Match Stats
- #2 UCLA def. #13 Penn State 3-0 – 25-18, 25-22, 25-17
- UCLA (2-0), Penn State
- AVCA Showcase – Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge
- Columbus, Ohio
#2 UCLA was a dominate force to be reckoned with against #13 Penn State, taking them down in a three set sweep.
UCLA’s Daenan Gyimah put down 10 kills on a .500 hitting percentage adding five blocks, while Mitch Stahl added nine hitting for .467. Michael Fisher and Micah Ma’a picked up seven digs.
For Penn State, Chris Nugent hammered down 10 kills, while Royce Clemens picked up a match-best eight digs.
Press Release
Courtesy of UCLA Athletics
UCLA men’s volleyball improved its record to 2-0 on the young season after dealing No. 13 Penn State a 3-0 setbackon Friday afternoon in the first round of the AVCA Showcase – Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge being held at Columbus, Ohio, site of this year’s Men’s NCAA Volleyball Championships. Scores of the match were 25-18, 25-22, 25-17.
UCLA hit over .300 for each set and was led by freshman middle blocker Daenan Gyimah‘s 10 kills (.500). Senior middle Mitch Stahl added nine kills (.467). The second-ranked Bruins will now face top-ranked and defending national champ Ohio State on Saturday at 3 p.m. Pacific time (the match will be televised live by the Big Ten Network).
In set one, UCLA jumped out to an 8-3 lead behind the serving of Michael Fisher and JT Hatch. Penn State rallied to level the score at 9.Gyimah then helped UCLA regain control of the match with a block for a 16-13 lead and a pair of aces which moved the Bruins into a 20-16 advantage. A Stahl block, with Hatch, and another put away by Stahl gave the set to UCLA by a 25-18 margin. The Bruins outhit the Nittany Lions .346 to .148.
In the second set, Penn State broke away from an early deadlock to take leads of 8-10 and 10-12. Gyimah and Stahl teamed up on a block to move the Bruins back in front at 13-12. After the teams were tied up at 20-all, Hagen Smith‘s off-speed shot gave UCLA some separation at 23-21. Smith and Stahl’s block provided the winning point in a 25-22 victory. The Bruins hit .312 for the set to .167 for PSU
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UCLA broke an early tie and took a 5-2 lead after a couple of PSU errors. The Bruins led 7-3 after an ace by Gyimah and 12-6 after a kill by Stahl. Penn State closed to 14-11, but back-to-back kills by Stahl made it 20-15 Bruins. Hatch’s cross court kill made it 24-17 and the Bruins closed out the match on a PSU error at 25-17.
Hatch totaled five kills, two aces and a couple of blocks. Fisher finished with four kills, two blocks, seven digs and an ace. Micah Ma’a also had four kills, seven digs and two blocks. Smith recorded two kills, 19 set assists and four blocks. UCLA outblocked PSU 9.5 to 2.0. The Bruins will open up the home schedule next Thursday when they host No. 8 UC Irvine in a 7:30 p.m. MPSF match to be played in Pauley Pavilion.
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