Starting tonight, third-ranked BYU hopes to follow that same blueprint. The Cougars and their five seniors take the court at the Smith Fieldhouse tonight in the MPSF quarterfinals against (cue dramatic music) UC Irvine. It's not the same Anteater team that made last year's historic run - UCI finished seventh in the MPSF this season - but BYU head coach Shawn Patchell is still wary.

"UCI is one of the elite teams," Patchell said. "They pass well and that gave them the opportunity to beat Northridge and Long Beach State earlier this season. They've been up and down a little but when they're good they can beat anyone."

BYU's five seniors - middle blockers Russell Holmes and Trent Sorensen, outside hitter Ivan Perez, opposite hitter Jonathan Charette and setter Brian Congelliere - have all survived the ups and downs of playing in the toughest men's volleyball league in the country.

Holmes said they know this is their time to step forward.

"Our experience will make a big difference," Holmes said. "In crunch time time the team that has the most experience usually comes away with a victory. That was the case last year in the semis with UCI. They had four seniors on the court and they wanted it so much more.

"We have a lot of guys that have gotten a lot of reps playing at a high level for the past three or four years. Those guys are used to passing and serving in pressure situations. If we can keep pressure on the guys on the other side of the court, it creates a lot of havoc on their side. And having home court advantage definitely helps."

BYU beat UCI twice in Irvine in February, winning in five games the first night and four the next.

"We're much better now," Patchell said. "They're gonna be better as well. What it comes down to in the playoffs is how poised you are. You've got to be poised under pressure."

UCI, which beat No. 8 seed USC in five games on Wednesday to earn the right to play in the quarterfinals, has won four of its past five matches. Included in those four wins is a victory over Northridge, the No. 3 seed in the MPSF. Opposite hitter Jon Stellar (6-foot-7 Jr.) leads the Anteaters with 3.77 kills per game and has hit .314 in conference play.

BYU, which tied for the MPSF title with Long Beach State, comes into the quarterfinals having won six in a row. Patchell said he feels his team is ready for a playoff run.

"I've seen a change in the past six matches," Patchell said. "We're getting better and we just had the best week of practice. I think we're peaking at the right time."

Sophomore setter Yamil Perez is back and healthy, which allows the Cougars to run a much faster offense. Perez won the AVCA Newcomer of the Year award in 2007 but struggled with injuries most of this season. His play in the past three matches has been key to BYU's late-season surge.

"Yamil is a guy who brings a lot of fire to the court," Holmes said. "He's a fun guy and super athletic. He has a lot of energy and gets guys fired up. He has a real competitiveness and he's playing well at this time."

Tickets for the match are available at the door and at the BYU Ticket Office. Prices range from $20 for courtside seats to $5 for general admission. Student All-Sport Passes will not be accepted.

Since 1993, BYU has qualified for the MPSF postseason tournament in 13 of 14 seasons including 12 consecutive trips. The Cougars all-time record in the MPSF tournament is 17-11. BYU has won the MPSF tournament three times and holds an 9-5 record in the first round, 4-5 record in the semifinals and a perfect 3-0 record in tournament finals. The Cougars won consecutive MPSF tournament championships in 2003 and 2004.

In other MPSF quarterfinals matches, No. 6 Stanford (17-10) is at No. 3 Northridge (22-6) and No. 5 Pepperdine (13-10) travels to No. 4 UCLA (17-13). Top seed Long Beach State (22-5) gets a bye in the quarterfinals and will host the MPSF semifinals and finals next week.

Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Quarterfinals

No. 8 UC Irvine (16-14) at No. 3 BYU (23-4)

When: Tonight, 7 p.m.

Where: Smith Fieldhouse (5,000)

TV/Radio: None

Internet: byucougars.com

The Word: UCI beat BYU 3-2 in last year's semifinals on its way to an NCAA title. ... BYU beat UCI twice in Irvine during the regular season. ... The 28-26 win in Game 5 of BYU's first victory over the Anteaters was the longest fifth game in MPSF history.