Waves Erase Two-Set Deficit, Host BYU
March 16, 2015 MPSF Volleyball Release 11
PEPPERDINE (10-4 MPSF/14-4 Overall) erased a two-set deficit to beat first-place UC Irvine in five this past Saturday in Malibu (Mar. 14). The Waves also had to fight off two separate match points in the fifth set, ultimately winning 17-15. Pepperdine extended its home win streak to 14 matches, while also handing UCI its first road loss of the year. Josh Taylor delivered a match-high 22 kills with a .390 clip, along with eight digs and a block. MPSF kill leader Parker Kalmbach had 17 kills and five blocks, capped off by the match-clinching roof. The Waves remain home this week for Harvard Tuesday (Mar. 17), followed by two key conference matches with BYU (Mar. 20-21). The Waves and Cougars enter the week in a third-place tie with eight to play.
UC SANTA BARBARA (9-7 MPSF/13-7 Overall) Weston Nielsen had 12 kills (.300) and eight digs in a 3-1 home win over UCLA (Mar. 13). Kevin Donohue tallied 11 kills and served two of his three aces late in set four. Jonah Seif led a .340 team attack, while collecting 37 assists, 10 digs, and six blocks. Gaucho middles Jake Staahl and Ryan Hardy were errorless on the night (14-0-23; .609), as they were the first meeting against UCLA on the road. UCSB, who allows opponents to hit just .194, hosts Concordia (Mar. 25), before visiting USC (Mar. 27) and Cal Baptist (Mar. 28).
HAWAII (12-2 MPSF/17-3 Overall) is the nation's new top-ranked team after extending its win streak to 10 with 3-0 and 3-1 home decisions over Hope International (Mar. 13-14). The Warriors took over the MPSF lead by one-half match following Pepperdine's win over UCI. Scott Hartley accumulated 19 series kills with a .342 hitting clip. Taylor Averill (11-0-13) and Brook Sedore (9-0-12) were both errorless in the four-set win. Averill was also six for eight without an error in the three-set win, and continues to sit as the MPSF hitting leader (.494). Jennings Franciskovic (10.96 A/S) and Kolby Kanetake (2.96 D/S) have taken over the conference lead in their respective categories.
STANFORD (6-8 MPSF/9-11 Overall) won its fourth straight with a 3-0 home result over UC San Diego (Mar. 13), pulling into a tie for the final MPSF playoff spot with eight to play. It was the first straight-set win in MPSF play for the Cardinal. Conrad Kaminski hit .583 with nine kills. Gabriel Vega recorded 10 kills and five digs, and Madison Hayden had nine kills, eight digs, and two aces. Stanford visits CSUN and Long Beach State (Mar. 27-28).
UC IRVINE (12-3 MPSF/18-4 Overall) had its nine-match win streak snapped at Pepperdine (Mar. 14), while also dropping a road match for the first time this year. Zack La Cavera tallied 18 kills, three aces, and nine digs. Tamir Hershko added 15 kills and three aces, and Michael Brinkley picked up a match-high 15 digs. Hershko ranks second in the MPSF in kill (3.79 K/S) and point average (4.42 P/S). The Anteaters are the top hitting (.356) and serving (1.63 A/S) team in the conference.
LONG BEACH STATE (7-8 MPSF/11-9 Overall) won 3-0 over Harvard (Mar. 13) on the first of the two-day Asics Tournament in the Walter Pyramid. Eric Ensing had a career-high 11 kills, along with seven digs and two blocks. John Henry was five for an errorless nine (career-high .556), and chipped in five blocks. Dan Glamack had 11 kills and six blocks on night two vs. Penn State. Taylor Gregory also had six blocks in that match. The 49ers host Cal Baptist and USC this week as MPSF resumes.
USC (9-5 MPSF/11-6 Overall) Alex Slaught recorded 14 kills (.417) and Josh Kirchner 13 kills (.333) in a four-set home win over Lindenwood (Mar. 12). Micah Christenson had a double-double on 45 assists and 14 digs, and served four of the 11 Trojan aces. He is the MPSF leader in aces per set (0.52), serving 33 on the year. Robert Feathers is second in hitting (.461).
CSUN (3-10 MPSF/6-13 Overall) Snapped an eight-match slide with a 3-1 win over Harvard, played at Long Beach State (Mar. 14). Greg Faulkner (13K, 10B) and Kyle Stevenson (11K, 11D) each recorded double-doubles. Faulkner hit .579 with the 13 kills. Travis Magorien served three of the six team aces, and Jakub Ciesla had a match-high 17 kills, along with eight digs.
UCLA (6-8 MPSF/10-8 Overall) Christian Hessenauer had a match-high 17 kills along with seven digs at UCSB (Mar. 13). JT Hatch had a 13-kill, 10-dig double-double. The Bruins, tied for the final playoff spot with eight to play, visit Cal Baptist (Mar. 26) and USC (Mar. 28).
CAL BAPTIST (2-12 MPSF/6-14 Overall) Roy Powell had 24 kills with a .465 hitting attack against Lindenwood (Mar. 14). Giovanni Llinas Rosa and Jonathan Tuttle added 11 kills apiece, with the former chipping in nine digs and the latter three aces. Caleb Miller tallied seven blocks.
UC SAN DIEGO (0-15 MPSF/2-19 Overall) Bryan Zhu posted 10 blocks and Tanner Syftestad eight in three sets at Stanford (Mar. 13). Zhu's 10 blocks were the second-most this year in the MPSF for a three-set match. It was also a UCSD rally-scoring record for three sets. The Tritons won the team block that night, 14-4. UCSD hosts Hawaii, Mar. 27-28.
BYU (10-4 MPSF/13-5 Overall) is coming off a bye week and travels to Pepperdine for two, Mar. 20-21. Michael Hatch totaled 10 blocks in his seven sets at Stanford (Mar. 6-7), while Jaylen Reyes picked up a series-high 26 digs (3.25 D/S). Matt Underwood recorded 18 kills (.300) on the second night, a career-high. Reyes' 18 digs on night two was also a career-best. BYU continues to lead the conference with 3.16 blocks per set. Hatch records a high of 1.42 per set.