UCI still can’t take fifth

IRVINE — As he left the court Saturday after a dramatic five-game loss to UCLA, UC Irvine men’s volleyball star Carson Clark pulled at his jersey, stretching the fabric as if tugging at an imaginary anchor that had pulled the Anteaters under yet again.

The visiting Bruins’ 26-30, 30-18, 35-33, 20-30, 17-15 triumph marked the seventh loss in seven five-game matches for the 2009 national champions, who are running out of time to salvage a season that may ultimately leave them scratching their heads.

“Obviously it’s frustrating, because we’re 0-7 in five-gamers this year,” UCI Coach John Speraw said. “And in every single one of them, except one, I think we’ve been up, or they have been deuce games. It’s just incredible. From purely the percentages, it’s just incredible.”

The percentages were not with the No. 11-ranked ’Eaters when it counted most at the Bren Events Center. But Speraw did not resort to mathematics to administer blame.

“Our service game is so not where it needs to be,” said Speraw, who saw Clark fire a jump serve into the net on the third of four set points in Game 3 and also witnessed Kevin Carroll put one into the twine on UCI’s only set point of Game 5.

UCI had 20 missed serves, seven fewer than UCLA. But, fearing misfires, UCI players repeatedly resorted to safer, softer serves that allowed the No. 7-ranked Bruins the opportunity to control the ball and generate greater offensive efficiency.

Indicative of that, UCLA produced 33 combined kills from its middle blockers, including a match-high 23 from Thomas Ambert, who hit .500 by feasting on a steady stream of quick sets.

“It’s just that guys aren’t serving the ball the way they need to be serving the ball,” Speraw said. It’s not from lack of training and it’s not from lack of discussing it. It’s not from lack of trying not to discuss it. I mean guys have to go back there and hit their serves.”

UCLA (14-9, 9-7 in the MPSF), which lost in four games at home to UCI on March 5, helped its pursuit of one of the eight berths in the MPSF postseason tournament. The tournament winner is granted an automatic spot in the Final Four.

UCI (11-12, 6-10), which entered in 10th place in the 12-team conference, slipped further off the pace with six MPSF matches remaining.