UCSD Posts First-Ever Win at Stanford

2/14/2011 12:00:00 AM

Feb. 14, 2011

PEPPERDINE (2-5 MPSF, 4-5 overall) erased two separate match points to outlast top-ranked and unbeaten USC at home last Friday, 3-2, and 17-15 in the fifth. Maurice Torres led with 17 kills and four aces, while Beau Vandeweghe put away a career-high 15 kills with a .545 attack. Matt Pollock also hit .545, errorless on 22 swings, with seven blocks. Cory Riecks became the 16th Wave to reach 1,000 career kills. Pacific and Stanford visit Firestone Fieldhouse this weekend.

CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE (2-5 MPSF, 3-9 overall) came back from a two-set deficit, totaling just 27 points in that stretch, to shock No. 2 Long Beach State in five sets at home last Friday. Drew Staker and Greg Faulkner each led the Matadors with 10 kills, with the former errorless on an .833 attack and recording the match-winning block. CS Northridge travels south to face UC Irvine and UC San Diego this weekend (Feb. 18-19).

UC SAN DIEGO (3-5 MPSF, 6-8 overall) used a season-high .477 hitting attack to win for the first time ever at Stanford in straight sets. The outcome also marked the first for a visiting team in Palo Alto in 18 matches, and was the first for the Tritons over the Cardinal since April '06. Five Tritons' hit over .400, led by Calvin Ross at .600 (7-1-12). Carl Eberts knocked down a match-high 15 kills. UCSD controlled the block, 10-3. LBSU and CSN visit this weekend.

UC SANTA BARBARA (6-4 MPSF, 8-5 overall) picked up a pair of 3-1 wins over UCLA this past week, Wednesday in Westwood and Friday at home. The Gauchos hit .409 on the road, guided by a .789 first set. Jeff Menzel delivered match-highs in kills each night, 17 (.367) and 18 (.333), and served the match-clinching ace in the first win. Trey Valbuena added 10 kills at .692. Cullen Irons had16 kills and seven digs at home. BYU visits UCSB for two this week.

PACIFIC (2-5 MPSF, 6-7 overall) split a pair of home matches, with the victory coming in four sets over UC San Diego last Thursday. Florian Gornik and Taylor Hughes combined for 27 of the 46 Tiger kills in the win, while Sean Daley stuffed 10 balls. Pacific dominated the team hitting (.333-.183) and blocking (17.5-7.5) in snapping a six-match skid to the Tritons. Adam Troy had 11 kills (.400) in the loss to UC Irvine. Pacific travels to Pepperdine and USC this weekend.

STANFORD (6-3 MPSF, 9-3 overall) bounced back from the home loss to UC San Diego in coming from behind to edge UC Irvine, 3-2. The Cardinal delivered an errorless fifth set on a .600 attack (9-0-15). Brad Lawson turned in match-high 23 kills (.442) and career-high 16 digs. Spencer McLachlin also put away a 20-kill evening with eight digs. Stanford visits USC and Pepperdine this week.

UC IRVINE (3-5 MPSF, 6-8 overall) split in Northern California, winning 3-0 at Pacific before the 3-2 loss at Stanford. Carson Clark hit .455 with a match-high 19 kills in the win, while Cory Yoder added 12 (.346). Scott Kevorken recorded a career-high 13 kills (.571) with seven blocks in the loss. Jordan Dufault added a double-double on 14 kills and 10 digs. The Anteaters host Long Beach State Wednesday (Feb. 16).

HAWAII (3-3 MPSF, 5-6 overall) delivered a team attack of .486 last Friday in a 3-0 sweep of Cal Baptist. Jonas Umlauft hit a career-best .600 (18-3-25) while Josh Walker was next at .562 (10-1-16). Brennon Dyer was errorless at .538 (7-0-13). In the 3-1 win over the Lancers on Maui Saturday, Umlauft and Walker offered 20 and 17 more kills, respectively. The Warriors travel to UCLA for two this week, Thursday (Feb. 17) and Saturday (Feb. 19).

BYU (6-2 MPSF, 9-2 overall) Kevin Sagers served up a school record eight aces in a 3-2 loss at Loyola-Chicago last Friday. He also had 10 kills while Robb Stowell recorded 19. Stowell then added a match-high 14 kills (.370) as the Cougars recovered in a sweep at Lewis the next night. BYU stays on the road and returns to the MPSF for two at UC Santa Barbara this week.

UCLA (2-6 MPSF, 7-7 overall) dropped two matches to UC Santa Barbara last week, both in four sets. Kyle Caldwell led the home contest with 16 kills on a .400 night, along with a career-high four aces. Weston Dunlap led the road match with 12 kills on a .417 clip. The Bruins host Hawaii for two this week, Thursday (Feb. 17) and Saturday (Feb. 19).

USC (6-1 MPSF, 6-1 overall) came up short for the first time in 2011, 3-2 at Pepperdine. Murphy Troy pounded a match-high 29 kills (.435). Tri Bourne added 15 kills (.361) and six blocks. The Trojans host Stanford Thursday (Feb. 17) and Pacific Saturday (Feb. 19).

LONG BEACH STATE (5-2 MPSF, 6-4 overall) was defeated in five sets at CS Northridge last Friday, as Jim Baughman recorded 20 kills on a .444 attack, along with nine blocks. Antwain Aguillard also had nine blocks on the way to a 19.5 team total. Taylor Crabb added 13 kills. The 49ers head to UC Irvine Wednesday and UC San Diego Friday.

BEAU VANDEWEGHE MPSF MOLTEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Pepperdine redshirt sophomore outside hitter Beau Vandeweghe (Carlsbad, CA/La Costa Canyon HS), in his first start of the 2011 season, tallied a career-best 15 kills on a .545 attack percentage to help lift Pepperdine over previously undefeated and top-ranked USC. Vandeweghe was a perfect 26-for-26 on serve-receive and recorded five blocks and four digs defense. Also Nominated: Jeff Menzel (UCSB); Sebastian Brady (UCSD); Spencer McLachlin (STAN); Jonas Umlauft (UH)