Briefs

UCI picked second

UC Irvine, the reigning NCAA men’s volleyball champion, has been picked to finish second behind USC in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation preseason coaches’ poll.

The Anteaters matched USC’s five first-place votes, but totaled 110 points, two fewer than the Trojans, the 2008 MPSF tournament champions who fell to UCI in last season’s national championship match.

Stanford (97 points), BYU (88), Pepperdine (82) and UCLA (74) rounded out the top six, respectively.

BYU and UCLA received one first-place vote each.

UCI (27-5 last season), won the MPSF regular-season crown in 2009. Coach John Speraw’s Anteaters return All-Americans Carson Clark, an opposite, middle blocker Kevin Wynne and outside hitter Jordan DuFault in 2010.

UCI plays host to Winnipeg in an exhibition match, Jan. 2 at 3 p.m., before opening its regular season Jan. 5 against Cal Baptist.

— From staff reports

UCI duo honored

UC Irvine junior Tanya Taylor and freshman teammate Dana Sanderlin have been named All-West Region in women’s soccer by the National Soccer Coaches Assn. of America.

Taylor and Sanderlin tied for the team lead in scoring with 16 points, both producing six goals and four assists. They both earned second-team All-Big West Conference recognition after leading Coach Scott Juniper’s team to a 12-7-2 record.

— From staff reports