No. 1-ranked UCI opens MPSF tourney with UCLA

Uneasy lies the head of the apprentice tonight when No. 1-ranked and top-seeded UC Irvine plays host to No. 9-ranked UCLA in the quarterfinals of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation men’s volleyball tournament at 7 at the Bren Events Center.

UCI Coach John Speraw will be trying to guide his Anteaters (24-4), who won the program’s second MPSF regular-season title with a 19-3 mark, past the Bruins (14-15) for the fourth time this season. UCLA is coached by the legendary Al Scates, for whom Speraw played (1992 to 1995) and was an assistant coach at UCLA.

This is the first postseason meeting between the two schools, who hold two of the last three NCAA championships.

The UCLA roster includes Newport Harbor High products Jamie Diefenbach, Kyle Caldwell, Brett Perrine and Weston Dunlap, as well as former Corona del Mar High standout Ted Slaughter.

— Barry Faulkner