No. 2-ranked UCI battles No. 1 Waves tonight at 7

The UC Irvine men’s volleyball team plays its final regular-season home match tonight against visiting Pepperdine in a showdown for first place in the Mountain West Sports Federation.

The Anteaters are hoping, however, it will not be their final match this season at the Bren Events Center.

No. 2-ranked UCI (21-4, 16-3 in the MPSF) can move into a tie for first with No. 1-ranked Pepperdine (19-2, 17-2) with a victory tonight. The match begins at 7 p.m.

Both teams have two regular-season matches left after tonight, with UCI playing at Stanford Friday and at Pacific April 18.

Pepperdine, which defeated the Anteaters, 27-30, 30-27, 39-37, 30-26, in their previous conference meeting Feb. 20 in Malibu, completes its regular season at home against BYU, Thursday and Friday.

The top team in the MPSF will play host to the conference tournament semifinals and finals, scheduled April 30 and May 2.

The MPSF Tournament champion will earn an automatic bid into the four-team NCAA Championships, May 7 and 9 at BYU.

The Anteaters have won nine of their last 10 and drew a season-high 2,421 spectators in a four-game win over USC Wednesday.

— Barry Faulkner