UCLA
Hawai'i
No. 1 Bruins Blank Hawai'i 3-0
February 17, 2012 | Men's Volleyball
Feb. 17, 2012
Honolulu, Hawai'i - The top-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team rebounded from their loss on Tuesday night and took the first match of a two game series with Hawai'i, defeating the Warriors 3-0 on Friday night in Honolulu.
UCLA improved to 13-2 overall and a conference best 8-1 in MPSF play. The Warriors fell to 6-8 overall and 3-6 in conference play. Set scores were 25-21, 25-20, and 25-21.
Hawai'i hung tough in the first set and was able to keep the set close throughout. But the Bruins proved to be too much and when the score got to 20-20, UCLA took five of the next six points to put the Warriors in a 1-0 hole. In the second set, the Bruins were able to take an early lead and put the pressure on Hawai'i when they went up by four points at 15-11. Like the first set, they proved to be no match for the Warriors and cruised to a second set win, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the match. The third and ultimately final set played out much like the second set, with the Bruins jumping on Hawai'i and putting the Warriors in a hole. However, Hawai'i fought back and was able to tie the set at 14-14 before UCLA again took back the momentum by winning the next three points. Hawai'i could not recover from the deficit and the Bruins regained their winning ways as they beat the Warriors in three.
Sophomore Gonzalo Quiroga hit a match-high .762 with no attacking errors and had 16 kills to lead UCLA to victory. Quiroga also added two total blocks to give him 17 points while also recording a match-high nine digs. Senior Jeremy Casebeer followed up Quiroga's performance with 10 kills of his own on a .389 hitting percentage. Seniors Thomas Amberg and Weston Dunlap played well at the net, combining for five total blocks in the three set sweep of the Warriors. Finally, senior Kyle Caldwell recorded 37 set assists in the match, which is the most he's had in a three set match all season, and helped set the Bruins to an outstanding .408 overall hitting percentage. Like Amberg and Dunlap, Caldwell also played well at the net, leading the team with four total blocks.
Overall, the Bruins held the Warriors to a .298 hitting percentage and owned a large 26-14 advantage in digs. UCLA also did not record a reception error in the entire match. Steven Hunt led Hawai'i with 16 kills and 18 points in the match.
The two teams will finish up their two-match series tomorrow, Sat. Feb. 18, at 9 pm PT. Fans at home can follow the match online via the live stats link on the events calendar on the front page of uclabruins.com.
