UH, USC, and BYU Defeat Top-Four
Jan. 19, 2015 MPSF Volleyball Release 3
HAWAII (2-0 MPSF/5-1 Overall) won its MPSF openers, both in four sets, over No. 3 UC Santa Barbara in Honolulu (Jan. 16 & 18) to snap a seven-match slide to the Gauchos. Taylor Averill hit a combined .513 (25-5-39) with 10 total blocks (1.25 B/S) through the eight sets. Davis Holt followed with a .481 series attack (16-3-27) along with 12 blocks. Brooke Sedore combined for 32 kills while hitting .391. Jennings Franciskovic set 2015 MPSF-highs of 58 and 57 assists each night (14.38 A/S), leading to a .356 Hawaii series hitting percentage. The Warriors also averaged three blocks per set over the two wins.
BYU (2-0 MPSF/3-1 Overall) extended its home winning streak to 28 matches with 3-0 and 3-1 outcomes over No. 4 UCLA in the MPSF openers (Jan. 16-17). Tim Dobbert turned in an errorless attack the first night, 11-for-18 hitting (.611), also adding three aces, three blocks, and nine digs. The Cougars hit .400 on Friday. Jake Langlois had 14 kills and 13 digs on Saturday, and Dobbert 13 kills along with 10 digs (first career double-double). BYU hit .333 in that match, but more importantly after dropping the first set, built on a late 5-1 run in the second set for a .529 clip (31-4-51) through sets three and four.
USC (1-0 MPSF/2-0 Overall) setter Micah Christenson served five of the 11 Trojan aces in a four-set MPSF and home-opening win over No. 2 Pepperdine (Jan. 16). He dished 43 assists and picked up 11 digs for the double-double, while the five aces shares a 2015 conference-high. Three Trojans' were in double-digit kills, led by Christopher Orenic's 14. Alex Slaught also had a double-double on 10 kills and 11 digs.
UC IRVINE (1-0 MPSF/5-1 Overall) takes a five-match, 13-set win streak into the week, coming off straight-set wins over George Mason and Long Beach State. Zack La Cavera hit .562 (10-1-16) in the MPSF opener, while Kyle Russell had a match-high 13 kills (.391). Michael Saeta collected 37 assists in the Walter Pyramid, setting the Anteaters to a .349 attack, and served three aces. UC Irvine has hit at least .300 in eight of its last nine sets, and .375 over the five-match win streak.
CSUN (1-0 MPSF/3-2 Overall) held a hitting advantage of .301-.027 in its 3-0 MPSF-opening win over UC San Diego at home (Jan. 16). Damani Lenore was the high man with 12 kills (.348), followed by Sam Holt with 11 kills (.318). Brian O'Gorman had six blocks, as the Matadors totaled 10 for the night. On Jan. 13, CSUN also held George Mason to a very minimal attack (.032), with Holt leading the offense on14 kills at .423 in the straight-set victory.
STANFORD (1-0 MPSF/2-2 Overall) came back from a 2-1 set deficit at Cal Baptist to win in five on Jan. 16. Daniel Tublin accumulated 15 kills and 10 digs for the double-double. James Shaw dished 37 assists, had seven blocks, five digs, and was five for an errorless eight on attack. Conrad Kaminski hit .625 (11-1-16), served two aces, and added four blocks.
PEPPERDINE (1-1 MPSF/5-1 Overall) won 3-0 at Cal Baptist on Jan. 14 in its MPSF opener, behind strong attacks from Josh Taylor at .615 (9-1-13) and Parker Kalmbach at .500 (10-2-16).
LONG BEACH STATE (1-1 MPSF/4-1 Overall) hit .396 to win 3-0 at home over UC San Diego (Jan. 14) in kicking off the MPSF schedule. Cody Martin delivered 14 kills at .379, while Dan Glamack was 13 for an errorless 20 (.650). The 49ers hit at least .360 in each of the sets.
UCLA (0-2 MPSF/3-2 Overall) Jackson Bantle picked up a match-high 15 digs and Trent Kersten a match-high five blocks on the second night in Provo. Mitch Stahl was six for an errorless nine (.667) with two aces in the first match.
UC SANTA BARBARA (0-2 MPSF/4-2 Overall) Kevin Donohue accumulated a series-high 34 kills (.370), as did Ryan Hardy with 13 blocks (1.63 B/S), in the two matches at Hawaii.
CAL BAPTIST (0-2 MPSF/2-3 Overall) Giovanni Llinas Rosa picked up a match-high 13 digs against Stanford, while also putting away 10 kills for the double-double. Three other Lancers had double-figure kills, led by Jonathan Tuttle's 17. Daniel Maurer recorded a match-high eight blocks, and Enrique Garcia hit .450 (12-3-20) with seven blocks.
UC SAN DIEGO (0-2 MPSF/1-3 Overall) Tyler Bird collected a match-high 11 digs at CSUN (Jan. 16).