THE HOT TICKET

UC IRVINE

Record: (28-5)

National ranking: No. 2

Tournament seeding: No. 2

Coach: John Speraw (Fifth season, 98-59). He’s attempting to become third person to win NCAA title as a player (UCLA) and coach.

All-Americans: David Smith (first team), Jayson Jablonsky (second team), Matt Webber (second team), Brian Thornton (second team).

Postseason run: Defeated Hawaii, 3-2, BYU, 3-2, Pepperdine, 3-2, to win program’s first Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament title. Defeated Penn State, 3-1, in Thursday’s semifinal.

Current winning streak: Six matches (won 18 of 25 games during streak).

NCAA tournament history: Second appearance, 1-1 record.

Leaders: Jablonsky (6-5, Sr., OH), 3.87 kills per game, .320 hitting percentage, 46 aces, 76 blocks; Webber (6-6, Sr., Opp), 3.93 kills per game, .313 hitting percentage, 47 aces, 94 blocks; Smith (6-7, Sr., MB), 2.41 kills per game, .560 hitting percentage, 168 blocks; Thornton (6-3, Sr., S), 13.22 assists per game.

Notable: Four senior starters have broken several school records. Thornton ranks No. 1 in career assists (4,603); Jablonsky ranks No. 1 in career aces (128) and No. 2 in career kills (1,510); Smith ranks No. 1 in career total blocks (506) and block assists (457) and came into the Final Four leading the nation in hitting percentage (.558); Webber ranks No. 1 in single-season aces (47).

This would be UCI’s fourth national championship at the Division I level. The previous three have all come in men’s water polo (1970, 1982 and 1989).

The Anteaters will face Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne today at 4 p.m. and it will be televised on ESPN2.

INDIANA-PURDUE FORT WAYNE

Record: (23-7)

National ranking: No. 7

Tournament seeding: No. 4

Coach: Arnie Ball (27th season, 457-313) Son Lloy Ball, a 6-8 setter, played for him from 1991-94 and helped team reach three Final Fours. Lloy Ball was longtime captain of U.S. national team and played in 1996, 2000 Olympics.

All-Americans: C.J. Macias (second team).

Postseason run: Defeated Mercyhurst, 3-0, Loyola Chicago, 3-0, Ohio State, 3-0, to win sixth Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. tournament title. Defeated Pepperdine, 3-1, in Thursday’s semifinal.

Current winning streak: Ten matches (won 30 of 33 games during streak).

NCAA tournament history: Sixth appearance, 1-7 record (includes two third-place matches)

Leaders: Macias (6-4, Jr., OH), 4.73 kills per game, .284 hitting percentage, 73 blocks; Josh Stewart (6-8, Jr., MB), 2.52 kills per game, .449 hitting percentage, 163 blocks; Brock Ullrich (6-6, Jr., OH), 2.65 kills per game, .325 hitting percentage, 44 aces; Jason Yhost (6-4, Jr., OH), 2.08 kills per game, .311 hitting percentage; Colin Lundeen (6-3, Sr., S), 12.44 assists per game.

Notable: This would be the first national championship at any level for the Mastodons, who rose to the Division I level only five years ago, Arnie Ball said.

— Barry Faulkner