Top-Two Seeds Seek a National Championship
May 2, 2013
NCAA Semifinal # 1:
# 2 Seed UC Irvine 3, # 3 Seed Loyola 0 (26-24, 25-18, 29-27)
Los Angeles, CA---No. 2 seed UC Irvine was tested in sets one and three, but survived each including fighting off a set point in the third, for a 3-0 win. The Anteaters get a third chance at No. 1 BYU Saturday at 6:00 pm (PT) on ESPNU. BYU prevailed in four in Provo and five in Irvine during the regular season. UC Irvine was on fire all night, hitting .500 for the match (46-8-76), well over .300 in each frame. Kevin Tillie hit .579 with a match-high 14 kills and seven digs. Collin Mehring was nine for an errorless 11 in the middle (.818). The Anteaters look to defend their NCAA title and a win a fourth overall (2007, 09, 12).
NCAA Semifinal # 2:
# 1 Seed BYU 3, # 4 Seed Penn State 0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-22)
Los Angeles, CA---BYU hit at least .300 in every set, .345 overall, in a straight-set, 92-minute win over EIVA Champion Penn State in NCAA Semifinal # 2 on Thursday night in Los Angeles. MPSF Player of the Year Taylor Sander hit .556 with a match-high 17 kills. MPSF Freshman of the Year Ben Patch hit .370 (12-2-27) with six blocks and two aces. The Cougars recorded 12.5 blocks, and held the Lions to a .151 clip for the match. BYU looks for its fourth NCAA title (1999, 2001, 2004).