Eaters Come Together to Take Down Princeton

Published Tuesday, January 30, 2007 11:49 PM PST
Sports
COLLEGE ROUNDUP

MEN'S VOLLEYBALL

UC Irvine def. PrincetonIRVINE — Senior outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky set the UCI school record for service aces in the Anteaters' 30-26, 30-18, 30-18 nonconference win Tuesday at Crawford Court.

Jablonsky now has 98 career aces, surpassing Jimmy Pelzel's mark of 96 from 2001-04. Matt Webber hit .892 with 16 kills against Princeton, with the hitting percentage the seventh-best single match mark in Anteaters' history.

Setter Ryan Ammerman had a career-best 13 assists and a team-high three blocks for the Anteaters (10-1), who travel to No. 1 BYU on Friday at 6 p.m. PST in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation action.

Eaters Suffer 1st Loss of Season

Janaury 27, 2007

PEPPERDINE KNOCKS OFF UC IRVINE, 3-0

Irvine, Calif. -- No. 5 Pepperdine knocked off No. 1 UC Irvine, 3-0 (30-26, 30-27, 30-23) in front of 1,439 fans at the Bren Center Saturday.

UC Irvine suffers its first loss of the season, going to 9-1 overall and 5-1 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, while the Waves improve to 5-1 overall and 4-1 in league play.

Pepperdine was led by Paul Carroll's 15 kills, while John Parfitt added nine kills. Tom Hulse had eight kills and a match-high 14 block assists. Setter Jonathan Winder totaled 40 set assists, eight digs and seven blocks.

Matt Webber paced UC Irvine with 16 kills followed by David Smith who had 10 kills and hit .643 (10-1-14). Libero Nick Spittle improved on his career-high for the third consecutive match with 10 digs. Aaron Harrell pitched in eight kills and a team-high four blocks.

UCI senior Jayson Jablonsky had three service aces to tie the UCI career record with 93, matching Jimmy Pelzel's total from 2001-04.

The teams were tied 21-21 when Pepperdine would close out the set outscoring UCI 9-5 to win game one, 30-26. Game two didn't see a lead larger than two and with the score tied 26-26, back to back kills by Hulse and Jon Grobe gave Pepperdine the 28-26 advantage. A Matt Webber kill for UCI was followed by a kill by J.D. Schleppenbach and a UCI hitting error to give the Waves the 30-27 win. Pepperdine was leading 16-14 in game three when the Waves locked down the net, blocking UCI for four of the next five points to break open a 21-14 advantage. The Anteaters could get no closer than three the rest of the way. The Waves would have eight blocks in the final game.

Pepperdine would end the match out-blocking UCI, 16-6 and out-hitting the Anteaters .412 to .231, a season low for UCI.

The Anteaters will host Princeton in a non-conference match Tuesday (Jan. 30 ) at 7:00 p.m. in Crawford Hall.

Bald Night Victory for Eaters Over USC

Published Wednesday, January 24, 2007 11:50 PM PST
Sports
'Eaters win again
VOLLEYBALL: UC Irvine, led by 18 kills from Matt Webber and Taylor Wilson, improve to 9-0 with victory over USC.
By David Carrillo Peñaloza

IRVINE — On a night UC Irvine deemed bald as beautiful in honor of men's volleyball coach John Speraw, the fifth-year man made just as bold a move Wednesday.

Instead of going with last year's national newcomer of the year in Brent Asuka at libero, Speraw started Nick Spittle for the first time. And he stuck with him against USC, and Spittle didn't disappoint.

The sophomore helped the top-ranked Anteaters remain undefeated as they won, 30-16, 28-30, 30-26, 30-20, in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match at Bren Events Center.

"Asuka struggled a little against [UC] Santa Barbara and Nick came in and did a great job," said Speraw of the MPSF match UCI won, 3-2, Saturday, the only match this year that has gone five games for the Anteaters.

"I just kind of watched them in practice the last couple of days, and Nick was still doing a better job."

Throughout the night UCI fans wore bald-headed caps, Asuka, a sophomore, stood near the bald coach and watched the Anteaters not miss much of a beat with Spittle.

In the first game, UCI showcased why it's 9-0, 5-0 in the MPSF. Depth is something Speraw has, as four players finished with at least two kills.

The No. 14 Trojans (2-5, 1-3) couldn't handle hammering shots coming from outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky, middle blocker David Smith (10 kills), opposite Matt Webber (18 kills), and definitely not of outside hitter Taylor Wilson.

Spittle contributed as the defensive specialist, recording a career-best eight digs, one more than what he had against UCSB. Consistency is what Spittle brought throughout, setting up opportunities for Wilson and others to score after setter Brian Thornton distributed the ball.

"He did a great job, solid passing," said Wilson, who for the second straight match finished with 18 kills, a career-best. "[Spittle and Asuka] do a good job competing back and forth. Right now Nick is doing a real good job for us."

Speraw said Spittle is the starter, but that could change.

Helping Spittle fit right in the back was last year's American Volleyball Coaches Assn. National Player of the Year, Jablonsky. The senior's 11 digs matched a career-high.

Jablonsky, the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week, added 16 kills. Many of those came after Thornton set him up, as Thornton finished with 55 assists.

But it was Thornton needing assistance in the second game after USC outside hitter Juan Figueroa nailed him around the groin with a kill. Thornton collapsed to the ground as the Puerto Rican junior celebrated with teammates. He could've used Spittle's help.

"That was some pain right there for sure," Thornton said. "I'm not sure what's going to happen [with our libero position]. I know if Asuka comes back in and if he's not performing, then we throw Nick right in there and he does a good job, and vice versa."

Jayblonsy ALSO MPSF Player of the Week 1/22/07

JABLONSKY OF UCI AWARDED MPSF MOLTEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Woodland, Calif. – UC Irvine senior hitter Jayson Jablonsky (Yorba Linda, CA) turned in a .507 attack in two wins (44K-9E-69TA) while averaging 5.5 kills per game. His double-double and career-highs 28 kills and 11 digs vs. UCSB led a five-game comeback win, also hitting .613 in game three, .667 in game four and a perfect 1.000 in game five (6K-0E-6TA). Also Nominated: Evan Patak (UCSB), Norm Hutton (LBSU)…

Let's face it-- the 'Eaters have a "stud" on the team! Congrats J-Blo! Keep firing away!

New University Article: UCSB vs. UCI

http://www.newu.uci.edu/showArticle.php?id=5295

Men’s Volleyball Rallies, Tops Gauchos
VOLLEYBALL: The Anteaters rallied from a two-game deficit to beat the Gauchos for their eighth straight win.
By Kevin Trudgeon
Staff Writer

UC Irvine Men’s Volleyball Head Coach John Speraw witnessed quite a few firsts last year during the Anteaters’ record-setting season. However, when the No. 1-ranked Anteaters took on the No. 6-ranked UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, Speraw was treated to a feat that had not yet occurred during his tenure as head coach. Down two games to none against the Gauchos and facing the very real possibility of seeing its seven game winning streak snapped, UCI rallied together as a team and took the next three games of the match, winning 3-2 (25-30, 28-30, 30-22, 30-25, 15-10) in what was by far their most competitive contest of the season.

“I’ve been saying it all season. Santa Barbara is a good team and they are going to be there in the end,” Speraw said after the game. “We knew coming in that this was going to be tough. This is a team that we will see later on during the season and probably again in the playoffs.”

The Gauchos certainly looked like a playoff team in the opening two games as they dominated the play at the net. Behind senior opposite Evan Patak, the Gauchos continually turned back UCI’s offensive attack with two- and three-man blocks.

While their defense was extremely tight, the Gauchos offense was just as sound, as the Santa Barbara hitters seemed to find all the holes in the Anteater defense. After falling 30-25 and 30-28, UCI found itself down 2-0 and on the verge of being upset.

When asked what the team was thinking after falling behind early, senior outside hitter and co-captain Jayson Jablonsky said, “We are going five. We didn’t panic and we didn’t get away from our game plan. They played very well early on, but at the same time, we weren’t playing our game. We just needed to focus on our play and we knew that we could get back into the game.”

Whatever was said between the second and third game had a dramatic effect on the Anteaters as they came out firing and finally playing like the No. 1-ranked team in the nation.

Led by Jablonsky, fellow senior opposite Matt Webber and sophomore outside hitter Taylor Wilson, the UCI attack found its firepower and began to unleash a flurry of kills on the suddenly defenseless Gauchos (5-2, 3-1 MPSF).

After a solo block by senior middle blocker David Smith pushed the lead to 18-12 in favor of UCI in the third game, Wilson sent a kill off of a Gaucho defender for a point. On the next play Jablonsky pretended to wind up for the kill, but then suddenly softly tapped the ball over the flailing arms of the Gaucho blockers, sending the shot into the unoccupied space in the right corner for a point and bringing the crowd to its feet.

UCI (8-0, 4-0) closed out the third game with the help of seldom-used sophomore setter Ryan Ammerman, who assisted on a kill and then broke the backs of the Gauchos when he faked as if he was going to set the ball, only to send a perfectly placed one-handed touch shot into the middle of the Gauchos defense. It would prove to be game point as UCI won the third game 30-22 and slowly began their comeback.

After tying the match at two games apiece by winning the fourth game 30-25, UCI moved to a fifth and deciding game. In the final game UCI would play its best volleyball of the afternoon, leading almost the entire way as they rode the backs of Jablonsky and Webber. With six and three kills respectively in the fifth game alone, the two Anteaters took passes from senior setter and co-captain Brian Thorton and rammed them down the Gauchos’ throats, capturing the game at 15-10 and the match 3-2.

UCI will next take on USC on Jan. 24 at the Bren.

Jayson Jablonsky, Sports Imports/AVCA Player of the Week 1/22/07

(For original story: http://www.avca.org/collegiate/MenDIPOW/DIPOW1-22-07.asp)

Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men's National Player of the Week

January 22, 2007

Jason Jablonsky - UC Irvine
Senior, Outside Hitter, 6-5 (Yorba Linda, Calif. – Esperanza High School)

Jayson Jablonsky, a 6-4 outside hitter for No. 1 UC Irvine, has been selected as the Sports Imports/AVCA Division I-II Men’s National Player of the Week. Jablonsky helped lead the Anteaters to two wins over fellow CSTV/AVCA Top 15 teams last week, No. 10 Cal State Northridge and then-No. 6 UC Santa Barbara. For the week, Jablonsky averaged 5.50 kills, 2.25 digs, 0.62 blocks, and 6.0 points per game, while hitting .507 on 69 attacks. In his team’s match against Cal State Northridge, Jablonsky tallied 16 kills on 25 attempts and added seven digs, while compiling a .480 hitting percentage. Two days later in the five-game thriller with UC Santa Barbara, the senior totaled a career-high 28 kills, hitting .523 and tying his career high of 11 digs, while nailing six kills in six attempts in the final set. The Anteaters are now 8-0 on the season and are 4-0 in conference play. This marks the third time that Jablonsky has won the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week award, and the sixth time overall it has gone to a UC Irvine men’s volleyball player. The Anteaters’ head coach is John Speraw.

Gauchos "Unhorsed" by the 'Eaters

All I can say after this weekend's matchup against UCSB this weekend is, "Whew! That was a close one!"

The 'Eaters had to come from behind, down 2-0 to defeat the Gauchos in a match that saw potential All-Americans and All-Conference players "rise to the occasion." For UCSB, Evan Patak, a 6-8 opposite hitter, and for UCI, Jayson Jablonsky, Matt Webber and Brian Thornton.

UCSB was virtually "en fuego" for games 1 and 2 because of great overall execution by the Gaucho team and domination by Patak. In game 3, Coach Speraw made a few timely adjustments-- two of them being the insertion of Nick Spittle at Libero and the utilization of the 6'8" Ryan Ammerman to set, but more importantly, put a bigger block up in front of Patak. The results were apparent as the Eaters started to block/dig Patak and the other UCSB attackers more frequently, which really got the crowd and team more fired up! Passing improved and serving was tougher by UCI as well! All of this to say, this was a character building game for UCI, being that it was the first time in Coach Speraw's tenure to come back down 2-0-- good for Coach, bad for anyone with a heart condition!

Jablonsky, Webber and Thornton had excellent performances, however Taylor Wilson and Nick Spittle came ready to play!

Plays of the night would have to be Harrell "roofing" the larger, thicker MB David Kennedy and Smith and Webber rejecting Patak.

In any case, 'Eaters chalk another one up in the win column!

Pix from Hawaii vs. UCI from Paul Jablonsky

http://www.spmsportsinc.com/images/college/volleyball/UC-Irvine-vs-University-of-Hawaii-3-0/index.html

High five for Speraw, UCI

For the original story, please visit:
http://dailypilot.com/articles/2007/01/21/sports/dpt-ucivb21.txt

Published Sunday, January 21, 2007 12:08 AM PST
Sports
High five for Speraw, UCI
VOLLEYBALL: Anteaters rally from 2-0 deficit to beat UCSB; the first time they erased such a deficit under their coach.

By Barry Faulkner

IRVINE — In this his fifth season as the UC Irvine men's volleyball coach, John Speraw has won 78 matches and elevated the Anteaters to the top-ranked program in America.

But Saturday against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation visitor UC Santa Barbara, Speraw and the Anteaters found victory where they had never found it before: bouncing back after losing the first two games.

Stepping up in all phases, UCI rallied past the No. 6-ranked Gauchos, 25-30, 28-30, 30-22, 30-25, 15-10, to improve to 8-0, 4-0 in the MPSF.

Senior outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky, the reigning NCAA Player of the Year, had a career-high 28 kills and senior Matt Webber added 21 to help propel the Anteaters to their most hard-fought triumph of the season, at the Bren Events Center.

"That's the first time that's ever happened, since I've been here," Speraw said. "I think it's big for us to have the belief that no matter what the situation is, we can play well and come back and win. I think we can look back on this and know that no matter what circumstances occur, we know what we can do."

Speraw said the early deficit was less about what his team was doing than the early execution by the Gauchos (5-2, 3-1).

"To be honest, I thought Santa Barbara played phenomenal volleyball in the first two games," Speraw said. "[The Gauchos] were passing dimes, and not making any hitting errors, and [6-8 senior opposite Evan Patak] was on fire. I think there were some things we could have done better, defensively. In the first game, we didn't have a single stuff block and they were hitting [.562].

"They're one of the best teams in America. I knew we would have a battle. I've been singing Santa Barbara's praises since the end of last year. I knew they'd be good. I don't think my team needed convincing, but I was not shocked they got off to a fast start. And [the Gauchos] are a team that believes they can win, because they were down, 0-2, twice in the last three matches and came back and won twice in five [over Pacific and an upset of No. 3-ranked UCLA Wednesday].

"When you play a great team, the difference between wins and losses is very subtle. We got better and they didn't stay at that level, and that combination allowed us to get back in the match."

In a tide of subtle change, the Anteaters' managed tsunami-like momentum builders in Game 3.

Patak, who led the nation last season with 5.9 kills per game and entered this week with a national-best 5.8 per game, was thwarted twice on solo blocks by UCI middle blockers Aaron Harrell and David Smith.

Harrell's block gave UCI a 13-9 lead and Smith's roof job made it an 18-12 advantage. On both occasions, the partisan home crowd of 745 erupted.

"Well, getting your opportunities to stop Evan Patak are few and far between and worth celebrating," Speraw said. "Certainly everybody knows that, including the people in the stands. I think he's a great player and if you have a chance to slow him down, it's great. We didn't do much of that tonight, but I don't think very many people across America are going to do that a lot the rest of the year."

Patak, the most recent MPSF Player of the Week, blasted 36 kills and hit .462 Saturday. Some of his assaults were straight down, the kind that generated a second of silence, followed by ominous groans from the UCI rooters.

"You just have to understand that he's a big dude and he's going to get his kills," Jablonsky said of Patak. "He can bounce the ball and it's only one point. A tip is worth one point, the same as hitting it straight down. You just have to understand that and keep playing hard."

The Anteaters, who had swept their last six opponents, and earned their other previous victory this season in four games, kept swinging, and digging, and blocking, against the Gauchos.

Jablonsky had eight kills to key the Game 3 victory, then pounded four in each of the next two games.

Webber, who finished with 21 kills and hit .439, had five kills in Game 3 and his emotion helped stoke the home crowd throughout.

"I thought Jablonsky and Webber played well even in the first two games," said Speraw, who had specific praise for Jablonsky's passing, even against the powerful jump serves of Patak.

"When they served Jablonsky, he passed a ball we could set," Speraw said.

Passing was a problem early for the Anteaters, which led to Speraw benching sophomore All-American libero Brent Asuka after he had just two digs the first two games.

Sophomore Nick Spittle took over at libero and collected seven digs, topped only on his team by Jablonsky and Webber (11 apiece), as well as eight by sophomore outside hitter Taylor Wilson.

Wilson chipped in 18 kills, while Smith had 13 kills, three total blocks and one ace serve, and Harrell added nine kills and four block assists.

Senior setter Brian Thornton amassed a match-high 74 assists, despite giving way at brief intervals to 6-8 sophomore Ryan Ammerman (nine assists, one kill and one ace).

UCI hit .484 as a team, to .400 for Santa Barbara.

Two Wilson kills and a stuff block by Smith helped UCI erase a 20-18 deficit in Game 4, which ended on a Webber kill to force the decisive fifth game.

Four Jablonsky kills helped expand a 7-5 UCI lead to 12-8 in Game 5, and kills by Webber, Wilson and Smith closed it out.

"I knew it would happen and I thought we could do it tonight," Speraw said of his first successful rally after losing the first two games.

January 20, 2007

UC IRVINE DEFEATS UC SANTA BARBARA IN FIVE-GAME THRILLER (see original story at http://www.mvball.cui.edu)

IRVINE, Calif. --- Top-ranked UC Irvine rallied from a two-game deficit to defeat No.6 UC Santa Barbara, 25-30, 28-30, 30-22, 30-25, 15-10 Saturday in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match at the Bren Events Center. The win lifted UCI to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play while the Gauchos fell to 5-2 overall (3-1).

UCI setter Brian Thornton totaled a career-high 74 set assists while senior Jayson Jablonsky also had a career-high 28 kills and a season-best hitting clip of .523 (28-5-44) to lead four Anteaters in double-figure kills. Senior Matt Webber recorded a season-high 21 kills and four service aces while sophomore Taylor Wilson put away 18 kills, also a career-high for the outside hitter. Senior David Smith hit a team-high .667, committing just one error in 18 attempts with 13 kills. Defensively, Jablonsky and Webber each totaled 11 digs while freshman Nick Spittle had seven digs for a season-best effort. Junior Aaron Harrell led the team with four block assists.

The Gauchos were led by senior Evan Patak, who had 36 kills and two service aces. Patak and Ben Brockman shared the lead in digs with nine. David Kennedy hit .517, for the team and recorded 17 kills while Theo Brunner added 10. Setter Bart Kowalski recorded 72 assists and Aaron Richman topped UCSB with five total blocks.

UCSB took the early advantage at 12-9 and never relinquished the lead in game one. UC Irvine came as close as one point at 21-20 on a kill by Smith, but the Gauchos responded with three consecutive points to take a 24-20 lead, capped by a service ace by Patak. UCSB’s lead extended to five at 27-22 on a Patak kill and the Gauchos would go on to win on a service error by UCI.

UCI took a 6-3 lead in game two but a three-point rally, again capped by a service ace by Patak would give the Gauchos a 7-6 lead. The Anteaters reclaimed the lead at 17-16 on a Wilson kill but a Kowalski kill and a block by Richman and Kennedy resulted in the 19-17 edge for UCSB. The Gauchos lead by as much as four and would go on to win the second frame.

UC Irvine took control of game three midway through the set, opening a six-point lead at 15-9 as Harrell and Webber denied Richman at the net. At 25-19, Wilson and Jablonsky recorded back-to-back kills to extend the lead to eight points. UCI hit .514, committing just two errors in 35 attempts in the win.

Game four was tight with neither team able to maintain more than a two-point lead. With UCI holding on to a slim 24-23 edge, Jablonsky and Harrell connected with sophomore Ryan Ammerman on consecutive plays, to build a 26-23 lead. Harrell and Webber teamed up again to block Kennedy (28-24) and Webber sent a ball cross-court to seal the win.

In the deciding game, UCI shook off the Gauchos with a kill and service ace from Webber to take a 7-4 lead. Jablonsky’s kill at 10-7 was followed by service ace from Ammerman to increase the lead to four and UCI would go on to complete the come-back. The Anteaters were errorless in the frame, hitting .769 (10 for 13) while UCSB hit .500 (9-2-14).

UC Irvine continues MPSF play next Wednesday (Jan. 24) against USC at the Bren Events Center.

"Bullish" Eaters Trample Matadors

Janaury 17, 2006

HOT HITTING UC IRVINE TOPPLES CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE, 3-0

Northridge, Calif. -- No. 1 ranked UC Irvine hit .505 as a team to top No. 10 Cal State Northridge, 3-0 (36-34, 30-21, 30-19) at The Matadome Wednesday.

UCI hit .505 (57-9-95) as a team for the match while middle blocker Aaron Harrell posted a season-high .909 hitting percentage on 10 kills in 11 swings. The .909 mark is third best in the UCI match record book. The Anteaters fired nine service aces and out-blocked the Matadors 11.5 to 3.0.

The Anteaters improve to 7-0 overall and 3-0 in MPSF while the Matadors go to 2-4 on the year, and 1-2 in league play. UCI has won 20 straight games.

Jayson Jablonsky led UCI with 16 kills and seven digs followed by Matt Webber with 15 kills, three aces and six digs. Brent Asuka led all players with 10 digs. Middle blocker David Smith had eight total blocks to go with seven kills.

Northridge led 22-19 in game one when UCI rallied for three straight capped by a David Smith kill to tie the game at 22-22. Another Smith kill gave the Anteaters a 25-23 advanatge, but UCI could not maintain the lead with the Matadors tying it up 27-27 on a Eric Vance kill. The teams would trade points until a Matador attacking error was followed by a Jayson Jablonsky kill to give UCI the set 36-34. Smith led UCI in game one with seven kills and a .667 hitting percentage. The Anteaters hit .400 (23-5-45) as a team.

Game two was all UC Irvine as the Anteaters jumped out to a 16-11 lead and never trailed by less than four on their way to a 30-21 victory. UCI scored the final three points on a kill and service ace by Aaron Harrell and a kill by Taylor Wilson. UCI was hitting on all cylinders with a team attack percentage of .654 (19-2-26).

The Anteaters jumped out to an early 8-3 lead in game three and sailed to a 30-19 victory and a 3-0 match win.

Smith on "The Quick" vs. Hawaii

"Attack of the Mohicans!"

Hawaii @ UCI 1/14/07 (Night #2) - Hawaii Star Bulletin Article

For original story visit http://starbulletin.com/2007/01/14/sports/story07.html

WARRIOR VOLLEYBALL

No. 1 UC Irvine ices Hawaii again in 3

From staff and wire reports
sports@starbulletin.com

IRVINE, Calif. » A freeze warning was issued for Orange County last night, with temperatures expected in the low 20s all the way to the coast.

At least that is warmer than what the fourth-ranked Hawaii volleyball team managed when being swept for a second night by No. 1 UC Irvine. The Warriors hit a chilly 17 percent in losing the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match to the Anteaters 30-20, 30-22, 30-27 in the Bren Events Center.

A crowd of 2,140 saw UCI improve to 6-0 overall and 2-0 in the MPSF after 85 minutes. Senior opposite Matt Webber led the Anteaters with 15 kills and 11 digs, and reigning national player of the year Jayson Jablonsky added 12.

Sophomore Jim Clar, making his first career start, led Hawaii (0-2, 0-2) with 11 kills as a right-side hitter, and senior Lauri Hakala, who had an All-American season last year as a right-side hitter, added 10 kills but hit just .053 in his new position on the left. Freshman hitter Matt Vanzant also had 10 kills in two games as coach Mike Wilton continues to search for a lineup.

"Even though we lost, I'm pretty enthused about this team," Wilton said. "We played a very experienced team tonight, a team that played even better than last night. They certainly served a lot better (than Friday).

"If the games were played to 20, we were in good shape. But we started making errors towards the end and self-destructed a bit."

UC Irvine had six service aces -- three by Jablonsky -- to Hawaii's zero. Warriors senior hitter Eric Kalima moved from outside to libero for the final two games and stabilized his team's shaky passing.

Conversely, the Anteaters' passing was solid, according to their coach John Speraw. UCI again won the dig battle, 37-34, with All-American libero Brent Asuka (Iolani '05) coming up with eight.

"We ball-controlled really well," Speraw said. "When we're passing well, we play well, can run our offense.

"I thought Hawaii did a good job at slowing down our middles but our outside guys really stepped it up at the pins (on the outside)."

As happened Friday, Hawaii stayed close in Game 1 but, at 7-7, the Anteaters went on an 8-2 run to take control. The Warriors pulled to 19-15 only to see UCI pull away, finishing it when Jablonsky and Aaron Harrell blocked Warriors freshman middle Matt Rawson.

Hawaii hung tough in Game 2, trailing just 22-20. But the Anteaters hung tougher, capping an 8-2 run with David Smith's ace to take a 2-0 lead.

The Warriors led 11-7 in Game 3 only to have the Anteaters go ahead at 12-11. It was tied 10 times, the last at 22-all, but UCI used a varied offense -- helped by kills from four different players -- to finish it off.

"For sure we feel good about tonight," Speraw said, "but the truth is we all understand that it's early. And our guys understand how good Hawaii will be at the end of the year.

"We know we have to get better because Hawaii has the potential to be great when it matters."

The Warriors returned home today and will be back in the practice gym tomorrow. Hawaii hosts Pacific on Thursday and Friday.

"We're still a work in progress," Wilton said. "It's a good work and we've made some progress."

UCI dominates Hawaii, 1/13/07 (Night #2)

Webber "reaching for the sky" over Matt VanZant of Hawaii. Marvin Hall "peaking in."

UCI sweeps quite soundly (Daily Pilot, 1/14/2007)

Published Sunday, January 14, 2007 12:22 AM PST
Sports
UCI sweeps quite soundly
VOLLEYBALL: Eaters' coach calls his team's fifth straight three-game victory its most solid performance of the year.

By Barry Faulkner

IRVINE — Yet again, the UC Irvine men's volleyball team assured its players, coaches and fans of sweep dreams Saturday night.

But this time, senior opposite Matt Webber felt good enough about his contribution to at least get some sleep.

Webber, a second-team All-American last season who watched the latter half of Friday's three-game triumph over visiting Hawaii from the bench, produced a match-high 15 kills in a 30-20, 30-22, 30-27 win over the Warriors in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation clash before 2,140 at the Bren Events Center.

"I couldn't even sleep [Friday night]," said Webber, who hit .324 and added 11 digs and four block assists to help the No. 1-ranked Anteaters improve to 6-0, 2-0 in the MPSF.

"I was so mad at myself for the poor showing I had [Friday]," Webber said. "But it was just one of those nights. [The coaches] got on my case about it this morning when we watched video. I listened and tried to put that to work tonight and it really paid off."

Webber had six kills in the second game, five in the first and four in the third as the Anteaters cruised past the No. 4-ranked Warriors.

It was UCI's fifth consecutive sweep this season and they have now won 18 of 19 games.

But Coach John Speraw was particularly pleased about his team's level of play Saturday.

"We got off to a really nice start in this match," Speraw said. "I mean we played some very smooth volleyball. I just think we ball controlled so well tonight. We just passed the ball at such a high level, that it was very difficult for anybody to score points on us. Our defense was good. We were able to dig a lot of balls and transition well out of it and we just played a very solid volleyball match.

"Our hitting percentage was better, something we talked about improving upon from [Friday night]," Speraw said. "Webber started off a little cold again, but he's learning how to deal with some tough situations that, as an opposite, you're going to get thrown your way. Everybody in the gym knows [the set is] coming to you and you've got to learn how to deal with that with a shot selection. He actually learned how to do that in this match and that's one of the reasons he played better. Maybe it's one of the reasons why we were a little more smooth tonight."

UCI senior Jayson Jablonsky, who chipped in 12 kills and three of the 'Eaters' six ace serves, said he knew Webber's struggles would end soon.

"You can always count on Matt," said Jablonsky, the NCAA Player of the Year last season. "Even if he has one match when he's down, you know he's coming back. It doesn't matter."

Hardly anything Hawaii (0-2) did mattered against UCI, though the Warriors showed some life in Game 3, when they forged an 11-7 lead.

But after a service error, two Jablonsky kills and another kill by Webber pulled UCI even, 11-11. UCI then pulled away to close out the match.

Senior middle blocker David Smith continued with his strong play for the winners. He hit a team-best .462 with seven kills and had three block assists.

Sophomore outside hitter Taylor Wilson, who started in place of Cole Reinholm, took advantage of his opportunity by pounding 10 kills and collecting four block assists.

UCI had 23 block assists as a team, while Hawaii had only 13.

UCI hit .315 as a unit, while Hawaii hit a meager .170.

Speraw said he was surprised to win all six games against the Warriors.

"I knew Hawaii would come back and play real hard," Speraw said. "They're a proud team and a real successful team and they're not used to getting beat in three like they were [Friday]. I thought we'd have a real battle on our hands."

Instead, UCI never trailed in the opening game, pulling away from a 7-7 deadlock to take a 17-10 advantage, then cruising from there.

"We remember last year, when we swept them the first night [in Hawaii] and they came back and swept us the next night," Webber said. "We wanted to bear down and play well."

Senior setter Brian Thornton once again triggered an efficient attack, collecting a match-high 37 assists.

Webber, Smith and reserve Jon Steller, who saw limited action after sparking Friday's win off the bench, each added aces to the Anteaters' arsenal.

Junior middle blocker Aaron Herrell led the strong blocking effort with eight block assists.

UCI returns to action Wednesday with an MPSF match at Cal State Northridge, before playing host to UC Santa Barbara Saturday at 7 p.m.

Hawaii @ UCI 1/14/07 (Night #2) - VolleyTalk Blog

Irvine truly dominated with the back-to-back, 3-and-out sweep of Hawaii tonight. Hawaii was short players and put out a great effort, unfortunately, UCI had an answer for every threat that was posed. Hawaii only lead a handful of times in the match-- and when they did it was fairly short-lived.

Passing was better on both sides of the court but I would have to say that the serving was kicked up a level by UCI. Jablonsky was throwing thunder at the Hawaii passers and got a few aces and although he was getting "overrated" chanted at his back he maintained composure and let his actions speak louder than words. Webber recovered from his Friday night performance by confidently swinging away from both sides of the court. However, the star of the night would have to go to OH Taylor Wilson. He had a steady performance all the way through-- 10 Kills, 4 blocks, 5 digs, 0 reception errors out of 19 opportunities.

Player(s) of the night: Brent Asuka. That boy was all over the place and no stat will show that. His determination to dig hard-blocked balls, laser-fired outside attacks and garbage hit off the block was evident tonight. It was like he had a six-pack of ROCK STAR energy drink before tonight's match. Thornton was, well being Thornton. Another solid performance for the SC boy.

For Hawaii, Clar and Vanzant played well and Rawson provided some fuel, however Hawaii was out-matched tonight by the Eater's team effort. Hakala still did not seem like himself either. Personally, I believe this Hawaii team will be scary come next month once everyone is 100 percent and the chemistry is developed. Let them get maybe 2-4 games under their belts with a steady lineup and you'll have the traditional Hawaii MPSF Regular Season and/or the MPSF Tourney title contender.

Reserve keys UCI's 'Steller' home opener

For the original story, please visit http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2007/01/13/sports/dpt-ucimvb13.txt

VOLLEYBALL: Opposite returns from knee surgery to lift top-ranked 'Eaters to sweep of Hawaii.

By Barry Faulkner

IRVINE — Still awaiting his return from knee surgery in 2005 that forced him to redshirt last season, UC Irvine sophomore Jon Steller said he was mindful not to overdo things in the Anteaters' men's volleyball home debut Friday against Hawaii.

And though a limit on the number of times he could jump kept him on the bench until about midway through the second game, Steller did more than enough to help No. 1-ranked UCI sweep the No. 4-ranked Warriors, 30-28, 30-26, 30-21, in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opener before 2,370 at the Bren Events Center.

Steller, a 6-foot-7 left-handed opposite, had five kills in five attempts in Game 2, to help the Anteaters (5-0) erase a 13-9 deficit.He also added an ace serve and one block assist to help the hosts establish control of the match.Steller finished with seven kills, a .385 hitting percentage, one ace, three block assists and two solo blocks to help handle Hawaii.

"I knew he had only been cleared for a certain number of jumps, because he had knee surgery last year," UCI Coach John Speraw said. "So, when I wanted to maybe get some production out of him halfway through Game 2, I asked the trainer if he was cleared to go. She said yeah. I put him in there, and he was just on a tear right from the start."

Steller stepped in for senior Matt Webber, a second-team All-American in 2006 who struggled a bit Friday. Webber finished with five kills and hit negative .067.

"I was considering [Steller's] health, so I almost took him out to start the third game," Speraw said. "But I was told the trainers were keeping track of his jumps and he was still under that amount, so we kept him in there. I was really hoping we could finish up there in Game 3, because if we got to Game 4 or Game 5, I would have had to make a change."

After Steller changed the momentum in UCI's favor, the Anteaters jumped to leads of 7-2, 12-5 and 19-10, in Game 3.

By then, Hawaii, which lost two All-Americans from a team that finished second to UCI in the MPSF last season, had too much to overcome.

UCI senior middle blocker David Smith was not among the struggling veterans. He had 11 kills in 13 total attacks, tying his career high with an .846 hitting percentage.

Junior middle Aaron Herrell added eight kills and a team-high six total blocks.

"Our middles were good," Speraw said. "And [senior setter Brian] Thornton [47 assists] deserves a lot of credit for the middles' production, because even when we weren't passing well, he was able to set the ball in a spot where they could still get swings. You have to be a great setter in order to do that."

Senior outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky led UCI with 12 kills and seven digs. But he hit just .148, as UCI hit .273 as a team.

Hawaii hit a paltry .112 as a team and did not have anyone reach double figures in kills.

Steller and a handful of other reserves were needed on a night when some of the Anteaters' veteran standouts were less than at their best.

"I liked our contribution off the bench first and foremost," Speraw said. "We didn't bring many guys off the bench last year. I've already done more subbing this year, than I did last season. That's good for us and it's going to make us a better team.

"Steller was eager to please Speraw."It has been a long time, so I was having a blast out there," said Steller, who had only been cleared to practice recently and had missed the Anteaters' first four matches."It was wonderful [to play in front of a big crowd]. I'd forgotten what that was like, it had been so long. I was expecting to be a serving specialist tonight. I just wanted to come in and contribute and do the best I could.

"Sophomore Taylor Wilson also came off the bench to help UCI's cause. The 6-7 outside hitter had five kills and finished with a .400 hitting percentage.

The two teams meet again tonight at 7:30 at the Bren Center.

"Last year, we swept them, and they came back and beat us the next night," Speraw said. "I'm expecting a whole different match [tonight].

"Hawaii All-American Lauri Hakala, who played opposite last season, had a team-high nine kills at outside hitter.

UC IRVINE NAMED HOST FOR 2008 NCAA MEN’S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

January 11, 2007

IRVINE, Calif. --- The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has designated UC Irvine as host of the 2008 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship. The formal announcement was made during a luncheon attended by campus, City of Irvine and NCAA representatives at the Bren Events Center Thursday afternoon.

The semifinal matches are scheduled for May 1 with the championship match May 3, 2008, at the 5,000-seat Bren Center on the UCI campus.

This will be the first time that UCI has hosted the national championship for men’s volleyball. The last national tournament that UCI hosted was the 1998 men’s water polo semifinals and final at Corona del Mar High School.

"We are extremely proud of the accomplishments of our volleyball program and look forward to an exciting event," said UCI Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, Michael Gottfredson.
"The NCAA recognized the Orange County community as a growing area of volleyball support,” said John Speraw, currently in his fifth season as head coach at UCI. “I think our success over the last couple of years put us in a position to show the community’s tremendous appreciation of the sport and help us host this event.

“It is a great honor and opportunity to have a great national sporting event on our campus. All of the UCI students and faculty should be proud to host this event,” Speraw said.

UCI reached the semifinals of the 2006 national championship at Penn State University. This year’s NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship will be contested at Ohio State University’s St. John Arena May 3 and 5.

The top-ranked Anteaters (4-0) host No. 4 Hawaii Friday (Jan. 12) night at 7:00 and Saturday evening at 7:30 in the Bren Events Center. UCI has nine home matches scheduled in the Bren Center this season.

Pups beat the Geezers

Tuesday, January 9, 2007, was the night of the 20th Annual Anteater Alumni Match. It was a night that the "Young Guns" schooled the "Dino-Ballers," 3-0, 30-28, 30-22, 15-10. A great effort was put forth by the Dino-Ballers, but their 'ole legs couldn't hold out against the younger, more energetic and leaner Anteater Guns! Hey, it was a great night were the only stats kept were the number of "high-and-tight" shorts worn by the alumni and the heckling of the youngsters by the crabby old men. The night was full of good, fun, family volleyball! Special thanks to ALL the alumni who came out:

Jason Hinchman
Ory Selzer
Ty Loomis
BJ Fell
Todd Steinert
David Kniffin
Jarett Jensen
Kevin Dake
Monte Tucker
Donnie Rafter
Jimmy Pelzel
Spencer Bemus
Kyle Weichert
Chris Harger
Greg Ford
Wade Ichinose

It was great seeing "old-school" talent out on Crawford Court once again. These guys still have their "stuff" and the youngsters thank them all for their support of the current 'Eater program!

R____

P.S. Just remember, if you're going to wear shorts that high and that tight, please wear something underneath!

THORNTON NAMED MPSF PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Irvine, Calif. -- UC Irvine senior setter Brian Thornton (San Clemente/San Clemente HS) has been named Mountain Pacific Sports Federation/Molten Men’s Volleyball Player of the Week. It is Thornton’s first career Player of the Week distinction.

Thornton was named Most Valuable Player of the 43rd UCSB Elephant Bar Invitational leading the Anteaters to three wins and the team title. He averaged 15.78 assists per game while directing the offense to a .406 team hitting percentage (164-41-303) during the tournament. Thornton also had a career-high 12 digs and a season’s best 60 set assists in a win at Cal Baptist to begin the week.

Top-ranked UCI is 4-0 to begin the season and will host No. 4 Hawaii Friday (Jan. 12) at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday (Jan. 13) at 7:30 p.m. in the Bren Center.

Eater's On The OCTA Buses

( L to R) All-Americans Brian Thornton, Jayson Jablonsky, Brent Asuka, & Matt Webber all featured on OCTA buses driving around Orange County!

E-Bar Championship Match: UCLA vs. UCI Box Score

UCI 2007 E-Bar CHAMPS! Thornton MVP!

Janaury 6, 2007

UCI WINS 43RD ANNUAL ELEPHANT BAR CHAMPIONSHIP; THORNTON NAMED MVP

Santa Barbara, Calif. -- The UC Irvine men's volleyball team captured the championship title of the UCSB/Elephant Bar Tournament with a 3-0 (30-22, 30-26, 30-23) victory over UCLA in Santa Barbara Saturday.

The No. 1 ranked Anteaters improve to 4-0 on the season, while third-ranked UCLA goes to 2-1. This is UC Irvine's second Elephant Bar championship with the first coming in 2003.

Senior setter Brian Thornton was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after recording 45 assists and leading the Anteater offense to a .372 hitting percentage. UCI hit .548 (19-2-31) in game three. Thornton also added two block assists as the Anteaters out-blocked UCLA 8-5.
Seniors Matt Webber and Jayson Jablonsky were name to the All-Tournament team after recording 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Junior middle blocker Aaron Harrell hit .571, recording nine kills with one error in 14 swings. Freshman Cole Reinholm and senior David Smith each added eight kills while Smith hit .500 (8-1-14) and had five total blocks on the night. Sophomore libero Brent Asuka recorded a match-high 14 digs.

UCLA was led by Steve Klosterman with 11 kills followed by Paul George with 10. The Bruins hit just .194 (38-19-98) for the match.

UCI will entertain Hawaii Friday (Jan. 12) at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday (jAN. 13) at 7:30 p.m. in the Bren Events center.

All-Tournament Team
Brian Thornton - UC Irvine - MVP
Jayson Jablonksy - UC Irvine
Matt Webber - UC Irvine
Steve Klosterman - UCLA
Paul George - UCLA
James Lischer - Cal State Northridge
Evan Patek - UC Santa Barbara

AVCA/CSTV Pre-Season Poll

VolleyTalk Post

"feedmedabic" wrote:

The Championship game will be webcasted @ 6:30 pm at:

http://www.mvball.uci.edu/ (click on webcast down the left column and select the date of the match (1/6)), or,

http://www.athletics.uci.edu/RAD/listenlive.html (and find the date)

I didn't get to see any of UCLA's match against UCSB because they were in the other gym, however UCI looked good. UCI seems to start really strong but flattens out in game 3 (at least in the 2 matches (CBU & CSUN) I've seen this year). Perhaps the opponents make adjustments to their lineups in game 3 but it is noticeable.

Thornton has been distributing the ball well for UCI doing what he can when the passes are sub-par, but still if you look at the kill distribution from the last 3 games, everyone is getting a piece of the pie.

Harrell & Smith have had great hitting percentages (over .500) and have been blocking well.

The pleasant surprise has been the 2nd OH, FR Cole Reinholm. His play as a true freshmen has been incredible! He's got a big lefty swing at the OH position and has been "taking care of business" per se. Obviously being the youngster & newcomer, teams have been targeting him off the serve and he has been doing it. Sure, he's not perfect, but I'm telling it has been pretty darn good! Solid defense as well from "The Kid!"I'd have to say that teams targeting Reinholm off the serve have been unsuccessful as a whole because of his play-- good job, Kid!

The standard studs, Webber, Jablonsky and Asuka all have been playing awesome and to expectation. Webber & Jablonksy recovered from a poor hitting percentage night at CBU and are "getting their groove" back. Asuka has been playing like a "janitor" because he has been cleaning up on defense and off the serve!

In any case, listen in tonight! It should be a great match!

UCI vs. CSUN Box Score (E-Bar Tourney)

UCI vs. CSUN (Match #2 @ E-Bar Tourney - Semifinal

UC IRVINE ADVANCES TO E-BAR CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH WITH 3-0 WIN OVER MATADORS

Santa Barbara, Calif. -- The No.1 ranked UC Irvine men’s volleyball team swept Cal State Northridge Friday to advance to the championship match of the UCSB/Elephant Bar Tournament in Santa Barbara.

The Anteaters (3-0) defeated Cal State Northridge 30-19, 30-24, 30-22 Friday evening and will face third ranked UCLA Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the championship match at Robertson Gym.

Versus the Matadors, senior Matt Webber led UCI with a season-high 18 kills followed by senior Jayson Jablosnky with 16 kills and 11 digs. Middle blocker David Smith added eight kills and a team-high three blocks. Junior middle Aaron Harrell recorded seven kills on 13 attempts with no errors to hit .538. Libero Brent Asuka tallied his third consecutive double-digit dig performance with 11, while senior setter Brian Thornton had 49 set assists in the victory.
Cal State Northridge was led by James Lischer with seven kills and two blocks. The Anteaters out-hit the Matadors .324 to .118.

UCI vs. Stanford (Match 1 @ E-Bar Tourney)

UC IRVINE SWEEPS STANFORD TO OPEN ELEPHANT BAR TOURNAMENT

Santa Barbara, Calif. -- The No.1 ranked UC Irvine men's volleyball team swept Stanford, 3-0 (30-23, 30-21, 30-23) in the first round of the UCSB/Elephant Bar Tournament Friday in Santa Barbara.

The Anteaters were on fire offensively, hitting .531 (59-7-98) as a team for the match. All five attackers for the Anteaters hit .407 or above.

Senior Matt Webber led the Anteaters with 15 kills, hitting .565 (15-2-23). Senior Jayson Jablonsky and freshman Cole Reinholm each added 14 kills, hitting .407 and .545 respectively. Middle blocker Aaron Harrell hit .750 (9-0-12) which ranks in the top 10 in match performances for UCI. Senior middle David Smith hit .600 on six kills in 10 aatempts without an error. Brian Thornton totaled 48 set assists and five digs while quarterbacking the Anteaters at setter. Libero Brent Asuka recorded a match-high 11 digs and Brett Simpson came off the bench to add a set assist on UCI's match point kill.

The Anteaters, who improve to 2-0, will play the winner of the Long Beach State/Cal State Northridge battle currently in progress at 7:00 p.m.

UCI at Cal Baptist 1/3/07

UC IRVINE OPENS SEASON WITH 3-1 VICTORY OVER CAL BAPTIST

Irvine, Calif. -- The UC Irvine men's volleyball team opened the 2007 season with a 3-1 (30-24, 30-23, 27-30, 30-25) victory over Cal Baptist in Riverside Wednesday.
The Anteaters were led by senior All-American Jayson Jablonsky with 17 kills and 11 digs. Senior opposite Matt Webber recorded 15 kills and three aces, while freshman Cole Reinholm pounded 12 kills and hit .611 (12-1-18). Middle blockers David Smith and Aaron Harrell each added 10 kills as Smith hit .500 (10-1-18) and had a team-high eigth blocks. All-American libero Brent Asuka led all players with 16 digs, while setter Brian Thornton had 60 set assists and 12 digs.

Cal Baptist's Shamsu Awadu led all players with 20 kills. Romain Vetter had 12 kills, hit (12-1-17) and tallied eight blocks.

UCI will travel to the UCSB/Elephant Bar Tournament Friday as they take on Stanford in the first round at 1:00 p.m.

Elephant Bar Tourney Bracket

Daily Pilot Article: UC Irvine Wears Bull's Eye

Published Tuesday, January 2, 2007 2:44 PM PST
(see the original article at:
http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2007/01/02/sports/dpt-ucivbpre02.txt)

Sports
COLLEGE MEN'S VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW:UC Irvine wears bull's eye
VOLLEYBALL: Anteaters, coming off breakthrough 2006 season that ended in Final Four, open as No. 1 team in nation.
By Barry Faulkner

The 2006 NCAA Final Four trophy is nowhere to be found and UC Irvine men's volleyball coach John Speraw has lobbied against the display of a Final Four banner to be hung in the Bren Events Center.

But the traces of last season's five-game NCAA semifinal loss to host Penn State still linger ominously for Speraw, his staff and his players.

The remnants of an unprecedented 2006 campaign, however, are not all negative. Six starters, including four All-Americans, return from an Anteater squad that went 27-5 and won the program's first Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular-season title.

Another carryover is the No. 1 preseason ranking, a tribute to the team that held the top national ranking for eight straight weeks last season and finished No. 2 in the final poll.

It is this No. 1 designation that Speraw believes will provide a tangible challenge to this year's team, which opens the season Wednesday at Cal Baptist.

"We're going to be a target, which this team is going to have to get used to," Speraw said. "We're used to being the underdog. We have some experienced returners who are competent, which is good. But they need to realize that the success we've had previously is not just going to occur to us because we walk onto the court.

"Speraw believes that message may have been driven home when the Anteaters swept two preseason matches recently at Ohio State, the site of this year's four-team NCAA Championships.

"I think that trip was good for us, because we didn't play very well," Speraw said. "We went out and took care of business the first couple games, but then we lost our focus a little bit. I told them if they lose focus against MPSF teams like that, we have a good chance of losing. I hope they learned from that, so we don't have to learn that lesson the hard way.

"Speraw, the American Volleyball Coaches Assn. Coach of the Year in 2006, said last year's disappointing finish should also provide some motivation. UCI lost its final two matches after winning 21 straight. In addition to the setback at Penn State, UCI was swept by Long Beach State in the semifinals of the MPSF Tournament, forcing the 'Eaters to earn an at-large bid for their first appearance in the NCAA Championships.

"Penn State played a phenomenal match," said Speraw, who won two NCAA titles as a player at UCLA and three more as a Bruins assistant coach before taking over at UCI for the 2003 season. "We were OK, but not great. We have some guys who felt we were a couple points away from going to the final and having a really good shot at winning it all.

It would be wrong to say that the end to last season wasn't a motivating factor for us this season. I hope it helps our guys work harder to get back. But we're going to have to be better to get back.

"To get back, the 'Eaters will need to navigate what Speraw believes is an improved MPSF. BYU opens the season ranked No. 2, while fellow MPSF members Hawaii, Pepperdine, reigning NCAA champion UCLA (all tied for No. 3), No. 6 UC Santa Barbara, Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State (tied for No. 7), No. 9 USC, No. 10 University of the Pacific and No. 11 Stanford also comprise the top 11."It's not going to be like last year," said Speraw, who enters his fifth season with a 70-54 career record at UCI. "We're going to have more battles. We might have a few more losses [than last year], but hopefully we'll learn and be better by the end.

"Helping UCI's national title hopes are a strong senior class led by reigning NCAA and MPSF Player of the Year Jayson Jablonsky.

Seniors Matt Webber and Brian Thornton, as well as sophomore Brent Asuka, the NCAA and MPSF Newcomer of the Year in 2006, also return with All-American laurels.

Senior David Smith and junior Matt Harrell retain their roles as starting middle blockers.

Jablonsky, a 6-foot-5 outside hitter, averaged 4.17 kills per game, had a .359 hitting percentage and led the team with 40 ace serves last season. He also had 175 digs, third best on the team, and 71 blocks.

Webber, a 6-7 opposite, was second-team All-American last season after leading the team with 4.66 kills per game and chipping in 88 blocks and 161 digs. He hit .296.Thornton, a 6-3 setter, led the nation with 13.7 assists per game en route to second-team All-American honors. His 181 digs were second on the team and he had 22 aces.

Asuka, a 5-11 libero, led the team with 336 digs and his per-game average (3.03) ranked third in the nation.

The 6-5 Harrell averaged 2.38 kills per game and his school-record .463 hitting percentage ranked fifth nationally. He was in on 147 blocks.

The 6-7 Smith averaged 2.19 kills per game and his 143 blocks were second only to Harrell.

Paul Spittle and Steffan Rangel were the only seniors on last year's team and Speraw said replacing Spittle, the captain and unrivaled inspirational leader, poses this year's biggest challenge.

"Jablonsky and Webber are going to be good, Thornton is stronger and our middles are improved," Speraw said. "There are some technical things that we're going to do better. But Spittle brought those intangibles of leadership and drive and focus. Replacing his dynamic leadership is a key to our success this year. I don't think it has to be one guy who fills that role, but we need to get those intangibles from someone.

"Jablonsky and Thornton take over for Spittle as co-captains, while Taylor Wilson, a 6-7 sophomore, is among the candidates vying to fill Spittle's spot in the rotation. Wilson had 36 kills in 35 games last season.Others who could emerge are senior Brandon Mel as well as freshmen Cole Reinholm, Cory Yoder and Jordan DuFault.

Another change this season is the nine scheduled home matches at the Bren Events Center. UCI played three matches there last year, but Speraw has long advocated shifting matches from Crawford Court, with a capacity of fewer than 800, to the 5,000-seat Bren Center."I think this is a year we can take a big step forward with our program to get big crowds in the Bren," Speraw said.

UC opens its home season Jan. 12 and Jan. 13 when it plays host to Hawaii at 7 p.m. Both matches are at the Bren Center.