California Rules at the NCAA Championship

UC Irvine brings home second trophy in three years.

By Matt Payne

PROVO, Utah— The 2009 National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship may have been held in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, but it took on a distinct West Coast feel as UC Irvine outlasted USC 3-2 in the championship game.

UC Irvine’s victory, which was seen by a national audience on ESPN2 as well as over 3,000 fans in the Smith Fieldhouse at Brigham Young University, was the school’s second NCAA title in three years. The Anteaters defeated IPFW in the championship in 2007.

John Speraw, UC Irvine head coach, who cut his volleyball teeth as a player and assistant coach at UCLA, mused after the victory at how far UC Irvine’s program has come.

“The UC Irvine that’s still in my memory is the one where you drive down the freeway, beat them in an hour and you’re hanging out at Newport Beach,” Speraw said. “And now here I am leading this program. We’re winning national championships and it’s still incredible to me. I think this championship shows that what happened in 2007 wasn’t just lightning striking.”

For UC Irvine (27-5), which entered the championship as the No. 1 seed, winning the title was a culmination of a year spent at or near the top of the rankings.

The Trojans (21-11), however, made an unexpected run to the championship after finishing the regular season ranked fourth in their conference. They pulled off a string of wins in the MPSF tournament (including a 3-0 upset victory over UC Irvine on the Anteaters’ home court), then beat defending national champion Penn State to make it into the championship match.

“I guess the clock struck midnight,” USC coach Bill Ferguson said. “It’s been a phenomenal run—something that we’re very proud of—but this one’s going to be a tough one to suck on for a while.”

USC was able to take a 2-1 lead in the title match before the Anteaters came storming back. UCI went on a 12-2 run in the middle of the fourth set and eventually won 30-17 to tie the match.

With the Anteaters down 8-7 in the deciding fifth set, Speraw turned to oft-injured senior Jon Stellar to make a play, and the former second-team All-American did not disappoint.

Stellar came up with the biggest ace of his college career, evening the score and swinging the momentum in UC Irvine’s direction for good as the Anteaters ended the match on a 8-4 run to claim the title.


UC Irvine celebrates winning the 2009 NCAA Men's Volleyball Title.
Photo: Glenn Feingerts.

UC Irvine was led by senior setter Ryan Ammerman, who filled the stat sheet with a team-high 55 assists and 12 blocks to go along with his six kills and .667 hitting percentage. After the match Ammerman was named the tournament’s most outstanding player.

Taylor Wilson, who was named to the All-Tournament Team, led the Anteaters with 21 kills against the Trojans. Freshman opposite Carson Clark finished with 15 kills, and sophomore Jordan Dufault added 14.

Murphy Troy had 26 kills for USC, which was in the championship for the first time since 1991. Riley McKibbon finished with 71 assists, while Austin Zahn finished with 15 kills and a .700 hitting percentage for the Trojans.

After the match, the Anteater players complimented the fans for their willingness to travel and support the team.

“The student support was unbelievable,” Ammerman said. “There were people driving out in RVs, caravanning and flying out. I’ve never seen so much support in my entire life. It was amazing.”

“As a fan of the game, this event was everything I could have hoped for,” said Brian Summers, Chair of the Men’s Volleyball Committee. “The teams were fantastic and put on a great show, and BYU did a great job of giving people a reason to come out to the match. It was a great atmosphere to get families and young people exposed to the game of volleyball.”

Ammerman Earns MVP

Teamwork and unity led UC Irvine to its second NCAA title in three years, so it was only fitting that Ryan Ammerman, the man who orchestrated UC Irvine’s championship run, was named the most outstanding player of the 2009 Men’s Vollyball NCAA Championship.

UC Irvine’s senior setter filled the box score in his final collegiate game, totaling 55 assists, five digs and six kills with a .667 hitting percentage. He also led the Anteaters with 12 blocks, including one solo block.

“Ammo’s a stud,” USC coach Bill Ferguson said after the championship match. “He was really good and really balanced, and he passed the ball really well tonight.”

Ammerman took over as the Anteaters’ starting setter last season but struggled to lead a team that was coming off a national championship.  High expectations and hard work, however, turned Ammerman into the standout player he is now.

“The family aspect of it was awesome,” Ammerman said. “My family doesn’t get to see me play much, being from Colorado, and to be able to play my last match in front of them and win the title was epic.”

2009 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team

Ryan Ammerman (setter, UC Irvine)*
Taylor Wilson (outside hitter, UC Irvine)
Carson Clark (opposite, UC Irvine)
Murphy Troy (opposite, USC)
Austin Zahn (middle blocker, USC)
Riley McKibbon (setter, USC)
William Price (opposite, Penn State)
*Most Outstanding Player

2009 NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship Fun Facts/Statistics

In conjunction with the 2009 NCAA Men’s Volleyball National Championship, BYU hosted a free volleyball clinic on the main court featuring Beijing Olympic gold medalists Ryan Millar and Rich Lambourne, both BYU alums. In addition to basic volleyball instruction, Millar and Lambourne shared experiences from their time at BYU and with Team USA.

Volley Village—an interactive carnival—took place in the Smith Fieldhouse Annex throughout the tournament. Volley Village was free to the public and featured live entertainment, food, prize giveaways, interactive booths, and official NCAA Championship merchandise.

The 2009 NCAA Volleyball Championships were televised nationally on ESPN2 and ESPNU, with simulcasts on ESPN360.com. Volleyball legend Karch Kiraly provided the color commentary for the broadcasts.