Matadors win, but UCI future bullish

IRVINE — The UC Irvine men’s volleyball team saw what Anteaters Coach John Speraw said is the best team in America Friday night at the Bren Events Center.

And while the No. 5-ranked hosts came away with a 25-30, 30-26, 30-27, 30-25 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation loss at the hands of No. 2-ranked Cal State Northridge, Speraw saw enough to fortify yet another belief:

That his squad isn’t that far away from matching that elite level.

“Overall, I’m encouraged, because there are specific aspects of the game that we can improve,” said Speraw after the ’Eaters fell to 4-2, 1-1 in conference. “We can get better in everything, but I don’t look at it and say ‘Oh, my gosh, we need to get better here and here.’ I think we’re blocking the ball pretty well. And, overall, I think we’re serving the ball OK. We just need to get better at what we’re doing offensively and be better at converting our busted-play situations and transition plays on passes that are off the net.”

Speraw also said UCI needs to rectify a weakness in one rotation that the Matadors (5-0, 2-0), off to their best start since 1985, exploited to rally from a 27-26 deficit to claim the third set.

“I was disappointed by how Game 3 ended,” Speraw said. “We were up and we got stuck in a rotation that wasn’t very good for us against their best server. That’s my responsibility ... it was unfortunate, we don’t make one sideout there.”

It was blocking — three straight combined stuff blocks by 6-foot-7 middle blocker Kevin McKniff and 6-4 outside hitter Matt Gaudino — that fueled the late surge to allow the visitors to assume control of the match.

And Northridge finished off the match by pulling away in the fourth game. After an 11-11 deadlock, the visitors scored four straight, eventually took a 21-14 advantage, and UCI never got closer than four to send most of the 678 in attendance away disappointed.

“We have some specific things we can go into the gym and work on,” Speraw said. “It gives me some great optimism about what we can do this year.”

Other positives for UCI were 22 and 16 kills, respectively, by 6-5 freshman opposite Carson Clark and 6-5 sophomore outside hitter Jordan DuFault.

Senior setter Ryan Ammerman had 44 assists and a team-high 16 digs and also chipped in six block assists.

Sophomore middle blocker Kevin Wynne paced UCI with nine block assists as the ’Eaters posted a 17-13 advantage in total blocks.

But there was little offensive production from the rest of the UCI hitters, who appear to be struggling to find a replacement for injured sophomore Cory Yoder, out indefinitely with knee tendinitis.

Senior Taylor Wilson, who started in Yoder’s spot, had five kills and a .143 hitting percentage, while junior Cole Reinholm had three kills and five errors and hit negative .118.

“I think if you look at the numbers over the last couple matches, we need some more production from that spot,” Speraw said.

Senior All-American outside hitter Eric Vance was nothing but productive for the winners, collecting a match-high 25 kills and hitting .364.

Jacek Ratajczak, a 7-0 junior middle from Poland, was another Matador whom Speraw said was particularly tough to deal with. Ratajczak had 11 kills, hit .381 and chipped in one solo block and four block assists.

McKniff (10 kills, one solo block and seven block assists), 6-8 sophomore opposite Tanner Nua (11 kills), and Gaudino (eight kills and nine block assists) were additional weapons in an attack triggered by freshman setter Matt Stork (60 assists).

Northridge hit .253 as a team, while UCI finished at .194 in that department.

The Anteaters play host to UC San Diego in an MPSF match Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Crawford Court.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].