Briefs: UCI adds transfer big man

The UC Irvine men’s basketball team’s gaping hole in the middle left by the transfer of three-year starter Eric Wise to USC looks a little less huge with Coach Russell Turner’s announcement Monday of the addition of Fresno State transfer John Ryan.

Ryan, a 6-foot-10, 250-pound center, played in 17 games for the Bulldogs as a freshman last season. He produced 19 points, 18 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots. He will sit out the 2011-12 season, per NCAA transfer rules, then have three years of eligibility remaining for the Anteaters.

Ryan averaged 21 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and four assists per game as a senior at El Segundo High in 2009-10. He was a two-time first-team All-Pioneer League performer. He was a team captain in his junior and senior seasons and was named the team’s MVP. He also won team awards as the best passer and best rebounder.

“John is a true center who will provide us with an interior presence when he is eligible to play after a year in our program,” Turner said in a statement. “He has an innate feel for the game and a high basketball IQ to go along with the ability to score in the post. John knows he will have a year to work hard at improving his game, and if he makes the progress we expect, then he will be an effective player for us for his remaining three years.”

— From staff reports

Newport Harbor 3rd

The Newport Harbor High surf team finished third in the National Scholastic Surfing Assn. Championships completed Saturday at Salt Creek Beach in Dana Point.

Junior Blake Davis was second in the high school varsity boys’ event.

Junior Shelby Detmers was second in the women’s high school varsity event.

Zach Porteous, Jake Caughill, Colin Moran, Will Laidlaw, Ryan Croteau and Aaron Cervantes contributed to the Newport Harbor boys’ team, while Ali Hayes chipped in for the girls’ team.

— From staff reports

May-Treanor second

Misty May-Treanor and fellow two-time Olympic gold medalist Kerri Walsh were defeated, 21-17, 13-21, 16-14, by the top-seeded duo of Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca of Brazil in the final of the $1 million Federation Internationale de Volleyball Swatch World Championships on Sunday in Rome, Italy.

May-Treanor and Walsh, the No. 5-seeded team, split $45,000, after their 29-match winning streak in the world championships was halted.

— From staff reports

UCI recruits lauded

The 2011 recruiting class for UC Irvine women’s volleyball received high honorable mention by PrepVolleyball.com.

UCI’s group of five freshmen and one transfer, including PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces Ella Rosenfeld, Marissa Bubica and Molly Yoder, is the third straight recognized by the media outlet.

The 2010 class also received high honorable mention, while the 2009 group was ranked No. 24 nationally.

Rosenfeld, a 6-3 middle blocker out of Mira Costa High, earned USA Volleyball Junior Olympics All-Tournament honors last year.

Bubica, out of San Pedro High, was an all-city honoree as a junior outside hitter in 2009.

Yoder, a San Clemente High product and the sister of UCI men’s All-American Cory Yoder, is a 5-9 libero. She was also recognized by PrepVolleyball.com as a Defensive Dandy.

The class also includes Newport Harbor High product Mackenzie Campbell, who transfers from Montana State. She started at setter and produced 565 assists in 2010.

Others in the class are Channel Stewart (Laguna Beach High) and Hannah Nabbout (Whittier Christian High).

— From staff reports

Two ‘Eaters picked

USA Volleyball announced that UC Irvine’s Jeremy Dejno and Scott Kevorken were selected to its 12-player U.S. men’s junior national team that will compete at the 2011 FIVB Junior (U-21) World Championship held Aug. 1-10 in Brazil.

Dejno and Kevorken, both part-time starters as freshmen for the Anteaters in 2011, were on the 2010 junior national team that won the NORCECA Junior Continental Championship in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, which qualified the Americans for the world championship.

Kevorken, a 6-foot-9 middle blocker, was named to the MPSF All-Freshman Team after leading the team with 0.84 blocks per set and averaging 1.41 kills per game.

Dejno, a 6-4 outside hitter, averaged 1.39 kills and was tied for second on the team with 22 service aces last season.

Incoming freshman libero Michael Brinkley was named an alternate for the team.

— From staff reports