Patch Leads BYU Rally at No. 1 UC Irvine
March 4, 2013
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BYU (12-2 MPSF, 13-3 Overall) pulled off a remarkable comeback win at top-ranked UC Irvine this past Friday, snapping an 11-match Anteater win streak. The Cougars were down two sets, and 19-14 in the third, and proceeded to win 25-23 twice and a 15-11 fifth. Ben Patch delivered 35 kills (.375), a BYU rally-scoring record, and the most the MPSF has seen since UCI's Carson Clark had the same amount on January 21, 2011. Coming off a 3-0 win at UC San Diego the following night, and a .455 clip from Patch (11-1-22), BYU sits one match on top of the standings with 10 to play, hosting Cal Baptist for two on BYU TV, Mar. 8-9.
UC IRVINE (12-4 MPSF, 15-4 Overall) Collin Mehring set a school record and tied an MPSF season-high 14 blocks, adding 11 kills at .556 for a double-double against BYU. Kevin Tillie also had a double-double with 20 kills and 11 digs, along with four aces and five blocks. Mehring had 10 blocks in the five-set win over Cal Baptist. With each team one back of BYU, the Anteaters visit Long Beach State Saturday (Mar. 9). UCI took the first two meetings this year in three and five sets.
LONG BEACH STATE (11-3 MPSF, 13-4 Overall) returned the favor after an earlier 3-0 loss at UCSB, by sweeping the Gauchos in the Walter Pyramid last Friday. Taylor Crabb had a match-high 13 kills (.300). Connor Olbright set 35 assists, moving into eighth all-time at LBSU (2,271), and added 11 digs for the double-double. Percentage points ahead of UC Irvine for second entering the week, the 49ers host the Anteaters Saturday, following a Wednesday home match with UC San Diego.
STANFORD (9-6 MPSF, 12-6 Overall) won three MPSF matches this past week, 3-1 at Cal Baptist, followed by a pair of five-set home outcomes over Pepperdine and USC. Brian Cook hit a collective .391 (57-14-110) for the week, capped off by a 20-kill, four-ace, nine-dig, and six-block match against the Trojans. Steven Irvin served six aces against the Waves, tying a conference season-high. The Cardinal heads to UC Santa Barbara and UCLA this weekend (Mar. 8 & 10).
CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE (7-6 MPSF, 9-6 Overall) John Baker accumulated 34 kills (4.25 K/S) while hitting .338 over the two-match series sweep at Hawaii, the program's first such achievement since 1991. The win at the Stan Sheriff Center on Friday was also a first since 2003. Drew Staker combined for 11 blocks (1.38 B/S). The Matadors have gone over .500 in conference play for the first time this year, and are in sole possession of sixth, just one back in the win column from the top-four.
PEPPERDINE (9-6 MPSF, 9-6 Overall) split in Northern California, taking a 3-1 win at Pacific. Maurice Torres had 20 kills and eight digs in the win, before Parker Kalmbach hit .500 (12-1-22) at Stanford. The Waves host Hope International Friday.
UC SANTA BARBARA (5-10 MPSF, 7-12 Overall) Evan Licht recorded 18 kills in the 3-1 win at UCLA. Miles Evans added 12 kills and Austin Kingi had 10 kills, seven digs, and six blocks. Stanford and Pacific visit this weekend.
CAL BAPTIST (4-7 MPSF, 7-9 Overall) won 3-0 over UC San Diego, avenging an earlier loss to the Tritons. Levi Cabral was 11 for an errorless 24 swinging (.458). Rocky DeLyon was nine for an errorless 16 with seven blocks and Guilherme Koepp had 17 kills, 12 digs, and four aces at UCI. The Lancers host Pacific, and then travels to BYU for two this week.
USC (4-9 MPSF, 4-9 Overall) Micah Christenson collected 54 assists, 19 digs (one shy of the conference season-high), and four aces, while Tanner Jansen had 21 kills to lead a 3-1 win at Pacific. Robert Feathers hit .500 (16-4-24). Jansen came back for a match-high 23 kills at Stanford. The Trojans travel to Hawaii for two on Friday and Sunday.
UCLA (7-7 MPSF, 11-9 Overall) Spencer Rowe had career-highs of 16 kills and two aces, middle hitting at a .519 rate, in last Wednesday's home match vs. UCSB. The Bruins host Pacific Friday (Mar. 8) and Stanford on Pac-12 Networks Sunday (Mar. 10).
UC SAN DIEGO (3-11 MPSF, 6-13 Overall) Carl Eberts had 15 kills, eight digs, and two aces, while Nick Iorfino hit .421 (10-2-19) vs. BYU. The Tritons visit Long Beach State and CS Northridge this week.
HAWAII (4-10 MPSF, 5-12 Overall) Brook Sedore totaled 30 kills and six aces, while Taylor Averill collected 11 blocks in the two-match series with CS Northridge. The Warriors stay home this week, as USC comes in for two, Mar. 8 & 10.
PACIFIC (3-9 MPSF, 5-9 Overall) Taylor Hughes had 20 kills (.333) against Pepperdine and Tommy Carmody recorded 10 blocks vs. USC. The Tigers visit Cal Baptist Wednesday.
BEN PATCH MPSF MOLTEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BYU freshman opposite Ben Patch (Provo, UT/Provo HS) repeats this honor by virtue of a 2013 conference-high and rally-scoring program record 35 kills at No. 1 UC Irvine, hitting .375, followed by a .455 effort at UC San Diego (11-1-22). Patch had a hand on the last six Cougar points (five kills, one block) of the third set at UCI to fuel the comeback. He tacked on 13 digs, eight blocks, and two aces for the week. No other MPSF player since January 21, 2011 (Carson Clark, UCI) recorded as many kills (35) or points (37.5) in a single-match. Nominated: Brian Cook (STAN); Collin Mehring (UCI); Connor Olbright (LBSU); John Baker (CSUN)...