Thanks to this year’s expanded field, UC Irvine got in and is now in the final
LOS ANGELES — Without the expansion to 12 teams for the National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championships this year, UC Irvine wouldn’t be one win away from a national title. The Anteaters would have been sent home in the semifinals of the Big West tournament two weeks ago when they were swept by Long Beach State at Bren Events Center. Instead of calling it a season, UCI has rallied with three straight wins at Pauley Pavilion, including a monumental upset of No.
1 seed UCLA in the regional final, to earn a third crack at Hawaii in Monday’s national final at 1 p. m. UC Irvine (21-8) was one of the last of five at-large teams selected to the tournament, which was increased from two the previous year.
The third-place team from the Big West is now one victory away from a national championship, which seemed very unlikely after they were dominated by the Beach on their home floor. “Well, we haven’t had to play Hawaii or Long Beach,” UC Irvine coach David Kniffin joked about UCI’s run to the national final. “I think the thing that has been the biggest change for us since we stepped into Pauley Pavilion is just our commitment to play between the whistles.
” UC Irvine’s Andrej Jokanovic, the Big West Freshman of the Year, had 18 kills to lead four Anteaters in double figures in a 25-19, 23-25, 27-25, 25-19 win over No. 4 seed Ball State in the first tournament semifinal on Saturday. UCI’s balanced offensive attack was enough to turn away the Cardinals, who got a match-high 20 kills from senior outside hitter Patrick Rodgers.
The Anteaters’ run has included five-set victories over Penn State, the EIVA champion, and the MPSF champion Bruins. Ball State, winner of the MIVA, got to the NCAA Final Four by beating Pepperdine in five sets. Now UC Irvine has to deal with a Hawaii team it lost to twice in the Big West regular season, including in straight sets in the rematch on night two.