UCLA
Hawai'i
Bruins Sweep Hawai'i in Straight Sets
February 15, 2013 | Men's Volleyball
Feb. 15, 2013
The sixth-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team swept past 13th-rated Hawai'i in straight sets in an MPSF conference match played on Friday night in the John Wooden Center. Scores of the match were 26-24, 25-17, 25-23. UCLA upped its record to 9-7 overall and 5-5 in the conference. Hawai'i fell to 4-8 overall and 3-6 in MPSF action. The two teams will play again on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion.
In set one, neither team could separate until a Gonzalo Quiroga kill handed UCLA a 13-10 lead. UH came right back and tied the match at 16, only to see UCLA rebound and take a 18-16 advantage on a Quiroga ace. A Spencer Rowe kill made it 21-17 for UCLA, but the visitors were not going easily and tied the score at 24-all. The Bruins recorded the next two points, the decisive point coming on a hitting error, for a 26-24 win.
In set two, the score remained close until UCLA pulled out to a 15-11 lead on an ace by Rowe. The Bruins built the margin up to 19-13 and proceeded to capture the second set on a big block at the net by a score of 25-17.
In set three, UCLA forged an 8-5 lead. After a UH timeout, the visitors stormed back and went up 12-11. Coach John Speraw called timeout and UCLA righted the ship and went back in front 14-13 on a block by Robart Page. Another kill by Page broke a 17-all tie and UCLA moved ahead 19-17 on a kill by Quiroga. Hawai'i rallied to tie the score at 19 and again at 20, before UCLA grabbed a 23-21 advantage on a Dane Worley spike and soon secured the match by a 25-23 margin.
Page and Quiroga each finished the match with 11 kills. Worley added eight kills and four digs. Rowe tallied an ace, a block and a couple of key digs. Steve O'Dell totaled 30 set assists and a couple of blocks.
UCLA hosts Hawai'i on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion and then heads over to the Galen Center on Monday night for an 8 p.m. match with the crosstown team which will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
