UCI’s terrific season

UC Irvine’s men’s volleyball team suffered a tough loss Thursday at the NCAA championships, failing to get to the finals as it dropped its match against Penn State in five hard-fought games that included 54 ties.

It was a difficult end to a tremendous season, during which the team ran off 21 straight wins, claimed the No. 1 ranking in the nation and saw junior outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky named the national player of the year.

With such success, anything less than the national championship is bound to hurt.

But players and coaches ought to be proud of their season and of their ability to get fans fired up for their games.

They stepped up against big-time schools (along with Penn State, UCLA was among the final four teams) and gave the UCI campus a winning team to rally around ? a happening that is as much a part of the college experience as loud dorm life and a hated 8 a.m. class.

They did their school proud.