UCI defeats USC to win NCAA men's volleyball championship Carson Clark seriously contemplated leaving UC Irvine and beginning his professional volleyball career overseas. The fifth-year senior opposite hitter from Santa Barbara was convinced to stay by Coach John Speraw, who sold him on the addition of Frenchmen Kevin Tillie and a chance to win a second national title. It all worked out for Clark and the Anteaters. UC Irvine defeated USC, 25-22, 34-32, 26-24 to win the NCAA championship match Saturday night before a packed house at the Galen Center. The 6-foot-5 Clark, voted the most outstanding player in the Final Four, had 22 kills and seemed to will the Anteaters to victory, especially in the second set when they overcame a seven-point deficit to win and deflate the Trojans. The Trojans mostly neutralized Tillie but had no answer for Clark, a left-hander who also played on Irvine's 2009 national championship team. Clark made plays in the air, on his feet, on his knees, on his stomach and even on his back. That performance, combined with the steady setting of Chris Austin, the blocking of Dan McDonnell and Scott Kevorken, the passing of libero Michael Brinkley and the hitting of Tillie and Connor Hughes was too much for the Trojans, who also lost to Irvine in the championship match two years ago. Hughes had 13 kills, Tillie 11 for Irvine, which led by four points midway through the third set and then held off the Trojans. The score was tied, 24-24, when Clark gave the Anteaters a lead with a kill. After a timeout by USC, McDonnell closed out the match with an ace. It was the third championship in 10 years for Speraw, who might have coached his last match at Irvine. The former UCLA player and assistant spent this season warding off speculation that he will replace the recently retired Al Scates at his alma mater. He also is an assistant for the U.S. national team and is regarded as a candidate to take over that position should it come open. But on a night that served as a celebration of volleyball in Southern California, Speraw basked in the moment. Meantime, USC Coach Bill Ferguson remains in search of his first title. The Trojans, who won 18 consecutive matches at one point this season, fell short in the third Final Four appearance in four years. They have not won an NCAA title since 1990. Senior outside hitter Tony Ciarelli, the American Volleyball Coaches Assn. player of the year, had 18 kills for the Trojans. Irvine finished the season 3-1 against USC. The Anteaters beat the Trojans at home in late January, lost at Galen Center in April and came back from a two-set deficit to defeat the Trojans in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament semifinals last week at Galen Center. Hughes dominated the early part of the first set, scoring points with high-powered kills, tips and shots off the Trojans' block. The Anteaters built a three-point lead for the second time at 17-14, but the Trojans came back to tie the score at 20-20 on a kill by Ciarelli. Clark then scored on a shot off the block and Tillie followed with a kill from the back row. Clark's tough serving set up a one-handed corkscrew tip by Austin and Kevorken's block put the Anteaters ahead, 24-20 before Clark's serving error gave USC one last hope. With Ciarelli serving, the Trojans closed to 24-22, but Clark's kill off a block finished the game and gave the Anteaters a 1-0 lead. USC jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the second set behind Ciarelli and several miscommunications by UCI players that allowed balls to drop. Steven Mochalski also started to heat up for the Trojans, scoring several points as USC increased the lead to 15-8. But with Tillie serving, the Anteaters came back, middle blocker McDonnell putting away several shots on quick sets by Austin. The Anteaters tied the score 18-18 on a kill by Hughes off the block and the match became a slugfest with Clark and Ciarelli, each of whom would record 10 kills in the game. With the score 32-32, USC got the rotation it was looking for when Ciarelli went back to the service line. But he hit the ball into the net, giving the Anteaters an opportunity. This time they were not denied, Clark putting away a kill for a 34-32 victory that all but sapped the Trojans.