The BYU men's volleyball program has encountered an odd mixture of disappointment and pride this week, which will culminate tonight with the NCAA championship game nationally televised (ESPN2) at 5 p.m.

The party which started Thursday, with the arrival of four teams for the sport's grandest stage, has meant a reunion for Cougar volleyball players and the program's chance to show off to a larger audience.

"I really thought we could have been the USC of the tournament," BYU coach Shawn Patchell said of the upstart Trojans, who are riding a high wave of momentum heading into the match against 2007 national champion UC Irvine. "I thought we were peaking at the right time. It stings a little bit to see others having such a good time on our court ... but they've earned it."

It's hard to say how BYU -- at what would've surely been a raucous Smith Fieldhouse -- would have done against either of the finalists, given the chance to be among the four best teams.

Ohio State was totally out of its league Thursday in a three-game sweep by UC Irvine, which the Cougars defeated once in three tries (all scores were 3-1).

BYU beat Penn State -- which lost Thursday to upstart USC -- on March 13 at Long Beach State in five games. The Cougars also dropped a pair of February matches in Los Angeles to the Trojans.

The win against the defending national champion Nittany Lions was when the neophyte Cougars started to "get it," Patchell said.

So BYU was sorta, kinda right in the mix for a shot at the title.

Now, Patchell would like to get a better chance at one.

The NCAA takes four teams -- three conference champions plus an at-large bid, which is historically the second-best option from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

That puts BYU in unique athletic-affiliation territory on campus. While the football team clamors for more access to the highest level of play, the BCS stands in the way.

Basketball teams feel vilified by the supposed "power conferences," as well, come postseason time.

But Patchell's program is part of the illustrious MPSF, which comes with perks and pitfalls.

The Cougars, in men's volleyball, don't endure such negative stigmas.

Yet they still clamor for change.

Patchell said a proposal will be made to the NCAA next week, by the MPSF, in the hopes of increasing the championship-level teams from four to eight.

He said everyone in favor would like to see it happen next year, when the tournament is at Stanford, but realistically it could be at least a couple of years away.

Patchell said the move wouldn't cost the NCAA any money, and Stanford has the facilities and hotel numbers to accommodate it.

The move is for obvious reasons. BYU and the MPSF believe that, given more teams a chance to win a title, they would wipe out the eastern competition.

Without saying it so clearly, they tend to believe the teams from the other coast wouldn't stack up.

All Patchell will note is that Penn State, with five all-Americans (three on the first team), lost in five sets in mid-March, on consecutive nights, to Long Beach State and BYU -- a pair of teams in the middle of the MPSF pack.

"That kind of says it all," Patchell said. "We're a little more battle-tested by the time the battles roll around."

Even a couple of Ohio State players agreed, after Irvine trounced them, that MPSF teams probably don't have as much nightly leeway when it comes to winning. Longtime Buckeyes coach Pete Hanson sat at the dais, and even nodded his head.

Patchell mostly laments that his team was "so young," and unable to be in a position where a title was within reach -- at home, no less.

So, yes, that stings. But there's a lot more going on than Irvine-USC, which he expects to be a very good match (Patchell predicts "Cinderella" USC in four sets).

The 1999 BYU national championship team is having a reunion, among other returning players and coaches who are household names in the volleyball community. The godfather of American volleyball, Karch Kiraly, is in town broadcasting with ESPN.

There's a clinic that will be held at noon today by some of the most famous volleyball names in the world.

Patchell believes the school has put on a good show for the local fans, the national followers and upcoming players.

"I think all of this only helps recruiting," he said. "To see Smith Fieldhouse packed on TV ... it gets me fired up thinking about the future."

• Free clinic: In conjunction with the 2009 NCAA Men's Volleyball National Championship, BYU will host a volleyball clinic today at noon. The free clinic will be held on the main court in the BYU Smith Fieldhouse and will feature Beijing Olympic gold medalists Ryan Millar and Rich Lambourne.

In addition to basic volleyball instruction, Millar and Lambourne will share experiences from their time at BYU and with Team USA.

"We appreciate Ryan and Rich sharing their time and talents with the local volleyball community," said BYU Senior Associate Athletic Director Brian Santiago. "We are proud of the volleyball tradition at BYU and are excited to have former players and coaches from the 2008 USA gold medal team join us this week at the NCAA Championship."

Following the clinic, Volley Village -- an interactive carnival -- will open at 2 p.m., in the Smith Fieldhouse Annex. Volley Village is free to the public and features live entertainment, food, prize giveaways, interactive booths and official NCAA Championship merchandise.

Tickets for the championship match are available at the Marriott Center Ticket Office at (801) 422-BYU1 or at BYUtickets.com.