Penn State

LOS ANGELES - In this, the men's volleyball version of the Big Dance, UC Irvine did the equivalent of leaning against the wall, before getting fully into its groove. For the third straight match, No. 1-seeded UCI fell behind early, allowing No. 4-seeded Penn State to boogie its way to a one-set lead. But, just like the final two Mountain Pacific Tournament matches, when the Anteaters rallied to win in five games after losing the first two sets, they found their rhythm in time to advance in the semifinals of the NCAA Championship Thursday at USC's Galen Center.

Former FBI director Louis Freeh concluded one of the most horrifying investigations in the history of collegiate sports this week. In the wake of years of sexual abuse of young men by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky of Penn State, often in the shower room and facilities of the football program, Freeh documented a concerted cover-up effort to prevent the truth from coming out and allowing the abuse to continue. Edmund Burke once wrote: "In order for evil to flourish, all that is required is for good men to do nothing.

IRVINE ? The No. 2-ranked UC Irvine men's volleyball team made it 11 in a row with a 30-21, 30-27, 30-25 sweep of No. 8-ranked Penn State, 30-21, 30-27, 30-25, in a nonconference match Tuesday night. The 11-match winning streak is a school record for UC Irvine, which also owns the longest current winning streak in the nation. Leading the way for UC Irvine (17-3) was Matt Webber with 23 kills and Jayson Jablonsky with 16 kills. David Smith tallied 10 kills and setter Brian Thornton added 54 assists.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — When the Ohio State men's volleyball team was upset by Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne in the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. tournament final, it effectively made St. John Arena, the site of the NCAA Championship, a neutral court for the Final Four participants. This was particularly good news for UC Irvine, which improved to 5-0 on a neutral court this season with its 30-25, 30-22, 26-30, 30-23 semifinal victory over Penn State Thursday on the Ohio State campus.

STANFORD, Calif. — Sophomore Gus Ellis, a Corona del Mar High product, had four kills in eight attempts and was in on two blocks to help Stanford sweep Penn State, 30-25, 30-20, 30-18, in the NCAA men’s volleyball title match Saturday night at Maples Pavilion. Ellis, a 6-foot-6 middle blocker, had six kills in 10 attempts to go with a match-high eight block assists in the Cardinal’s 30-25, 30-26, 30-17 semifinal trouncing of Ohio State on Thursday. Ellis did not make a hitting error in two Final Four matches to help Stanford (24-6)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — After accomplishing yet another first for a program that seems to break records and precedent with methodical frequency, the UC Irvine men's volleyball team can stop worrying about demons and now simply focus on Mastodons. The No. 2-seeded Anteaters (28-5) exorcised two demons with one match Thursday, trouncing No. 3-seeded Penn State, 30-25, 30-22, 25-30, 30-23, in the semifinals of the NCAA Championship at Ohio State's St. John Arena. The victory avenged the Nittany Lions' five-game semifinal win over then-No.

Several members of the UC Irvine men's volleyball team indicated before the NCAA Championship pairings were announced Sunday that a semifinal rematch with Penn State would add to the list of things going the Anteaters' way during the postseason. And UCI Coach John Speraw knows exactly how they feel. No. 3-ranked UCI (27-5), which earned the program's first Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament title with a five-game win over No. 1-ranked Pepperdine Saturday night on the Waves' home floor, will, in fact, open the four-team NCAA Championship by taking on the Nittany Lions (22-7)

The UC Irvine men's volleyball team blazes a new trail this week when it ventures to the four-team NCAA Championship that begins Thursday at Penn State University's Rec Hall. But, in a sense, the near-2,500-mile trip that began this morning at John Wayne Airport, will bring Coach John Speraw and his Anteaters full circle. It is nearly six months to the day since the team, still stinging from a 9-20 campaign in 2005, first journeyed to Penn State. Speraw said the November trip to University Park, a locale also known as Happy Valley, was an opportunity to seek out some quality fall competition in preparation for the 2006 season.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Penn. ? UC Irvine men's volleyball coach John Speraw has said all along that this unprecedented season was about accumulating experiences. But the top-seeded Anteaters came up short of adding a national championship match to their list this season, falling, 32-30, 30-23, 13-33, 27-30, 15-13, to No. 4-seeded Penn State in the semifinals of the NCAA championships at the Nittany Lions' Rec Hall on Thursday. The Anteaters (27-5) prolonged the experience Thursday, rallying from deficits of 10-5 and 23-23 to win the third game, staving off one match point in the process.

The top-ranked UCI men’s volleyball team leaves today for Provo, Utah, where the Anteaters will compete in the four-team NCAA Championship for the third time in four seasons. UCI, which won the program’s lone NCAA title in 2007 at Ohio State University, will face Ohio State in one semifinal at 8 p.m. Thursday at BYU’s Smith Fieldhouse. The Anteaters, coached by John Speraw, are 25-5 entering Thursday’s match. Ohio State, the No. 4 seed, is 17-10. Penn State (27-3)

Junior Sam Mikulak, a Corona del Mar High alumnus, won his second career NCAA all-around crown and helped the University of Michigan men's gymnastics team capture its fifth NCAA title in program history Saturday at Penn State. Mikulak, a U.S. Olympian and the Big Ten Gymnast of the Year, won the all-around with 91.150 points, ahead of teammate Adrian de los Angeles' 88.350. Mikulak, the 2011 NCAA all-around champion, won the high bar (15.65) and finished second in the parallel bars (15.350)

Former FBI director Louis Freeh concluded one of the most horrifying investigations in the history of collegiate sports this week. In the wake of years of sexual abuse of young men by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky of Penn State, often in the shower room and facilities of the football program, Freeh documented a concerted cover-up effort to prevent the truth from coming out and allowing the abuse to continue. Edmund Burke once wrote: "In order for evil to flourish, all that is required is for good men to do nothing.

LOS ANGELES - In this, the men's volleyball version of the Big Dance, UC Irvine did the equivalent of leaning against the wall, before getting fully into its groove. For the third straight match, No. 1-seeded UCI fell behind early, allowing No. 4-seeded Penn State to boogie its way to a one-set lead. But, just like the final two Mountain Pacific Tournament matches, when the Anteaters rallied to win in five games after losing the first two sets, they found their rhythm in time to advance in the semifinals of the NCAA Championship Thursday at USC's Galen Center.

Most of us would rather take a bullet than stand by and watch a child be hurt. It's difficult for us to fathom a mindset that places a higher priority on the sheltering of a suspected pedophile than on the harm done to alleged victims. But, as shocking as the Penn State University sex abuse scandal is, the failure of seemingly good people to protect the most innocent and vulnerable among us is all too familiar. How many times must we witness the eyes-averted, excuse-laden rationalizations of those who could have acted, but did nothing, or did too little too late?

EUGENE, Ore. — UC Irvine's Charles Jock won his semifinal heat in the 800 meters at the USA Track & Field Championships on Friday. The 2011 first-team All-American posted a time of 1 minute, 45.80 seconds in the close race at Hayward Field. Tyler Mulder of Oregon TC Elite finished second in 1:45.82, Casmir Loxsom of Penn State third in 1:45.85 and Nicholas Symmonds of Oregon TC Elite fourth in 1:45.87. They all move on to the final Sunday. Jock, who recently completed his junior season at UCI, had splits of 24.78 at 200 meters, 51.34 at 400 and 1:18.93 at 600 in posting the fastest time of the 16 runners who competed Friday.

IRVINE — Close to half of the world's population risks contracting malaria on a daily basis. Although Africa ranks among the most dangerous regions for the illness, Southeast Asia has some of the strongest strains of malaria, which are growing increasingly resistant to drugs. This week it was announced that UC Irvine public health Professor Guiyan Yan received a $4.7 million grant from the National Institute of Infectious Diseases for malaria research in China, Myanmar and Thailand.

STANFORD, Calif. — Sophomore Gus Ellis, a Corona del Mar High product, had four kills in eight attempts and was in on two blocks to help Stanford sweep Penn State, 30-25, 30-20, 30-18, in the NCAA men’s volleyball title match Saturday night at Maples Pavilion. Ellis, a 6-foot-6 middle blocker, had six kills in 10 attempts to go with a match-high eight block assists in the Cardinal’s 30-25, 30-26, 30-17 semifinal trouncing of Ohio State on Thursday. Ellis did not make a hitting error in two Final Four matches to help Stanford (24-6)

The lineup at the four-team NCAA men’s volleyball championship, beginning Thursday at BYU, is reminiscent of those SAT questions that ask one to identify which of four elements doesn’t belong. In volleyball circles, of course, UC Irvine has not only become a known entity, but with a third trip to the Final Four in four seasons, including the 2007 NCAA crown, it is now recognized as a perennial power. However, lined up next to BCS football schools Penn State, Ohio State and USC, the annual athletics budgets of which exceed the gross national product of some developing countries, Coach John Speraw’s UCI squad is the equivalent of the mom-and-pop operation in an arena full of corporate giants.

The top-ranked UCI men’s volleyball team leaves today for Provo, Utah, where the Anteaters will compete in the four-team NCAA Championship for the third time in four seasons. UCI, which won the program’s lone NCAA title in 2007 at Ohio State University, will face Ohio State in one semifinal at 8 p.m. Thursday at BYU’s Smith Fieldhouse. The Anteaters, coached by John Speraw, are 25-5 entering Thursday’s match. Ohio State, the No. 4 seed, is 17-10. Penn State (27-3)

IRVINE ? Sean Grubbs, a Newport Harbor High product, will play for the national championship along with the Pepperdine men?s volleyball team, which goes up against top-seeded Penn State. today at 4 p.m. at UC Irvine?s Bren Events Center. Pepperdine (17-10), the No. 2 seed, advanced to the final after dispatching Long Beach State, 30-26, 30-21, 30-26, Thursday. Penn State (29-1) defeated Ohio State, 30-21, 26-30, 30-22, 30-17. Before the national championship match, there will be ?