Ammerman tops four Anteater All-Americans

Senior setter Ryan Ammerman, a first-team honoree, tops four UC Irvine men’s players named All-American Monday by the American Volleyball Coaches Assn.

Sophomores Jordan DuFault and Kevin Wynne, as well as freshman Carson Clark, made the second team.

Ammerman ranks 12th nationally with 12.55 assists per set and leads the top-ranked Anteaters with 28 aces.

The 6-foot-9 standout is the fifth Anteater to earn first-team All-American distinction. He was also a first-team All-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation choice.

DuFault, a 6-4 outside hitter, is averaging 3.25 kills and 3.93 points per set. He also averages 1.81 digs and 0.91 blocks per set. He was a third-team All-MPSF performer, but has, arguably, been UCI’s most consistent hitting threat.

Wynne, a 6-7 middle blocker, hit an MPSF-leading .479 in conference matches and ranks third among MPSF players with a .467 overall hitting percentage. His 1.34 blocks per set rank No. 14 nationally. He earned second-team All-MPSF honors.

Clark, a 6-5 opposite and the MPSF Freshman of the Year, leads the team in kills (3.94 per set) and is hitting .344.

The first-team all-conference performer becomes only the second UCI freshman to earn All-American accolades (current senior Brent Asuka did so in 2006).

UCI (25-5) is the top seed in the four-team NCAA Championship, Thursday and Saturday at BYU.

The Anteaters meet No. 4-seeded Ohio State (17-10) in the semifinals, Thursday at 8 p.m.

— From staff reports