UCI champs lauded

IRVINE — The season and the NCAA championship run are over for the UC Irvine men’s volleyball team. But the journey continues.

Anteaters players, coaches and support staff, who earned the school’s first NCAA Division I championship since men’s water polo accomplished the feat in 1989, were recognized at a rally on campus Wednesday attended by about 350 students, fans, parents and supporters.

Chancellor Michael Drake, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Michael Gottfredson and Athletic Director Bob Chichester expressed their congratulations.

Athletic department officials announced that the team is scheduled to visit the White House to be recognized with other NCAA champions on June 19.

There are also plans for the team to be introduced at a Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball game on May 29.

The team, which defeated Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne in Saturday’s nationally televised championship match at Ohio State University, set a school record for victories in a season by finishing 29-5.

The team, which arrived by bus and sat between the flag poles outside the administration building, was frequently cheered by a crowd that Coach John Speraw said was unprecedented.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to win some championships at UCLA, and this would never occur there,” Speraw said. “After we won our titles at UCLA, never once did anybody ever meet us as the airport,” as several did Sunday night upon the team’s return.

UCI setter Brian Thornton, a team co-captain and one of four senior All-Americans named to the NCAA all-tournament team, also expressed gratitude over the amount of support the program received this season.

“The support we’ve received was great all year, but to see that again today was pretty unbelievable,” Thornton said.

Thornton said he is still struggling to describe the feeling of being a national champion.

“I’ve been using words like ‘incredible,’ ‘amazing’ and ‘surreal’ a lot,” Thornton said. “I’ve had a smile on my face this entire week. It has probably been the best week of my life, and it will be for a while, until I have my first child or something. But, hopefully, that’s a ways away.”

Senior middle blocker David Smith, the team’s lone first-team All-American this season, said he is enjoying his growing celebrity status on campus.

“People have been coming up to me — I have no idea who they are — saying ‘I saw you on TV last week. Great job.’ And, ‘Are we really national champions?’ ” Smith said.

Smith said the achievement still has not fully sunk in.

“Last night, we had our team banquet, and it hit me (a) the legacy we are leaving behind and (b) that we are actually leaving it behind. For [Final Four MVP Matt] Webber, Jayson Jablonsky, Thornton and me, we are done. We all finished our careers, we’re all All-Americans and we’re all national champions. And it’s a great place to be.”