Beach Hits MPSF-Highs in Conference Wins
Jan. 23, 2017 MPSF Volleyball Release 3
LONG BEACH STATE (3-1 MPSF/6-1 Overall) won a two-match home series against Hawaii, 3-2 and 3-0. In the first win, the 49ers stormed back from a two-set hole along with three separate match points in set four en route to handing the Warriors their first loss. Kyle Ensing recorded 24 kills (.404) and 10 digs for a double-double. Josh Tuaniga dished an MPSF season-high 67 assists, guiding another conference season-high 75 team kills. Amir Lugo Rodriguez tied the MPSF season-high nine blocks.ââ'¬¦.On night two, Ensing was 11-for-19 without an error (.579), while the 49ers hit .534 as a team. TJ DeFalco tied a conference-high five aces. The Beach heads to Ohio State to take on St. Francis and the top-ranked Buckeyes (Jan. 27-28).
UCLA (4-0 MPSF/6-1 Overall) stayed unbeaten in the MPSF with a 3-0 sweep of Cal Baptist (Jan. 18) and 3-1 win over USC (Jan. 20), both played at home. Jake Arnitz recorded a team season-high 20 kills, hitting .450 against the Trojans. Mitch Stahl recorded eight blocks to move into seventh-place in total blocks all-time at UCLA (290). JT Hatch had a 13-kill night with just two errors against the Lancers. The Bruins have a two-match series against UCSB this week, Wednesday (Jan. 25) at home on Pac-12 Networks, followed by a visit to the Thunderdome Friday (Jan. 27).
BYU (2-0 MPSF/6-1 Overall) won two matches at CSUN, both in four sets (Jan. 19-20). BYU fought off three set points in the first set of the second win. Mitchel Worthington collected a career-high 14 digs, while Ben Patch led the Cougars with 24 kills on a .415 clip. Patch had 16 kills and seven digs in the first win, ending up with yet another five-kill average for the week. BYU hosts UC Irvine twice this week (Jan. 27-28). Only the first match will count in the conference standings, which will be televised on BYUtv.
STANFORD (1-0 MPSF/4-2 Overall) won its MPSF opener at Pepperdine in four sets (Jan. 20), behind a career-high 21 kills from Jordan Ewert, while also collecting two aces, two blocks, and seven digs. Paul Bischoff recorded his first career double-double with career-highs of 45 assists and 11 digs, while Evan Enriques picked a season-high 13 digs. The Cardinal hosts USC and Cal Baptist this week (Jan. 26-27), with the first match televised on Pac-12 Networks.
UC SANTA BARBARA (3-1 MPSF/6-1 Overall) completed a 6-1 season-opening homestand with a five-set win over USC and straight-set sweep over Cal Baptist. Jacob Delson had 22 kills, hitting .447, and served four aces against the Trojans. Corey Chavers added 14 kills and seven blocks, followed by Keenan Sanders' 10 kills at .643. Delson and Chavers went on for a 15 and 13-kill match respectively against the Lancers. The Gauchos travel to UCLA Wednesday in their first road match of the year, before hosting the Bruins Friday.
HAWAII (1-2 MPSF/6-2 Overall) dropped a two-match road series at Long Beach State (Jan. 18 & 20), nearly pulling off the first match, led by Rado Parapunov's 23 kills (.298) and five blocks. Patrick Gasman led the team with a .727 attack percentage (9-1-11) in the second match. UH bounced back with a four-set win at UC Irvine (Jan. 21) to complete the road trip, led by Stijn van Tilburg's 19 kills with a .485 clip. The Warriors return home to play a two-match non-conference series with Grand View.
UC IRVINE (3-2 MPSF/6-2 Overall) Tamir Hershko (.357) and Thomas Hodges (.379) each recorded 15 kills in leading a five-set win at UC San Diego (Jan. 20). Andrew Benz hit .529 (11-2-17). The Anteaters erased a 10-5 deficit in the fifth in a 17-15 outcome. Hodges tallied a career-high 21 kills (.444) in the 3-1 loss to Hawaii. UCI travels to BYU for two this week, with the first being played as an MPSF match (Jan. 27).
UC SAN DIEGO (0-4 MPSF/1-5 Overall) picked up its first win with a five-set outcome at Concordia (Jan. 21), as Tanner Syftestad recorded 22 kills (.366), one night after a career-high 23. The Tritons, who tallied an MPSF season-high 15.5 blocks in the win, came back from a first set loss and a 2-1 set deficit. UCSD also fought back from a two-set hole at home against UC Irvine (Jan. 20), winning a pair of deuce sets and ultimately reaching match point, before coming up just short. Syftestad's 23 kills was the most by a Triton since 2013. He hit .395 on the night, while serving three aces. UCSD hosts Hope International Saturday.
USC (1-3 MPSF/2-5 Overall) came up short twice on the road, 3-2 at UCSB and 3-1 at UCLA. Lucas Yoder recorded 17 kills, while Aaron Strange had 14 kills and eight digs in Rob Gym. Yoder went on for 15 kills against the Bruins, while Strange added 11 kills, four blocks, and a conference season-high tying 17 digs. USC stays on the road, traveling to Stanford and Pepperdine this week.
CSUN (1-3 MPSF/6-3 Overall) fell in a pair of hard-fought, four-set home matches against BYU (Jan. 19-20). Arvis Greene had a match-high 17 kills (.275), while Dimitar Kalchev added 13 (.360) in the first match. Greene proceeded for 15 kills, five blocks, and two aces in the second match. The Matadors continue their season-long homestand with Cal Lutheran and Hope International this week (Jan. 26-27).
CAL BAPTIST (1-3 MPSF/2-5 Overall) dropped a pair of MPSF road matches at UCLA (Jan. 18) and UCSB (Jan. 20). Logan Czyzewski hit .462 (7-1-13) in Rob Gym. The Lancers stay on the road this week, traveling to Pepperdine and Stanford.
PEPPERDINE (0-1 MPSF/2-2 Overall) was led by Michael Wexter's 13 kills, five digs, five blocks, and two aces in the four-set home loss to Stanford. David Wieczorek added 12 kills. The Waves continue their MPSF homestand against Cal Baptist (Jan. 25) and USC (Jan. 28) this week.