Anteaters, Mastodons Finally Get Their Moment In The Sun

Mastodons feature second-team All-American C.J. Macias

May 4, 2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - The most vivid lesson John Speraw ever learned is also the most painful one.

A standout middle blocker at UCLA, he will never forget how much it hurt to be upset by Penn State in the 1994 national championship match.

What nags at him even more is why the Bruins lost.

"We didn't respect Penn State and our arrogance is what cost us the national championship that year," Speraw said on Friday.

Now Speraw is the head coach at UC Irvine (28-5), which will be a heavy favorite heading into the title match Saturday night against IPFW (23-7), which stunned top-seeded Pepperdine in the semifinals.

The lesson learned so long ago will be fresh on his mind.

"We did think we were going to play Pepperdine - everybody thought that," Speraw said of his Anteaters' conference rival. "You think, 'Gosh, you get to play IPFW for the finals' (but) our players for sure know and I know from my experience in '94 that you respect every single opponent. Especially the way IPFW is playing late in the season, they could beat anybody. We have to be at our best to win it all."

The game means the world to two schools and two programs which have long been successful but lost in the shadows of bigger programs. Neither has ever played in a volleyball final before.

Since shocking Pepperdine 3-1 in the semifinals on Thursday night, IPFW coach Arnie Ball said he had heard from ex-players and fans in "California, Tennessee, Florida, Puerto Rico, Moscow - they're from all over the world, literally."

IPFW is a school with almost 12,000 students, labeled with an acronym based on its relationship with Indiana and Purdue universities and its hometown of Fort Wayne, Ind.

"Just entering Division I sports five years ago, a lot of our programs are just being built," setter Colin Lundeen said. "It's not a well-known school. A lot of people go around, 'IPFW? Who?' To be able to be on a stage this big is just great exposure for our school and our community as well."

No wonder Speraw and his players don't think they'll have a problem getting up for a team that some have compared to a net and set version of "Hoosiers."

The Mastodons feature second-team All-American C.J. Macias, who had 24 kills in an overpowering performance against the Waves.

Since IPFW is just 150 miles away from final four site St. John Arena - a venue the Mastodons have visited several times this season - most of the crowd is expected to be wearing the school's blue and gray and cheering for what they call "Arnie's Army."

Irvine has a smaller but almost as noisy cheering section. Obscured by athletics megaprograms UCLA and USC, the 24,000-student school has just as much riding on the outcome.

"It's been a commuter school for a long time and there hasn't been a long history of athletic tradition that has had a huge impact on the student body," Speraw said. "I came from a place, UCLA, where that was a part of the deal. Everyone went to basketball and football games. I don't know if that exists at Irvine, but it's starting to and the students are really getting involved. I'm just proud that men's volleyball can be a part of that."

The Anteaters, who paid back Penn State 3-1 on Thursday night for a loss in last year's semifinals, have a star-studded lineup that includes first-team All-American David Smith and second-teamers Jayson Jablonsky, Brian Thornton and Matt Webber.

Still, they needed to beat Pepperdine in their conference final to assure themselves of a spot in the final four.

IPFW may not be deep in the national consciousness, but the Mastodons are certainly embraced on their home turf.

Ball, the head coach for the past 27 years, is as popular as a rock star back in Fort Wayne.

Tongue placed firmly in cheek, he scratched his balding head and said, "I might be able to run for mayor right now and have a chance to win without spending any campaign dollars."