MATCH STATS
- #4 UCLA def. #2 UCI, 3-2 (21-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-16, 16-14)
- UCLA improves to 4-0; UCI falls to 2-1
- Los Angeles, California
- Attendance: 805
- Box score
LOS ANGELES – In their first non-conference match against each other, #4 UCLA pulled off the rare “reverse sweep”—winning three straight sets after dropping the first two—in a five-set win over previously undefeated UCI 3-2 (21-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-16, 16-14). After pounding 14 kills in the first set, the Anteaters could not break double digits in any other set, totaling 29 kills the rest of the way. Meanwhile, UCLA hit .714 and .588, respectively, in the final two sets to seal the win.
UCLA was led by Daenan Gyimah (pronounced JIM-mah) with 13 kills on 19 errorless swings, hitting .684, a match-high for all attackers. Gyimah also contributed 3 aces, a match-high-tying 3 blocks and 3 digs in the win. 13 kills also came off the hand of fellow Bruin Christian Hessenauer in only 4 sets of play. Hessenauer hit .524 (13-2-21) on the night. Setter Micah Ma’a had UCLA’s only double-double Wednesday night, dishing out 48 assists and digging 10 balls. Dylan Missry narrowly missed a double-double, adding 9 kills, scooping 10 balls and pounding a match- and career-high 5 aces. Colin Bailey also added a match-high-tying 3 blocks for the Bruins in only 2 sets of play.
UCI’s offensive leader, Karl Apfelbach, carried the brunt of the kills for the visiting squad, finishing with 14 on the night. No other Anteater had more than 7. Setter Dante Chakravorti led the team in two categories, with 29 assists and a career-high 14 digs, garnering the only double-double for UCI. Matthew Younggren had a match-high-tying 3 blocks on the night. Outside hitter JB Kam dug 12 balls on the evening, while libero David Parker had 10.
In all, UCLA’s service pressure decided the match. Their 31 service errors were offset by 13 aces, while UCI could only serve 3. UCLA also outhit UCI, .317-.243 and outblocked the visitors, 6.5-5.
UCLA’s next match against UCSB on Friday evening will be postponed due to mudslides closing the 101 freeway. UCLA hits the road in their next contest at UCSD on Tuesday, January 16.
PRESS RELEASES
Courtesy of UCLA Athletics
The No. 3 men’s volleyball team rallied from a two-set deficit to take down No. 5-ranked UC Irvine (2-1) from the Big West Conference and win its fourth straight match to open the 2018 season on Wednesday night in Pauley Pavilion. Scores of the match were 21-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-16, 16-14.
Seniors JT Hatch and Christian Hessenauer provided the spark to turn the Bruin fortunes around. Hatch had five kills in set three and Hessenauer totaled seven kills in set four to help send the match the distance. Hatch added three kills and a block in set five, while Hessenauer added a couple of kills. UCLA is now 4-0 on the year and will next play in a non-league match at UC San Diego on Tuesday night. Friday’s scheduled match against UC Santa Barbara has been postponed due to the road closures along the 101 freeway.
In the deciding set, UCLA broke a 4-all tie on a dump kill by setter Micah Ma’a and then took a 6-4 lead after an Irvine error. The Bruins owned a 10-7 lead after a Hatch kill, but the visitors came back to even the score at 11 each. Kills by Hatch and then Ma’a lifted the Bruins into a 13-11 advantage, but UCI fought back to tie the score at 14. Hessenauer came through with a kill for a 15-14 lead and then UCLA took the match after an ace by Ma’a.
UCLA hit just .200 in set one and .105 in set two. Coach John Speraw then made some lineup changes, inserting freshman Garland Peed at libero and freshman Ian Parish at middle blocker. Hatch switched from libero to an outside hitter role and Hessenauer reclaimed his spot at opposite. The moves worked as the Bruins hit .273 in set three and then .714 with no errors on 21 swings. In set five, UCLA hit .588 with just one error in 17 swings.
Set three was a tight battle throughout. A couple of Hatch kills broke a 16-all tie and handed UCLA the lead for good in the set. The Bruins wrapped up the set on a swing by Hessenauer. In set four, UCLA moved to a 7-3 lead and then pulled away to a 19-11 advantage before settling for a 25-16 decision after a kill by Dylan Missry.
Hessenauer (.524) and Daenan Gyimah (.684), who added three blocks, led UCLA with 13 kills apiece. Missry, who totaled a career-best five aces, and Ma’a, who had 48 set assists, topped the dig list with 10 each. UCLA won the blocking battle 6.5 yo 5.0 and outhit the Anteaters .317 to .243 for the match.
Courtesy of UC Irvine Athletics
LOS ANGELES, Calif – No. 5 UC Irvine could not contain the UCLA serve late and fell to the third-ranked Bruins, 3-2 (21-25, 19-25, 25-20, 25-16, 16-14) in a non-conference match at Pauley Pavilion Wednesday night.
UCI suffers its first loss (2-1) of the season, watching UCLA fire 13 service aces, including 11 over the last three sets. The Bruins did not commit an error in the fourth set, hitting .714 (15-0-21 and just one in the fifth, .588 (11-1-17).
Opposite Karl Apfelbach led the Anteaters with a match-high 14 kills. Aaron Koubi made his debut, putting away seven kills over the last three sets. Outside hitter Reid Dominguez matched Koubi with a season-high seven kills. Middle blocker Scott Stadickrecorded five kills and two blocks, while middle blocker Matthew Younggren had a team-high three total blocks to go with three kills. Setter Dante Chakravorti totaled 29 set assists and a team and career-high 14 digs.
UCLA (4-0) was led by Daenan Gyimah and Christian Hessenauer with 13 kills each. Dylan Missry had nine kills and five service aces.
Four consecutive UCLA errors put the Anteaters in front 7-4 in the first set. A smash by Joel Schneidmiller from the back row kept UCI up 13-11, but the Bruins would go on a 6-2 run to take a 17-15. UCI returned the favor scoring five straight on three UCLA errors and kills by Reid Dominguez and Karl Apfelbach to move back in front, 20-17. Scott Stadick would finish the set with a kill, 25-21.
A block by Stadick and Dante Chakravorti followed by a kill by Apfelbach from a David Parker dig plus a UCLA attack error helped UCI tie the second set at 10-10. A service ace by Stadick and a kill by Dominguez gave UCI the 15-12 advantage. Five consecutive UCLA errors, including a block by Matthew Younggren and Dominguez, pushed UCI’s margin to 21-15. Another UCLA service error gave UCI the 25-19 lead. UCLA’s eighth service error handed UCI the set 25-19.
Back-to-back hitting errors by UCLA helped UCI to a 9-7 lead in the third set. With the score tied at 16-16, UCLA had back-to-back kills by JT Hatch to sneak ahead 18-16. Three more consecutive points by the Bruins pushed the advantage to 22-18. UCLA would go on to win the set 25-20.
UCLA jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead in the fourth set and would win 25-16 to force a fifth set.
In the fifth set, Micah Ma’a had a kill then barely set the ball over the net forcing the Anteaters to go under the net while digging to give UCLA the two-point separation 6-4. With UCLA holding a 10-7 lead, UCI went to work and tied the set at 11-11 on a Koubi ace. The Bruins would score the next two to move back in front 13-11. UCLA had match point 14-12, but a pair of Bruin errors gave UCI life 14-14. A kill by Christian Hessenauer was followed by an ace by Ma’a to give the Bruins the comeback win, 16-14.
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