NCAA MEN’S VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS:

Sean Grubbs could probably catch flies between his forearms, which three years ago, was more of a party trick than an athletic skill.

But with the evolution of the libero position in college and high school volleyball, the 5-foot-10, 170-pounder’s penchant for converting 110-mph spikes and jump serves into passes toward the precise location of his team’s setter, has become a coveted commodity.

Just four seasons ago, Grubbs, then a junior at Newport Harbor High, was a part-time setter and back-row specialist playing his first varsity season for the Sailors.

At that time, any future he might have had in big-time college volleyball was most likely as a team manager.

But, when the libero position — a defensive specialist granted unlimited substitutions who can neither serve, block nor hit — became part of the high school rules before his senior season, Grubbs quickly discovered that receiving serves and amassing digs made him as valuable to college coaches as the most lethal and lanky outside hitters and middle blockers.

“He’s got to thank the rules committee,” said Tom Pestolesi, who recruited Grubbs to Irvine Valley College, where Grubbs last year helped the Lasers win the California Community College title.

Grubbs earned third-team All-CIF Southern Section honors as a senior at Newport Harbor, but he did not qualify academically to take advantage of the recruiting interest shown in him by a handful of schools, most notably UCLA.

But, after averaging 2.49 digs per game to earn first-team All-Pacific Coast Conference laurels at IVC for Pestolesi, who considers Grubbs “probably the best passer I’ve ever coached”, Grubbs was quickly scooped up by Pepperdine.

Grubbs has started all season for the Waves (16-10), who rallied to defeat BYU in five games Saturday in the final of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Tournament. The victory allowed the Waves to earn the conference’s automatic berth into the four-team NCAA tournament, which begins today at UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center.

No. 2-seeded Pepperdine will face No. 3-seeded Long Beach State (23-6) in a semifinal at 8 p.m., aiming for a bid in Saturday’s title match against the winner of the other semifinal between top-seeded Penn State (28-1) and Ohio State (20-7).

“He has been an important part of our team,” Pepperdine Coach Marv Dunphy said of Grubbs, who has compiled 190 digs in 100 games thus far. “He’s really, really good at receiving serves.”

Grubbs said anticipation and quick reaction is the key to squaring up a diving jump serve, but Pestolesi said it was Grubbs’ competitiveness that may be his greatest attribute.

“He literally hated to lose more than he liked to win,” Pestolesi said. “We had eight five-game matches [in 2007] and we won seven of them. A lot of that had to do with Grubber. Whenever we were down late in a match, he always seemed to make a big dig to change the momentum.”

Grubbs had 12 digs, two shy of his career-high, in the 28-30, 28-30, 32-30, 30-27, 15-8 triumph over BYU. He also made just two errors in 45 serves received against the Cougars.

He averaged 2.5 digs per game in the MPSF Tournament.

And when reaction time will not allow for the perfect pass, Grubbs said he does not hesitate to throw any part of his body in front of the ball, as not to allow it to hit the floor.

“I’ve had a lot of one-armed digs,” he said. “I haven’t taken any off the face yet, though I have had a few bounce off my chest. But I would take one off the face to get a dig. Marv tells us all the time that a volleyball has never killed anyone.”

Grubbs said even he marvels at his progress in the sport and he is thankful that the libero position has given him the opportunity to advance his education, both on and off the floor.

“Winning the state championship at IVC was the best thing that has happened to me, so far,” said Grubbs, who has yet to declare a major as a sophomore. “Playing for [Pestolesi] was awesome. And, I learned how to be a better teammate.”

Pestolesi said Grubbs matured greatly in his one season with the Lasers.

“He grew up a lot as a person,” Pestolesi said.

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