UCI starting over

Much was made of the five-year plan that produced the first NCAA championship in the history of UC Irvine men’s volleyball last season.

This year, having lost four senior All-Americans from the team that went 29-5 and made back-to-back Final Four appearances, Anteaters Coach John Speraw, in his sixth season, should have trouble thinking five days ahead.

“We understand that our mission is to improve every day,” said Speraw, whose team has started 2-2, entering tonight’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation opener against visiting Pacific at 7 at the Bren Events Center.

“I’m still not sure how good we’re going to be, but we competed with some of the nation’s best teams in the fall and we’re farther ahead than I thought we’d be right now,” Speraw said. “When I saw we were ranked No. 5 in the preseason poll, I wondered to myself, ‘What the heck are these coaches thinking?’ Then I looked at the teams ahead of us and I thought ‘Yeah, we can beat that team, and we can beat that team, and we can beat that team.’ ”

Speraw can count upon proven returners, led by senior middle blocker Aaron Harrell, a four-year starter. The 6-foot-5 Harrell, a third-team All-MPSF performer the last two seasons, hit .443 last season in 126 games. His 256 kills ranked fourth on the team and his 134 total blocks were second among Anteaters. He also had 30 aces, which ranked third.

Taylor Wilson, a 6-foot-7 junior, had 219 kills in 82 games last season, giving him 2.67 per game, third best on the team. He’ll switch from outside hitter to opposite, leaving a void at outside hitter that Speraw believes may be filled by committee.

Jordan DuFault (6-4) and Cory Yoder (6-3) are redshirt freshmen who have opened the season in the starting lineup. But Cole Reinholm, a 6-3 sophomore who had 162 kills in 68 games last season, and Alex DaPron, a 6-5 redshirt freshman, may also be heard from.

Junior libero Brent Asuka should help with ball control after producing a team-best 232 digs last season. The former National Newcomer of the Year as a freshman, is a third-year starter.

Senior Brett Kahout has joined Harrell in the middle, while a battle for the starting setter spot is developing between 6-8 junior Ryan Ammerman and 6-1 redshirt freshman Anthony Spittle. Ammerman had 90 assists in 38 games last season, filling in for Brian Thornton.

Jayson Jablonsky, Matt Webber and David Smith are the other noteworthy stars who have exhausted their eligibility, but Speraw believes they helped hone their replacements in practice.

Jon Stellar, a 6-7 junior opposite, Nick Spittle, a junior libero, and Brett Simpson, a senior serving specialist, also saw action last season and could contribute once again.

Speraw also cited freshman Kevin Carroll, a 6-4 outside hitter out of Los Alamitos High, and Carson Clark, a 6-5 opposite out of Santa Barbara High, as two players who may be too good to redshirt this season.

“Carroll and Clark are two of the best recruits to ever come here,” Speraw said. “Both of those guys have All-American futures and both could potentially have a future on the national team.”

Speraw, in the midst of a stint as an assistant for the U.S. men’s national team that will force him to miss six matches, including tonight’s, said this UCI unit will be a joy to work with.

“These guys are working hard, competing well and have good chemistry, again,” Speraw said. “I don’t think we’ll be 29-5 again, but I don’t think we’ll be 9-20 [as UCI was in 2005] either. Whatever our record, I know they’re going to work really hard to improve.”

It may be too much to ask, but should the Anteaters qualify for their third straight Final Four, they would play before their home fans at the Bren Events Center, May 1 and May 3.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.