Post by shockjock on Apr 1, 2009 14:55:42 GMT -5
No. 1 UC Irvine Plays a Pair At No. 6 BYU
Anteaters take on Cougars Thursday and Friday
April 2 & 3, 2009
NO. 1 UC IRVINE TRAVELS : No. 1 ranked UC Irvine (19-3, 14-2) will travel to No. 6 BYU Thursday and Friday (Apr. 2-3) for a pair of matches at the Smith Fieldhouse. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m. PDT.
Live stats will be provided on the BYU website. Both matches will also be broadcast on BYU Television.
VS THE COUGARS: UCI is 9-32 against BYU all-time. The Cougars won both MPSF matches last year then defeated the Anteaters, 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the MPSF Tournament. BYU won the first meeting last season with the Cougars taking the final set 28-26, the longest fifth game in MPSF history.
BYU is 14-9 overall and is fifth in the MPSF with a 10-6 league record.
The Anteaters have only won three times in Provo, twice in 1991 and once in 2007 (3-2). The last five UCI victories over the Cougars have come in five games.
UCI RANKED NO. 1: UC Irvine remained at the top of the rankings for the third consecutive week in the latest Bison/AVCA Coaches Poll. UCI has been ranked No. 1 in four different years (2003, 2006, 2007, 2009) under head coach John Speraw, including three of the last four seasons. The Anteaters have been ranked in the nation’s top 10 for 69 consecutive weeks, including No. 1 for 16 of those weeks.
ON THE RECORD: The Anteaters are 19-3 overall. UCI is tied with Pepperdine at the top of the MPSF standings at 14-2.
The Anteaters have won the last seven matches and 15 of its last 16 outings.
The 19 wins are the fourth most in program history. The 2006 squad had 27 victories, the 2007 team posted 23 wins and the 2003 team had 20 wins. Prior to John Speraw’s arrival at UCI, the Anteaters only had one 14 win season (1999) in the first 15 years of the program.
The Anteaters are 10-1 at home and 7-1 on the road this season.
UCI has won all four of its five-game matches it has played in this year.
LOCKING DOWN THE NET: UCI leads the nation in blocking (3.60) and is tops in the MPSF in league matches-only (3.71). The Anteaters have out-blocked their opponents 19 times this year, including the last seven matches.
GOTTA LOVE D’AMORE: Freshman Austin D’Amore hit .625 over six sets last week, recording a career-high 10 kills in the second meeting with Hawaii. He averaged 2.17 blocks last week, rejecting a career-best eight block assists in the first match with the Warriors.
THE PUPPY: Freshman Carson Clark leads the team in kills (3.85) and points per set (4.49), which ranks eighth among MPSF players in both categories. He has recorded kills in double-digits 11 times this season, including 20 or more kills on six occasions. Clark owns a .383 hitting percentage which is 18th in the nation.
IN THE MIDDLE: Bryan Simmons leads the league with a 1.60 average, while Austin D’Amore is third at 1.53. In MPSF-only matches, Simmons and D’Amore share the top spot with a 1.65 average.
SERVING IT UP: UCI is ranked seventh nationally in aces with a 1.52 average. Setter Ryan Ammerman leads the team with 18 followed by outside hitter Jordan DuFault and opposite Jon Steller with 17 apiece.
BALANCED OFFENSIVE ATTACK: UCI is fourth in the country in hitting percentage at .313. The Anteaters have five players that average 2.12 kills or more per set.
WHAT ABOUT WILSON: Senior outside hitter Taylor Wilson is third on the team in kills with a 2.93 average. He also averages 1.20 digs and 0.84 blocks per set. He is fourth on the team in aces with 16.
LAST WEEK: No. 1 UC Irvine took a pair of 3-0 matches from No. 13 Hawaii at home last week.
In the first meeting, senior Taylor Wilson paced UCI with a match-high 15 kills, three aces and three blocks. 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. UCI hit .329 for the match and fired nine aces.
The freshmen took over in the second match with Carson Clark recording a match-high 20 kills and D’Amore totaling a career-high 10 kills and hit .562 (10-1-16). The duo each added five block assists. The team hit .379 and out-blocked the Warriors 14 to 7.
GO EATERS
Anteaters take on Cougars Thursday and Friday
April 2 & 3, 2009
NO. 1 UC IRVINE TRAVELS : No. 1 ranked UC Irvine (19-3, 14-2) will travel to No. 6 BYU Thursday and Friday (Apr. 2-3) for a pair of matches at the Smith Fieldhouse. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m. PDT.
Live stats will be provided on the BYU website. Both matches will also be broadcast on BYU Television.
VS THE COUGARS: UCI is 9-32 against BYU all-time. The Cougars won both MPSF matches last year then defeated the Anteaters, 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the MPSF Tournament. BYU won the first meeting last season with the Cougars taking the final set 28-26, the longest fifth game in MPSF history.
BYU is 14-9 overall and is fifth in the MPSF with a 10-6 league record.
The Anteaters have only won three times in Provo, twice in 1991 and once in 2007 (3-2). The last five UCI victories over the Cougars have come in five games.
UCI RANKED NO. 1: UC Irvine remained at the top of the rankings for the third consecutive week in the latest Bison/AVCA Coaches Poll. UCI has been ranked No. 1 in four different years (2003, 2006, 2007, 2009) under head coach John Speraw, including three of the last four seasons. The Anteaters have been ranked in the nation’s top 10 for 69 consecutive weeks, including No. 1 for 16 of those weeks.
ON THE RECORD: The Anteaters are 19-3 overall. UCI is tied with Pepperdine at the top of the MPSF standings at 14-2.
The Anteaters have won the last seven matches and 15 of its last 16 outings.
The 19 wins are the fourth most in program history. The 2006 squad had 27 victories, the 2007 team posted 23 wins and the 2003 team had 20 wins. Prior to John Speraw’s arrival at UCI, the Anteaters only had one 14 win season (1999) in the first 15 years of the program.
The Anteaters are 10-1 at home and 7-1 on the road this season.
UCI has won all four of its five-game matches it has played in this year.
LOCKING DOWN THE NET: UCI leads the nation in blocking (3.60) and is tops in the MPSF in league matches-only (3.71). The Anteaters have out-blocked their opponents 19 times this year, including the last seven matches.
GOTTA LOVE D’AMORE: Freshman Austin D’Amore hit .625 over six sets last week, recording a career-high 10 kills in the second meeting with Hawaii. He averaged 2.17 blocks last week, rejecting a career-best eight block assists in the first match with the Warriors.
THE PUPPY: Freshman Carson Clark leads the team in kills (3.85) and points per set (4.49), which ranks eighth among MPSF players in both categories. He has recorded kills in double-digits 11 times this season, including 20 or more kills on six occasions. Clark owns a .383 hitting percentage which is 18th in the nation.
IN THE MIDDLE: Bryan Simmons leads the league with a 1.60 average, while Austin D’Amore is third at 1.53. In MPSF-only matches, Simmons and D’Amore share the top spot with a 1.65 average.
SERVING IT UP: UCI is ranked seventh nationally in aces with a 1.52 average. Setter Ryan Ammerman leads the team with 18 followed by outside hitter Jordan DuFault and opposite Jon Steller with 17 apiece.
BALANCED OFFENSIVE ATTACK: UCI is fourth in the country in hitting percentage at .313. The Anteaters have five players that average 2.12 kills or more per set.
WHAT ABOUT WILSON: Senior outside hitter Taylor Wilson is third on the team in kills with a 2.93 average. He also averages 1.20 digs and 0.84 blocks per set. He is fourth on the team in aces with 16.
LAST WEEK: No. 1 UC Irvine took a pair of 3-0 matches from No. 13 Hawaii at home last week.
In the first meeting, senior Taylor Wilson paced UCI with a match-high 15 kills, three aces and three blocks. 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. UCI hit .329 for the match and fired nine aces.
The freshmen took over in the second match with Carson Clark recording a match-high 20 kills and D’Amore totaling a career-high 10 kills and hit .562 (10-1-16). The duo each added five block assists. The team hit .379 and out-blocked the Warriors 14 to 7.
GO EATERS
