Volleyball

A pair of Newport Harbor High products will be key players for USC, which will compete in the second American Volleyball Coaches Assn. Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championship tournament Friday through Sunday in Gulf Shores, Ala. Former Sailors indoor standout Kirby Burnham teams with Stevi Robinson to form USC's No. 1 pair, while 2012 Newport Harbor graduate Cinnamon Sary joins Katie Fuller on the school's No. 2 team. The event will include team and individual pairs competition.

LOS ANGELES - Loyola of Chicago was the first first-time participant in the four-team NCAA men's volleyball championship since UC Irvine had that distinction in 2006. A lot has obviously changed for the Anteaters since that time, as they moved within one victory of their fourth national championship with a 26-24, 25-18, 29-27 semifinal win over the upstart Ramblers on Thursday at Pauley Pavilion. No. 2-seeded UCI (24-7) looked every bit the perennial power on Thursday, hitting .500 as a team for only the second time this season and bearing down late in the first and third sets to complete their fifth sweep in their last seven matches and win their fourth straight NCAA semifinal.

Even as they towered over most of their teammates and competitors, and flew high over the net, the 6-foot-7 Collin Mehring and 6-9 Kyle Russell operated well below the radar last season with the UC Irvine men's volleyball team. Mehring, a junior middle blocker, redshirted in 2010, then played in only one match in each of his next two seasons. There were times last season when, unable to crack the 12-man lineup for intrasquad scrimmages, the product of St. Francis High near San Jose would work the scoreboard during practices with the 2012 NCAA champion Anteaters.

It took Michael Brinkley all of 16 months to achieve the most lofty team and individual goals to which a college men's volleyball player can aspire. Luckily for the UC Irvine sophomore libero, there is still this pesky perfection to pursue. "I wanted to win a national championship and I wanted to be first-team All-American," said the mop-topped 5-foot-10 floor leader whose value to the 23-7 Anteaters goes well beyond his defensive dominance. Brinkley crossed off the first of his gargantuan goals last season, when he helped UCI claim its third NCAA title in six seasons.

UC Irvine senior outside hitter Kevin Tillie, sophomore libero Michael Brinkley and UC Santa Barbara senior middle blocker Dylan Davis have been named first-team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Assn. UCI junior middle blocker Collin Mehring was a second-team selection. Tillie, a repeat first-team honoree, ranks ninth in kills per set (3.75), 12th in points (4.38), 14th in hitting percentage (.341) and 18th in aces (0.34). The 6-foot-6 native of France joins BYU's Taylor Sander as the only repeat first-team honorees.

Seven Newport Harbor High student-athletes were honored during a signing ceremony Wednesday at the school for the late signing period for colleges. The athletes who signed were: Torey Thompson (women's volleyball) - Chico State Jenna Castillo (women's soccer) - University of Montana Garrett Farthing (men's lacrosse) - Tusculum College Hattie Marshall (softball) - Concordia University Garrett Prather (baseball) - Northwestern Oklahoma State University Taylor Parks (baseball)

IRVINE — Junior outside hitter Joey Martino recorded 10 kills on Tuesday, helping the Corona del Mar High boys' volleyball team sweep Woodbridge, 25-17, 25-10, 25-20, and clinch at least a share of the Pacific Coast League title. The Sea Kings (16-9, 8-0 in league) have won 11 straight league championships and 14 of their last 15. Augie Miller had seven kills and one block for CdM. Kevin Fults finished with five kills and two blocks. The Sea Kings play host to Beckman Friday at 5:15 p.m. * BOYS' TRACK AND FIELD Mt. SAC Relays WALNUT — Newport Harbor senior Marty Taylor won the shotput with a mark of 59 feet 10 inches and placed second in the discus throw at 183-2 during the Mt. Sac Relays High School Invitational on Saturday.

IRVINE - The UC Irvine men's volleyball team made the preliminary Final Four on Saturday, topping a revved-up UC Santa Barbara, 26-24, 22-25, 20-25, 25-19, 15-10, in the quarterfinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament at the Bren Events Center. Junior opposite Zack La Cavera had a team-best 19 kills and hit .319 to help the No. 3-ranked Anteaters, the No. 2 seed in the MPSF Tournament, advance to Thursday's semifinals against No. 3-seeded Long Beach State at BYU. UCI has beaten the 49ers in all three previous meetings this season.

Chris Austin has already made volleyball history. But that he will likely be considered less icon than iconoclast bothers him little. The first African-American setter to guide an NCAA men's title winner last year, Austin is in position to duplicate his journey from virtual volleyball oblivion to the biggest stage the collegiate game has to offer. But while he appreciates the novelty of his unlikely ascension, he is hardly conflicted about accepting credit. If one is curious about his talent, one need merely ask the 6-foot-3 UC Irvine senior.

COSTA MESA - Spring break is this week for Costa Mesa High. The boys' volleyball team doesn't have much time off, though. The Mustangs went to school on Monday and prepared for an upcoming Orange Coast League match. The next day, they returned to the gym to play host to their rival, Estancia. Costa Mesa senior Noah JeyaRajah said it was still a little hard getting up for the Eagles during spring break. And it showed in the first set on Tuesday, as the Eagles jumped out to a seven-point lead.