UC Irvine Wins 2009 NCAA Volleyball Title

PROVO -- For the second time in the past three years, the University of California-Irvine won NCAA menʼs volleyball national championship. The Anteaters defeated the Trojans of USC, 3-2, at the BYU Smith Fieldhouse on Saturday.

UCI setter Ryan Ammerman led the team with a career-high 13 blocks and hit .667 in his final game for the Anteaters. Murphy Troy had a game-high 26 kills, and Austin Zahn hit a game-high .700.

USC had 22 service errors, to only 11 for UCI. The Anteaters hit .342 for the match, and USC hit .296.

UCI also won the national championship in 2007. USC was vying for their fourth national title and first since 1990.

In the first set, the two teams fought back and forth, and neither was able to take more than a three-point lead until USC went up 25-22 on a kill by freshman outside hitter Tony Ciarelli. The Trojans hung on for a 30-26 win, overcoming six service errors. USCʼs Troy had seven kills in the set.

UC Irvine pulled away in the latter part of the second set, taking a seven-point lead, 22-15, on a Kevin Wynne kill. The Anteaters hit .406 to only .238 for USC, and won the set easily, 30-23. UCIʼs Taylor Wilson had five kills. The Trojans were unable to sustain any momentum, and had 12 service errors in the set.

With the third set tied at just 1-1, USC went on a 4-0 run and didnʼt trail for the rest of the set. The Anteaters would get within one point multiple times, but the Trojans stayed strong, powering to a 30-26 victory to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Troy again powered the Trojans with 10 kills, and the Anteatersʼ Wilson again led UCI with seven kills. USC hit .386, while UCI hit .321.

UCI started the fourth set on a 6-3 run which prompted a quick USC timeout. The

Anteatersʼ run continued, and they expanded their lead to 11-5, and the run continued, in spite of another USC timeout. The Anteaters had three different streaks of at least four consecutive points, and won the set 30-17.

Neither team was able to pull away through the first 10 points of the fifth and final set. The Anteaters went on a mini-run and were able to finish off USC, winning the final set 15-12 on a Jordan Dufault kill, to clinch the match and the title, 3-2.

2009 NCAA Menʼs Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team

Player Position School

*Ryan Ammerman S UC Irvine

Taylor Wilson OH UC Irvine

Carson Clark OPP UC Irvine

Murphy Troy OPP USC

Austin Zahn MB USC

Riley McKibbin S USC

William Price OPP Penn State

*Most Outstanding Player