UC Irvine middle blocker Connor Campbell (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Penn State in the second game of their NCAA men鈥檚 volleyball tournament match Tuesday, April 30, 2024, in the Walter Pyramid at Cal State Long Beach. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/ SCNG)
UC Irvine middle blocker Connor Campbell returns a shot against Penn State during the first set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine outside hitter Hilir Henno, center, hits against Penn State middle blocker Toby Ezeonu Sr., right, during the first set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine right side hitter William D’Arcy, right, hits the ball against Penn State middle blocker Owen Rose, left, and outside hitter Michael Valenzi during the first set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
Penn State middle blocker Owen Rose, left, spikes the ball past UC Irvine setter Brett Sheward during the first set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine setter Brett Sheward sets up a shot for a teammate during the first set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Penn State on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine middle blocker Maxim Grigoriev, center, spikes the ball against Penn State outside hitter Carter Dittman, left, and middle blocker Toby Ezeonu Sr. during the first set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine middle blocker Maxim Grigoriev, right, hits against Penn State middle blocker Toby Ezeonu Sr. during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
Penn State middle blocker Toby Ezeonu Sr. (18) spikes against UC Irvine middle blocker Connor Campbell, left, as outside hitter Hilir Henno, right, defends during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine setter Brett Sheward, left, blocks a shot by Penn State outside hitter Michal Kowal (8) during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine volleyball fans hold up signs in support of the team during the second set of its NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Penn State on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine middle blocker Maxim Grigoriev, right, hits against Penn State middle blocker Toby Ezeonu Sr. during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
Penn State outside hitter Michal Kowal (8) returns a shot against UC Irvine middle blocker Maxim Grigoriev (23) and outside hitter Akhil Tangutur, right, during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine middle blocker Maxim Grigoriev (23) blocks a shot by Penn State outside hitter Michal Kowal during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine setter Brett Sheward, far left, blocks a shot by Penn State opposite hitter John Kerr (9) during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine volleyball fans react after a point during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Penn State on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine right side hitter William D’Arcy, left, hits against Penn State during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine right side hitter William D’Arcy, top, spikes the ball against Penn State outside hitter Michal Kowal, left, and middle blocker Toby Ezeonu Sr. during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine hits against Penn State during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine middle blocker Connor Campbell (17) celebrates with teammates after scoring against Penn State during the second set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine setter Brett Sheward returns a shot during the third set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Penn State on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine middle blocker Connor Campbell (17) reacts after scoring during the third set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Penn State on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine right side hitter William D’Arcy misses a return during the third set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Penn State on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine head coach David Kniffin looks on during the third set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Penn State on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine outside hitter Hilir Henno (20) hits at the net during the third set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Penn State on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
UC Irvine outside Hitter Nolan Flexen, left, reacts along with middle blocker Beck Weber after a point during the third set of their NCAA Tournament quarterfinal against Penn State on Tuesday at Long Beach State’s Walter Pyramid. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-色情论坛/SCNG)
LONG BEACH 鈥� The UC Irvine men鈥檚 volleyball team lived to fight another day at the NCAA Championships, sweeping Penn State in the quarterfinals Tuesday afternoon at Long Beach State鈥檚 Walter Pyramid.
The fourth-seeded Anteaters slowly gained separation from fifth-seeded Penn State as the match unfolded and they eventually pulled away for a 26-24, 25-16, 25-19 win.
UCI (20-10) will meet in the semifinals Thursday evening.
鈥淚 feel like, at this point of the season, I鈥檓 just fighting for days with these guys,鈥� UCI coach David Kniffin said. 鈥淏y winning, we get to guarantee at least two more days.鈥�
Hilir Henno had 15 kills and five blocks to lead the Anteaters, who finished with a .284 attack percentage.
The Nittany Lions (23-7) hit just .188 while committing 15 service errors.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 enjoy that match as much as I probably should have,鈥� Kniffin said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the tension I experience sometimes when playing against people I respect.鈥�
Neither team led by more than three points in the opening set.
Henno had a kill at the end of a long rally to give the Anteaters set point at 24-22, but Penn State scored two in a row on a service error and hitting error.
Akhil Tangutur put his spike on the back line from the back row to give UCI set point again, and Tangutur won a joust at the net after a big dig by Henno to give the Anteaters the set win.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 in the front row, obviously Hilir gets the majority of our attempts. When he鈥檚 in the back row, our offense needs to be spread out a little bit more,鈥� Tangutur said. 鈥淚 was pretty much one-on-one (with the blocker) both of those times and one tip fell, so I think it鈥檚 just a credit to our passing toward the end of the set.鈥�
The Anteaters scored five straight points behind the serve of Brett Sheward to take an 8-2 lead in Game 2.
The Nittany Lions could only get back within four points before UCI pulled away for the 25-16 victory.
The Anteaters also surged to an early 9-4 lead in the third set, but Penn State closed the gap this time, tying the score at 10.
After a service error gave the lead back to the Anteaters, a hitting error by Penn State was followed by a block from Connor Campbell to extend UCI鈥檚 lead to 13-10.
The Anteaters increased the advantage to 18-13 before Penn State twice cut the deficit to two.
An off-speed kill by Henno gave UCI a match point at 24-19 before a net violation on Penn State ended it.
