UCI had all the credentials

Of the six American Volleyball Coaches’ Assn. All-Americans who competed in the NCAA Championship semifinals on Thursday, four wore UC Irvine uniforms.

UCLA had no All-Americans, while Penn State (senior opposite Matt Proper, a second-team honoree), and Indiana-Purdue-Fort-Wayne sophomore opposite C.J. Macias (a second-team pick) were the lone AVCA All-Americans from their respective schools.

It is only the second time since men’s volleyball became an NCAA sport in 1977 that UCLA has not had at least one All-American.

IN GOOD COMPANY

UCI junior outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky, the AVCA National Player of the Year, became only the fourth Anteater to earn the highest individual honor in a men’s Division I sport.

The previous three were all in water polo: Tom Warde (1989), Jeff Campbell (1985) and Peter Campbell (1982).

THINGS GET HEATED

The temperature reached the mid-90s Thursday in University Park. That, along with a crowd of 3,430 and a lack of air conditioning at Penn State’s Rec Hall, made for an unseasonably hot environment for the players.

“I was sweating bullets,” Penn State’s Nate Meerstein said.

Nittany Lions Coach Mark Pavlik said he had an unusual post-match request for his players.

“I told them they needed to get a lot of liquids in them,” he said. “That’s the first time I’ve ever told my team to drink.”

PADDING THE RESUME

UCI, competing in the program’s first NCAA semifinal, was definitely the new kid on the block. UCLA, which has won 18 national championships, has now played in 25 semifinals. Penn State has now competed in 18 (second only to the Bruins), and IPFW made its fifth semifinal appearance Thursday.

THINGS BRUIN FOR EX-TAR

Newport Harbor High product Jamie Diefenbach, who starred in volleyball and basketball for the Sailors, is a redshirt freshman at UCLA. Diefenbach, a 6-foot-7 middle blocker, saw substantial playing time early in the season, but he was hurt in a match and underwent surgery to repair torn meniscus in his knee in late January.

Diefenbach has returned to action, but during his time on the sideline, seniors Nick Scheftic (6-11) and David Russell (6-5) solidified themselves in the lineup, limiting Diefenbach to reserve duty.

Diefenbach has played in 34 games this season, averaging 1.7 kills per game and posting a .347 hitting percentage. He has totaled 34 blocks.

PASSING WITH THE ENEMY

Penn State and UC Irvine players became familiar with one another, having played twice in the fall (at Penn State), once during the regular season (at UCI) and Thursday in the NCAA semifinals. But one Nittany Lion should know more about the Anteaters than anyone else.

Ryan Wathall, a 6-2 junior starter at libero, was born in Irvine and lived there through high school, where he was Sea View League Co-Player of the Year and an Orange County All-Star at Woodbridge High.