Match Stats
- #7 UCLA def. Harvard 3-0 (25-11, 25-17, 25-17)
- UCLA moves to 13-7, Harvard falls to 6-8
- Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, California
- Attendence: 1,216
- Box Score
The #7 UCLA Bruins rolled past the Harvard Crimson on Saturday to start their 3-game west coast spring break road trip that will see them play #15 UCSB and #14 USC early next week.
UCLA hit several season highs in the game. They hit .560 (46 kills, 4 errors, 75 attacks) and had their most kills in a 3-set game this season. They become one of just 12 teams to have hit better than .500 in a game this season.
The Bruins also had 13 aces, which is the best by any MPSF team this season and ties for the most nationally in a 3-set game.
UCLA also was able to reach deep into its bench. 10 different players recorded kills in the game, including 5 from social media sensation Daenan Gyimah, Gyimah had played the full game in 3-straight games coming into this weekend, and played well – hitting over .500 in all of those games. He sat out the team’s game against Lewis, however, and didn’t enter Saturday’s win against Harvard until the 3rd set, where he wound up a perfect 5-for-5.
The freshman Gyimah is not hitting over .500 on the season with 132 kills, 23 errors, and 217 swings.
Christian Hessenauer had 9 kills to lead UCLA in scoring, and Mitch Stahl had 3 of the 13 aces in just 2 sets of action as the Bruins continue to be careful with him while he works his way back from an ankle injury.
Harvard, meanwhile, had kills from only 6 players – and the highest among them was Casey White with just 7 kills (.143 percentage).
Harvard had no blocks and only 18 assists in the game.
Videos
Press Releases
Courtesy UCLA Athletics:
No. 7 UCLA swept past Harvard in a non-league men’s volleyball match played on Saturday night in Pauley Pavilion. Score of the contest was 25-11, 25-17, 25-17. The Bruins hit .560 for the match with a balanced attack and recorded a season-high 13 aces in the win. UCLA is now 13-7 on the season and will host Sacred Heart and Concordia next Friday and Saturday before returning to MPSF action.
The Bruins blew out to an 8-2 lead in set one. Senior Mitch Stahl‘s serve helped UCLA to pull away as he recorded back-to-back aces to spark the run. The Bruins led 13-5 after an Oliver Martin kill. Dylan Missry registered a couple of aces for a 20-7 advantage. Michael Fisher took care of points 24, with a kill, and 25, with an ace. UCLA hit .615 for the set. Jake Arnitz led the team with six kills, hitting .667 on nine swings.
A couple of Christian Hessenauer kills staked UCLA to a 4-1 lead in set two. Harvard slowly worked their way back into the set, closing to gap to one at 11-10. Another ace from Stahl capped off a Bruin answer for a 14-10 lead. Jackson Bantle‘s big serve helped the Bruins to separate from the Crimson as UCLA moved out to a 22-13 advantage. Missry tallied his fifth kill of the set for point 25. The Bruins hit .520.
Daenan Gyimah entered the match in set three and promptly put down two balls and added a block, with Missry, for a 3-1 start. Harvard came back to even the score at points 4, 5, 6 and 7. Another Gymiah spike put UCLA back in front for good at 8-7. An ace by Hagen Smith made it 14-10. Eric Sprague smashed one down for a 16-11 lead. Hessenauer’s kill took it to set point and then Smith followed with another ace to end the match.
Hessenauer led UCLA with nine kills (.389) and two aces. Missry finished with eight kills (.667), seven digs and a couple of aces. Stahl had three aces and four kills. Fisher added six kills (.417) and an ace. Seven different Bruins tallied an ace on the night. Harvard failed to record an ace or a block. UCLA had 5.5 blocks on the night. Davis Gillett had six digs.
Courtesy Harvard Athletics:
LOS ANGELES – The men’s volleyball team was unable to edge No. 7 UCLA on Saturday evening, falling 3-0 to the Bruins at the Pauley Pavilion.
Casey White led the Crimson (6-8, 3-4 EIVA) attack with seven kills, while Erik Johnsson and Riley Moore added six and four kills, respectively. Matthew Ctvrtlik added 10 assists to lead Harvard, with support from Marko Kostich who registered five digs.
A strong effort by the UCLA attack (.560), helped the host Bruins to a three-set victory – 25-11, 25-17, 25-17. The Crimson were held to a .294 attack percentage on the evening, despite a standout third set (.455). Harvard falls to 0-1 in the all-time series against the Bruins.
Harvard will see UC Santa Barbara on March 13 at 10 p.m. and closes out the West Coast trip facing USC on March 14 at 10 p.m.
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