UCLA
Hawai'i
Top-Ranked UCLA Completes Two Game Sweep of Hawai'i
February 18, 2012 | Men's Volleyball
Feb. 18, 2012
Honolulu, Hawai'i - The number one ranked UCLA men's volleyball team repeated their performance of a night ago and completed a two match series sweep of Hawai'i by defeating the Warriors 3-0 on Saturday night in Honolulu.
UCLA improved to 14-2 overall and 9-1 in MPSF play, good for first place in the conference. The Warriors dropped to 6-9 overall and 3-7 in conference play. Set scores were 25-21, 25-14, and 25-19.
Hawai'i started out fast in the first set as they jumped out to an early 6-2 lead, but the Bruins, led by the play of senior Nick Vogel, fought back and retook the lead at 9-8. UCLA would extend the lead to three points at 13-10 but Hawai'i came back to tie the set at 16-16. However, the Bruins took advantage of Hawai'i service and attack errors to regain the lead, eventually taking the first set 25-21 and going up one set to none in the match.
The second set was all UCLA, as seniors Jeremy Casebeer and Weston Dunlap led the Bruins to a quick 9-4 lead to start the set. The team would follow their lead and not let up as they continued to extend the lead and comfortably took the second set over the Warriors 25-14. The Bruins put together a stellar performance at the net in the second set as they recorded six total blocks, including two solos by sophomore Gonzalo Quiroga.
The Bruins continued the momentum of the first two sets and again jumped on the Warriors, getting back-to-back kills from Nick Vogel and an ace from Kyle Caldwell to take an early 6-3 lead. Hawai'i would get no closer than two points for the rest of the set and UCLA went on to finish the match in three after winning set three by the score of 25-19, thus completing the season sweep of the Warriors. In their regular season meetings this year, the Bruins did not drop a set to Hawai'i, going nine for nine in sets played in the two teams' three matches.
Vogel led UCLA with 13.5 points on nine kills, one solo block, five block assists and one ace. Vogel also added four digs and hit an outstanding .429 in the match from the opposite position. Casebeer was right behind Vogel with 13 points on a team-high 12 kills and two block assists. Casebeer also hit a match-high .733 with a line of 12-1-15. Senior Thomas Amberg and Dunlap again had a big night at the net, with Amberg scoring 11.5 points on seven kills, a solo block and seven block assists while Dunlap had 10.5 points on six kills, an ace, two solo blocks and three block assists. Finally, senior Kyle Caldwell again did a great job of setting for the Bruins, tallying 33 set assists and helping set the team to a .366 hitting percentage
Overall, the Bruins held the Warriors to a season-low .090 hitting percentage and outblocked Hawai'i 17-2. The Bruins' 17 total blocks were a season-high for the team. Steven Hunt and Jarrod Lofy led Hawai'i with five kills apiece.
UCLA will be back out on the court on Fri., Feb. 24 as they return home to take on the Cal Baptist Lancers at 7 pm in the John Wooden Center.
