BYU Wins Two, Up One-Half Match
Feb. 23, 2015 MPSF Volleyball Release 8
BYU (10-2 MPSF/11-3 Overall) Michael Hatch hit .500 in the middle (11-1-20), and collected 12 blocks, in a two-match series home win over Long Beach State. Nine of his 12 series blocks came on the first night's 3-0 win. Hatch is the MPSF leader in blocking average (1.35 B/S). The Cougars as a team average a conference-best 3.12 blocks per set. First-place BYU, who remains home to face Ball State for two this week, has reached 34 straight wins in Provo.
HAWAII (8-2 MPSF/11-3 Overall) won a pair of four-set home matches over CSUN (Feb. 20-22). The Warriors are within one match in the win column of first-place. In the first win, Brook Sedore served a 2015 MPSF single-match high six aces. He added another on night two for a seven-ace weekend, and accumulated a series-high 42 kills (5.25 K/S). Taylor Averill recorded a .457 series clip (28-7-46) with 12 blocks (1.50 B/S). Kolby Kanetake scooped up 35 total digs (4.38 D/S), including a conference-best 21 in the first match. Sedore is the MPSF leader in point average (4.62 P/S), while Averill is second in hitting (.467) and blocking (1.33 B/S).
UC SANTA BARBARA (6-5 MPSF/10-5 Overall) swept two more MPSF matches last week, hosting USC and Cal Baptist (Feb. 18-20). The Gauchos have won their last 11 consecutive sets, spanning through four conference matches. Weston Nielsen recorded 12 kills in each contest last week, hitting 304 against the Trojans and .526 against the Lancers, and .405 through the six sets. He served the last six points of a late third set comeback vs. USC, starting the run down three at 19-22, and capping it off with the 25-22 win. Jake Staahl leads the MPSF in hitting (.471).
UCLA (4-5 MPSF/8-5 Overall) won two conference home matches, in three sets over Cal Baptist (Feb. 17) and four over USC (Feb. 22). Jake Arnitz hit .340 for the week (23-6-50), along with four aces and six blocks. Setter Hagen Smith recorded a career-high 11 blocks vs. USC, as the Bruins totaled 15 for the night. UCLA, tied for the conference lead in ace average (1.78 A/S), served nine vs. USC. Christian Hessenauer served four of the nine, and recorded a double-double on 12 kills and 13 digs.
UC IRVINE (9-2 MPSF/14-3 Overall) came back from a 2-1 set deficit, each of which went extra points, and ultimately won in five at Stanford (Feb. 20). Within one-half match of first-place in the win column, the Anteaters have won five straight, heading home against UCLA and UCSB this week. Tamir Hershko recorded a season-high 22 kills, while Zack La Cavera added 19, along with four aces and a career-high 13 digs. Travis Woloson had a career-high 12 kills and Michael Brinkley picked up 12 digs. UCI leads the MPSF in team hitting (.352) and aces (112).
PEPPERDINE (8-2 MPSF/12-2 Overall) Matt West became the second Wave all-time to surpass 4,000 career assists, dishing 41 (13.67 A/S) in a straight-set home win over UC San Diego (Feb. 20). Pepperdine hit .455 for the night. West joins current assistant Jon Winder in Malibu's 4,000-assist club. West added four aces (two of which were set clinchers), along with seven digs. Pepperdine, one match from first-place in the win column, is allowing opponents to hit a conference low of .185.
STANFORD (3-7 MPSF/5-10 Overall) Madison Hayden had a double-double evening on 23 kills and 12 digs against UC Irvine, as the Cardinal took MPSF leader UC Irvine to five sets. Conrad Kaminski added 11 kills, four aces, and six blocks. Stanford won a four-set non-conference home tilt with Hope International (Feb. 21), with Kaminski eight for an errorless 12 (.667) and Kevin Rakestraw seven for an errorless nine (.778) along with five blocks.
USC (8-4 MPSF/9-4 Overall) is two matches out of first-place and is off this week. Jon Rivera had 15 kills (.286), six digs, and five blocks at UCLA. Micah Christenson, who did not play in the UCLA match, is the Trojan leader in assists (10.52 A/S), aces (23, 0.48 A/S, T-2nd in MPSF), dig average (1.90 D/S), and blocks (46).
LONG BEACH STATE (5-6 MPSF/8-6 Overall) Cody Martin recorded a 14-kill, 13-dig double-double in the second match at BYU (Feb. 21). He hit .407 that night (14-3-27), while Dan Glamack had a match-high 17 kills (.270). Libero Ryan Windisch is the MPSF leader in digs per set (2.96 D/S).
CSUN (3-8 MPSF/5-10 Overall) put up a couple of four-set battles at Hawaii, particularly the first night, going back-to-back 30-28 scores in set three and four. Matador kill leader Sam Holt (3.57 K/S), one of three MPSF players to reach 200 entering the week, had 23 in the series (3.29 K/S). Josiah Byars totaled a series-high 13 blocks (1.63 B/S).
CAL BAPTIST (1-12 MPSF/3-13 Overall) Enrique Garcia had six blocks at UCLA (Feb. 17). He ranks third in the MPSF with a 1.31 per set average, owning 64 on the year.
UC SAN DIEGO (0-10 MPSF/1-13 Overall) Tanner Syftestad recorded 12 kills (.300) at Pepperdine. Tyler Bird picked up 10 digs and ranks third in the conference with 2.46 per set.