Men’s Volleyball: ‘Eaters overpower Stanford

Hammer fist is a Mixed Martial Arts term to describe an overhead punch, typically targeted at the head.

The UC Irvine men’s volleyball team, however, is honing its own version, most often utilized by beastly pin hitters who violently club sets at the feet – and other body parts – of defenders.

The defenders from visiting Stanford in UCI’s 25-15, 25-23, 25-11 sweep of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match Friday, were often as concerned with dodging as digging; flinching while hoping not to be publicly flogged.

“We’re very physical,” said UCI Coach David Kniffin, whose No. 5-ranked Anteaters recorded their most oppressive, if not most impressive, victory of the season to improve to 12-3, 7-2 in the MPSF.

The monstrous outside hitter tandem of 6-foot-6 sophomore Tamir Hershko and 6-9 junior Kyle Russell combined for 27 of the Anteaters’ 42 kills against the Cardinal (3-9, 2-6), who all but tapped out in the third set.

Stanford had 29 kills as a team and hit a mere .138, while UCI finished with a .432 hitting percentage.

“I think we were more confident than they were,” said Hershko, who bludgeoned a match-high 16 kills and posted a .429 hitting percentage to help the hosts win their third straight. It was UCI’s sixth win in its last seven matches and its eighth sweep this season.

Hershko, an import from Israel who has fulfilled his mandatory two-year military service in his homeland, made the Stanford side of the net resemble a war zone by blasting over, around and through would-be blockers.

Russell, whose chiseled physique would allow him to fit in at some NFL training camps, had 11 kills and hit .421, while adding two block assists to help the ‘Eaters compile a 9.5-2 advantage in team blocks.

Russell also was one of four UCI players to record ace serves, of which leather-popping opposite Zach La Cavera, a high-flying 6-6 senior left-hander, led the way with two.

UCI had five aces and only eight service errors, a statistical element that was more responsible for Kniffin’s post-match good cheer than the thermo-nuclear thumping his hitters created with junior setter Michael Saeta’s 30 assists.

“I liked that we had a similar performance in the third set tonight as we did [in Wednesday’s four-set win at Cal State Northridge], when we were able to come out and be composed and steady from the service line,” Kniffin said. “That is something that is going to be really important for us. We are a very potent serving team, so if we can figure out ways to pull back just a little bit and stay consistent, we are going to cause problems for teams.”

UCI, which allowed a season-low 49 points, four fewer than Stanford’s previous low this season, minimized the problems the Cardinal, who have been swept six times in 2015, created in the 79-minute affair.

The ‘Eaters trailed by one point three times early in the opening game, then overcame a 12-8 deficit to prevail in the second set. Stanford never led in the final set.

“I think we made some errors early in the first and second sets,” Kniffin said. “A mature team doesn’t make those errors early at all. But a maturing team learns how to cut those errors off halfway through the set and turn things around. I thought we did a pretty good job of that.”

Sophomore middle blocker Andrew Benz had five kills in six swings (an .833 clip) and led the winners with four block assists, while La Cavera had five kills, one solo stuff and three block assists.

Russell, Hershko and Benz each had one ace, while junior Jason Agopian, a broad-shouldered 6-7 junior middle blocker, had three kills on five swings and added three block assists and one solo block.

Russell led the winners with seven digs, one more than both La Cavera and senior All-American Michael Brinkley. Brinkley also chipped in four assists.

“I think we were good teammates tonight,” said Hershko, who helped UCI enter the week with the best hitting percentage in the country (.349). Hershko came into the week ranked No. 2 in the MPSF in points per set (4.39), behind only La Cavera (4.49).

“Our serve was pretty good,” Hershko said. “The second game, our serve game was a little bit off, but we came back in the third game and served better.”

UCI figures to face much better competition Saturday, when No. 4-ranked Pepperdine (11-1, 7-1), the preseason favorite to win the MPSF, visits the Bren Events Center for a 7 p.m. contest.

Spencer Haley, a starting senior middle blocker out of Corona del Mar High, had two block assists and one kill for the visitors.

Stanford reserve Kevin Rakestraw, a 7-0 freshman middle blocker out of Newport Harbor High, had one kill.