UC Irvine vs. Ball State: 2026 NCAA men's volleyball semifinal highlights

Only a few miles off the beaches of Santa Monica, the National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship Tournament popping off from Pauley Pavilion. Ball State out of Muncie, Indiana, into the final four for the first time since 2022. And UC Irvine, a much shorter bus ride out of Orange County. Micah Goss will get us started from the service line. The six foot six middle from Santa Barbara, California. That's Rogers taking the first swing for the Cardinals. Quick set and a run down for Kosti. The freshman from France, Andre Okanovich, the Big West Freshman of the Year, gets a score. Was a wake up call for this Ball State team and that's what they needed and now they're playing their best ball. Russell to keep that one going for Irvine. Will Patterson gets his first swing, the 6'10 junior. Lucas Machado from Brazil, the junior. Darcy, options for Machado. And a high ball for Okanovich. A touch from Victor Scherr. Rogers bringing the firepower at Okanovich. For Ball State and up there was Patterson and Lewis and they are in synergy for the stuff. Now Basilio air free hitting 600. Kosti to Goss and Scherr is popping that one up. Great recycle there from Rogers. The on two from Machado. Cover from Aitken, second touch Kosti. Ping ponged around and the block, two formidable. Machado, Savitsky-Lind towering over the Irvine attack. Cameron Kosti, tough serve, forces the overplay. Into the middle, Clark coming off of Borman's 14 kills on 30 swings in the regional final against UCLA. Brink goes down the line on the cross body attack. Basilio blocked again. He started four of six in his last two swings, sent backwards. A great blocking performance for Irvine as they take the first. Seven errors to go along with it. They're feeling the anteaters presence at the net. Brink the recipient of the serve. And that second contact is going over. Lewis taking advantage. Micah Goss, just one and three for Rogers. And that one goes underneath the net. He comes in like he's going all out and then it's like a waterfall type of attempt. Trevor Clark five of seven with the offering. Savitsky-Lind and a one handed up from Kosti. Machado taking matters into his own hands. A setter digging a setter attack. And the antenna was struck. Ball control issues continue to plague Irvine. Trouble in serve receive. Rogers denied off a bump set. Wasn't really his issue because of the pass, but he does get blocked. Okanovich serving away. Aitken runs in with a left hand. Trevor Clark seven of nine. He cannot be stopped. Even using the non-dominant hand. Rogers has hit the weight room. Absolutely manhandles that set and brings up set points. Did not play in the first two NCAA matches. Darcy can't handle it. Ball state has evened things up. A star studded offensive performance from Pat Rogers in the second. He's got 12 kills in the match. If he can find it from the serving line, ball state is gonna have a huge advantage. Here's Goss bringing it from the service line, going at Rogers. The bump set, that's Darcy, who then falls after taking the attempt. Scherer will have to set the libero. Goss over on one on the dive play. Goss over on one again. Darcy, brink, outside the antenna. There is no give up from that Irvine team. Relentless offense though for ball state. Kosti will run the offense through Darcy. Beating the block, a vicious wide attack for the Australian. Sol senior on the team, you would expect him to be the leader, but instead he's adapted his play to be able to follow the team this season. How do you adapt to Kosti? Putting one down on two. His second kill on his sixth attempt. Kosti will turn it right back to Yokonovic. He is starting to get in an offensive groove. Tyler Witt serving away. He's back in. Nate Kinn will step in to set. Witt got underneath that one in zone six. Kosti is denied. Patterson was there, standing guard, and it's our first tie since 13 all in the third frame. What a crowd they have brought with them from Orange County. Machado quickly upset for Patterson. That point for the anteaters, Machado chose to come to the backside to Lewis instead of Rogers out of the back row there too. What a get from Rogers as he somersaults to get the first touch. Yokonovic beckoning on the crowd, loving life right now. He is, he's got the set clinching kill. A spot in the national championship for Monday is on the line. As we start the fourth with an ace, none other than Pat Rogers. Yokonovic, the roll shot. He had the third set clinching kill at a change of pace, and he's told to knock it off. Sergio Gonzalez, our first referee for the extracurricular activity there. Machado into the middle. Guterr quickly gesturing that there was a touch. It's fourth kill on the night. They run the offense through Rogers. Brink touches one and three, a thing of beauty from the freshmen out of Denmark. Lewis, Costi getting underneath it. Clark on two, kept it in. Costi to Darcy, off of Scherer. William Darcy brings up a slew of match points for Irvine. He subs in, number four in blue. Trouble with the serve is denied. Eder Pride, UCI stunning the top offensive team in the nation to the national championship match they go. Brink, Goff, and Costi combined on a massive triple block. UC Irvine will play for a national championship on Monday night. For anyone who thought they didn't belong here, that is no longer possible. The Anteaters have stamped their ticket to the national championship match.