spencer Bemus, Gray Garrett, Tim May, Monte Tucker, Mike Rupp, Nick Schevtick, Jon Thompson

Creole (3rd Place):
Tarik Rodgers, Kert Fernandez, Victor Batista, Alvaro Velasco, Marcus Haynes, Phillip Gallagher, Michael Salak, Rony Gilot, Elvis Rodriguez

OC North/South All-Star Match: Behind the Mic

2007-06-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

Family, friends and fans of 'Eater Volleyball,

This last Friday night (June 1), I had the great opportunity once again to announce the 30th Annual Dave Mohs Memorial North/South Orange County High School All-Star Match at Newport Harbor High School in Newport Beach, CA. With this, as I always do I had the great opportunity to get a sneak peak at the talent coming in to play v-ball at UC Irvine. Last year I saw Cory Yoder, Kenny Webster and Kevin Wynne playing in this same match and 3 years before them, I saw tall, lanky 6'5" OH, from Yorba Linda and Esperanza High School named Jayson Jablonsky and a 6'3" S from San Clemente named Brian Thornton-- two incredible players who are All-Americans and NCAA Champions!

On the girl's/women's side, Kari Pestolesi, daugther of IVC Head Men's Volleyball Coach, Tom Pestolesi, played on the North Squad that handily defeated the South, 3-0. K-Pesto is a 6'0" OH from Edison High School with a keen sense for playing the game. K-Pesto was the complete package for the North, blocking balls, swinging with authority, passing hybrids, jumps and float serves, and digging like only Asuka can (Sake, I had to mention you)! Her effort was noticed by the media/press on hand as they selected her as the MVP on the girl's/women's side.

On the boy's/men's side, two future 'Eaters were on the North Squad that pummeled the South emulating the women's match-- the 6'6" MH from Esperanza, Bryce Danker, and the 6'4" OH from Los Alamitos, Kevin Carroll. Danker was dominant at the net and threw up some tough jump serves, however the sets he saw did not bring out the best in his game (being that I saw him the previous weekend at the CIF Championships). Carroll on the other hand passed confidently and hit the leather off of the ball. He jumps and swings like a wrecking ball was slung off of his shoulder. Carroll's performance garnered him the MVP of the Boy's/Men's match-- making it a future-eater sweep of the MVP honors of the All-Star matches!

I've got a feeling that we'll be hearing quite a bit more from all of the future 'Eaters!

Robonthemic

The Media's New Darling - David Smith!

2007-06-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

Article from "The Signal", captured from http://volleytalk.net
By Grant Marek
Signal Staff Writer

Monday June 4, 2007

David Smith is a civil engineer at UC Irvine. He is an All-American for the Anteaters volleyball team.

He is an NCAA champion.

He is a record holder.

And of late, he has become somewhat of a media darling.

He counts 10 newspaper stories in all, a handful of television interviews and countless mentions from commentators during Irvine's 2007 NCAA title run.

The Angels had him out for a baseball game in May.

The President of the United States has plans to meet the Saugus High grad in the middle of June, as does the mayor of Irvine later this week.

"I was part of five titles at UCLA and I've never seen something like this," says Anteaters men's volleyball coach John Speraw, a former player and assistant coach for the Bruins. "There's been a flood of e-mails, news crews. ... I did it five times and I never once met a president."

But then, he never did it the way David Smith has.

Smith, the nation's top hitter in 2007, helped the Anteaters to their first-ever NCAA title on land - and he did it without the benefit of his hearing.

Smith was born with mild-to-severe hearing loss - he's not deaf, but without the hearing aids he wears in both ears, he's close to it.

"That's the big story with David - he gets a lot of human interest stories because of it," Speraw says.

But after four years coaching the Anteaters' only first-team All-American this season, Speraw shies away from contributing to another one.

He's more father than coach.

He'd sooner tout Smith as a future Olympian than a human interest story.

"We're going to miss David because he hit for a real high percentage and he's a great teammate," he says. "He's going to be hard to replace.

"He's one of the more unique players I've ever coached - he has a rare combination of speed and athleticism."

During an interview that lasts almost a half hour, Speraw deflects more questions about Smith's disability than Smith does balls as a middle blocker.

He briefly explains how the Anteaters first dealt with Smith's lack of hearing.

"I came up with the 'David Smith' rule pretty quickly - if he wants a ball he can go get it," the U.S. National Team assistant coach says.

But no sooner does he breach the subject than put an end to it.

"In the end, we all functioned like David did," he says.

Playing like him was another thing altogether.

Smith became the fourth first-team All-American in school history while setting UCI hitting percentage records for a game, season and career.

And the fact that he did it with a hearing impairment is more of a sidenote to the 6-foot-7 senior.

"Being an All-American doesn't really need much else to inflate it," says Smith, who also set career Anteater records in blocks and block assists. "It is an honor, and to me, being hearing impaired is just who I am. I still had to play the same guys as everyone else, and I earned it on the same playing field that everyone else played on.

"I think I am just a regular Joe who plays volleyball well and has a national championship ring on his finger."

But that's not to say he isn't all for the media attention.

"If it's something that will help inspire a kid to change his or her outlook on life and pursue things that others don't exactly think they can do, then I'm all for it," he says. "And I am excited that people have an interest in my hearing disability. Even guys on the team, they really want to know what I deal with on a daily basis."

As do perfect strangers.

His television appearances have earned Smith minor celebrity status on the UCI campus.

"I have had a lot of people in my classes introducing themselves," he says.

But as Smith and his coach point out, the senior's hearing impairment is still a mystery to most.

"I still struggle with hearing more than everyone else does," Smith says. "But, I would be able to carry on a conversation and most people wouldn't know I am hearing impaired until they actually see the hearing aids, which is kind of my goal in a sense - just fit right in."

And never is it easier to do so than on the court - a fact that has created more than a few memorable moments for Smith and Speraw.

"I've been on the bench, sitting next to my assistant coaches and heard someone trying to heckle David," says Speraw with a smile. "I'd whisper under my breath to my assistant coaches, 'Yeah, keep it up buddy.'"

The hecklers have, but to no avail.

Two years after sporting a 9-20 overall record, the Anteaters - led by their first team All-American - are NCAA champions.

And David Smith is on his way to future greatness.

"The national team now trains in Anaheim," Speraw says. "He can be one of those guys. He can be an Olympian - he can do that.

"I think he should."

Smith considers the National and Olympic teams to both be options.

"I would love to play volleyball for as long as I can," he says. "And I know I can."

After the initial media blitz, he certainly isn't the only one.

Incoming Eaters Shine @ CIF Championships

2007-05-30T08:10:00.000-07:00

Bryce Danker Swinging Away vs. Mira Costa

This last Saturday, May 26th, at Cerritos College I had the opportunity to announce the CIF-SS Boys Volleyball Championships and with that I got preview 2 incoming Eaters-- Carson Clark (OPP) from Santa Barbara and Bryce Danker (MH) from Esperanza. All I've to say is that they are impressive! Click on the following link to read the results:

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-hsvolleyball27may27,1,3832361.story?ctrack=1&cset=true

Rob