Bringing Down the Bruins

It was 5 in the afternoon on Feb. 27 and across the Claire Trevor School of the Arts was a line of students extending from the famous bronze anteater statue to the flag poles in front of the Bren Events center. What occasion warranted this unusual scene? UCI Anteaters had turned out in full force to watch the four-time NCAA Men’s Volleyball Champions play against UCLA in the Ruin the Bruins game.

Before the game started, which the ‘Eaters won with a sweep of 3 sets to none, hundreds of UCI students rallied for games, photos, fun, and for the first 300 students in line at least, free Ruin the Bruins t-shirts! Despite the free perks, some students were more excited to cheer on their team. “I’m here to throw my ZOTs up!” said sophomore Kaela Lindsey as she waited in line for the pre-game rally.

Lines of students surrounded the area for carnival games, Amazon Prime sponsored goodies, hand-drawn caricatures, and the ever popular photo booth. The energy of the crowd was fueled by the DJ who played the most recent radio hits which meshed in with the sounds of laughter and screams of delight that filled the air as the sunset began to darken the sky.

Slowly, the crowd at the rally died down and the line to enter the Bren for the game came alive. At 6 p.m., security allowed the students in and crowds filled the entry way for the 7 p.m. game. Once on the court, the bright lights were a stark contrast to the dark afternoon sky. But what was more astonishing, aside from the zooming volleyballs everywhere as the players warmed up, were the heights of the players. “It’s like we’re entering a lair of giants!” exclaimed sophomore Christy Tou, who stands at 5 foot 5 inches, a short stature compared to the average height of the UCI men’s volleyball team which is about 6 foot 4 inches.

However, with a break from literally looking up at the UCI players and taking a quick glance at their ankles, something else stood out too: pink athletic socks. Not only was the theme of the game Ruin the Bruins, but it was also UCI’s annual Think Pink volleyball game. Every year, UCI sport teams hold an in-game fundraiser for the UCI Breast Health Center by selling $1 pink wristbands.

The game itself, with a crowd of 2,014 spectators, was an exciting win with the Anteaters ruining the Bruins, as the theme of the event predicted, three sets to zero (25-19, 25-17, 25-17). Outside hitter Tamir Hershko lead team kills with 10 while libero Michael Brinkley had a match-high of eight digs. Blocker Jason Agopian led the game with seven blocks, but opposite Zack La Cavera dominated throughout the game with four aces, five blocks, and nine kills.

With the win, the game was not only exciting for the players, but for the crowd as well. Since the ‘Eaters won with a sweep, the crowd was eligible to redeem a free “like it” size of wings from one of the game’s sponsors, Buffalo Wild Wings! Needless to say, the crowd returned the team’s applause to them at the end of the game with their own thunderous claps and cheers.

To finish the night, the players also stayed for an autographing session. Dozens of middle school girls, boys, and adult fans alike waited in line once again to be able to talk to and congratulate the players in person. “I feel so out place!” said sophomore Roddy Tseng as he stood in line, towering above the chatting tween girls around him.

As the fans progressed down the line, the players graciously thanked them for coming to the game because, “This is the biggest crowd we’ve seen” said middle blocker Andrew Benz, who is also nicknamed “The Puppy” within the team because of his contagious smile.

“It was completely our pleasure,” chimed Tseng as The Puppy smiled back at him.