UCLA Hosts UCSB Tuesday on Pac-12 Networks
Jan. 20, 2014
MPSF Volleyball Release 3
UCLA (2-0 MPSF/5-1 Overall) rides a five-match win streak entering the week, hosting UC Santa Barbara Tuesday (Jan. 21) on Pac-12 Networks, featuring two of the four MPSF unbeatens. The Bruins claimed a five-set outcome over No. 1 Stanford, each set tightly contested, followed by a three-set decision over Pacific. Robart Page totaled 40 kills for the weekend (5.00 K/S), while hitting .363. He had 2014 conference-highs of 26 kills and 29.5 points against Stanford, while Steve O'Dell dished an MPSF season-high 61 assists.
UC SANTA BARBARA (2-0 MPSF, 3-0 Overall) improved to 3-0 with a straight-set win over Pacific and five-set win over top-ranked Stanford. Austin Kingi recorded six of his 15 kills in set four against the Cardinal to ignite a 2-1 set comeback. He also served four aces against the Tigers, and hit .476 (11-1-21). The Gauchos head to UCLA Tuesday and host UCI Saturday.
BYU (4-0 MPSF/4-2 Overall) stayed unbeaten in the MPSF with road wins at UC Irvine, 3-2, and UC San Diego, 3-0. The Cougars were down 2-1 in sets in Irvine. Taylor Sander accumulated 38 kills (.305) and 14 digs over the eight sets for the week. Most impressively, he fired an all-era BYU record nine aces in La Jolla, which also ties for third all-time in the conference for a single match. The Cougars served 15 aces for the match, the most for an MPSF team since Feb. 19, 2009 (CSUN, 17). Carson Heninger had career-highs 17 kills and .419 hitting at UCI. BYU returns home for Stanford and Pacific this weekend on BYUtv.
PEPPERDINE (3-0 MPSF, 3-0 Overall) stormed back from a first set overtime loss at USC last Thursday to win the conference match in four, and became the nation's new top-ranked team. Parker Kalmbach recorded the first MPSF triple-double of the year, also the first in nearly one full calendar year and just the fourth since 2007 for the conference (another of which also done by a Wave in 2010, Maurice Torres). Kalmbach posted 10 blocks, 11 kills, and 13 digs to achieve the rare feat. The Waves visit Northridge and Long Beach this week.
USC (2-1 MPSF/3-1 Overall) came back to take the final two sets against UC Irvine last Tuesday (Jan. 14) in a 3-2 MPSF home win. Senior libero Henry Cassiday recorded a 36-dig week (4.00 D/S), including 21 in a home loss to Pepperdine. That single-match total was the most the conference has seen in nearly two full years (Nick Castello-22, UH; 1/27/12). He had no reception errors over the nine sets. Andy Benesh had a conference season-best .789 hitting clip, without an error, vs. UCI (15-0-19). The Trojans visit CS Northridge and Long Beach State this week.
HAWAII (1-1 MPSF/3-2 Overall) split two at home with No. 4 Long Beach State, falling in three, before overcoming a 2-1 set deficit to win in five in the rematch. Brook Sedore combined for a 40-kill series (5.00 K/S) at .337, producing a 24-kill (.396), 11-dig double-double on night two's comeback win. UC San Diego visits Friday and Sunday this week.
LONG BEACH STATE (2-2 MPSF/3-2 Overall) split two at Hawaii, winning in three and falling in five. Taylor Crabb recorded a double-double in the five-set match on 22 kills and 10 digs. The 49ers host Pepperdine and USC this week.
UC IRVINE (1-3 MPSF/4-4 Overall) is in the MPSF win column with a straight-set home victory over Cal Baptist. UCI hit a 2014 MPSF-Best .514 (45-8-72) for the match. Zack La Cavera had 15 kills at .500, while Connor Hughes was eight for an errorless 13 (.615). Tamir Hershko had a match-high 22 kills at USC earlier in the week, and Collin Mehring was 12 for an errorless 16 (.750) with seven blocks.
CAL BAPTIST (1-3 MPSF/1-4 Overall) Johannes Brink posted a 24-kill (.372), 10-dig double-double in a marathon five-set MPSF home win over UC San Diego, 20-18 in the fifth. Kristopher Johnson added 15 kills with a .650 attack, and Rocky DeLyon served four aces. Johnson hit .645 for the week (22-2-31).
STANFORD (0-2 MPSF/3-2 Overall) came up just short twice in five sets at UCLA and UC Santa Barbara. Steven Irvin collected 38 kills over the 10 sets with a .308 clip. Stanford stays on the road this week, taking on BYU and Cal Baptist.
PACIFIC (0-2 MPSF/1-4 Overall) fell in three at UCSB and UCLA. Christian Franceschi was the single-match high man with seven kills (.263) vs. the Bruins.
UC SAN DIEGO (0-4 MPSF/0-5 Overall) dropped conference matches at Cal Baptist and at home to BYU. Johl Awerkamp had 18 kills (.333) against the Lancers. Mathew Schnitzer added 13 (.391)
CS NORTHRIDGE (1-1 MPSF/1-2 Overall) is coming off a bye week and now faces Pepperdine and USC at home.