Coming Up— The fourth-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team (17-3,13-3) steps out of the MPSF this week to host No. 8 Ball State (14-4, 8-1) from the MIVA on Monday night at 7 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins have won four straight and six of their last seven matches. Ball State has won 11 of its last 12 matches. The contest will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks. UCLA is now 7-1 at home this season. The Bruins will wrap up the week by hosting Concordia (Irvine) on Friday at 7 p.m. in Pauley.
Live Coverage — Fans can follow matches on UCLA's live Twitter feed @UCLAMVB.
*Ball State - Pac-12 Networks --- Live Stats http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=ucla --- internet radio - http://www.uclabruins.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?type=live&db_oem_id=30500
In The Rankings — The Bruins are No. 4 in the AVCA national rankings. UCLA fell from the top spot following a Feb. 5 loss at Hawaii after being ranked No. 1 for three straight weeks. It was the first time the Bruins had held the top spot since being ranked first in the week 4 and 5 AVCA polls during the 2014 season after beginning that year by winning nine of the first 10 matches. Ball State is No. 8.
Scouting the Opponent — The Bruins last played Ball State in the Hawai'i Outrigger Tournament in 2011, a 3-1 win by UCLA. Ball State has won 11 of its last 12 matches and had an 11-match win streak snapped in five sets (13-15 in the fifth set) on Saturday night at Grand Canyon. The Cardinal vs. ranked teams this season -- L to Stanford 0-3, L Penn State 0-3, W Ohio St. 3-2, W Loyola (Chi.) 3-1, W Lewis 3-2.
Recapping — The Bruins defeated UCSB twice last week in MPSF action. On Friday night, the Bruins won at Santa Barbara 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-23 ). Jake Arnitz led UCLA with 12 kills (.364). Mitch Stahl had seven kills (.500) and seven block assists. Micah Ma'a finished with 10 digs and 17 set assists. His two aces moved him past Gonzalo Quiroga (39 in 2011) as the all-time school freshman leader in service aces, now with 41 on the year. Hagen Smith totaled 15 set assists and four block assists. Davis Gillett added 12 digs. UCLA had a 7-6 advantage in aces, a 9.5-6.0 edge in total blocks and in hitting percentage .2478 to .083.
Last Wednesday, UCLA rallied after dropping set one to defeat UCSB. Arnitz (.385) led three Bruins in double digit kills. JT Hatch (.207) and Ma'a (.550) each recorded 12 kills. Hatch added a pair of aces and eight digs. Ma'a had one ace and 24 set assists. Stahl (.429) finished with six kills, four block assists and an ace. Gillett and Arnitz both had 10 digs. UCLA hit .328 to .186 for the Gauchos.
The Bruins' 10-0 start this year was their best since the 1998 squad earned wins in the first 16 matches of that season. As far as conference streaks go, the Bruins also started out 6-0 in the 2014 season (7-0 in 2012 and 10-0 in 1998). UCLA, under the direction of coach Al Scates, owns the only three unbeaten seasons in the history of the men's game (1984:38-0, 1982: 29-0, 1979: 30-0).
Last Five Matches: Kills- Arnitz (58), Hatch(52); Aces-Hatch(10), Ma'a(8); Digs-Gillett(40), Ma'a (38); Block Assists-Stahl(23), Smith (12)....Notes: The seven aces for Ma'a vs. CSUN is the most by an MPSF player in a match this season ... Hatch has 13 aces in the last seven matches ... Bruin team had a streak of hitting over .300 in six straight matches snapped at UCSB (.247) last Friday ... Freshmen Davis Gillett and Micah Ma'a are tied for the team lead for sets played with 76 this season.
NCAA Nat'l. Rankings - Mitch Stahl 4th in blocks (1.35/set); Micah Ma'a 6th in aces (0.55/s); Hit% Stahl 4th (.428); UCLA team 3rd Aces (1.91/s), 4th Blocks (2.64/s); 5th in Kills/s (13.03); 5th in set assists (12.32); 8th in hitting % (.312).
All-Time Bruin Lists— Micah Ma'a is 8th on school rally scoring era list for most aces in a season (41)-No. 7 is Matt Komer, 2002 (46)...Mitch Stahl is 9th on career block assist list (223)-No. 8 is Weston Dunlap, 2009-12 (248)...Stahl is 10th in career total blocks (237)-No. 9 is Garrett Muagututia, 2007-10 (248).
2016 Honors — Feb. 22 Micah Ma'a -Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Co-Freshman of the Week; Jan. 31 - Jake Arnitz, MPSF Player of the Week. Micah Ma'a Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Co-Freshmen of the Week; Jan. 11 Mitch Stahl - AVCA National POW and MPSF POW. Micah Ma'a Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Co-Freshman of the Week.
Coach Speraw: Year Four at UCLA — John Speraw (UCLA '95), who is in his fourth season as the head coach at his alma mater, has captured three NCAA titles as a head coach (2012, 2009, 2007 at UCI), three as an assistant coach (1996, 1998, 2000 at UCLA) and two as a player (1993, 1995 at UCLA). Also the head coach of the U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team, Speraw led that squad to the 2015 FIVB World Cup and automatic qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games. Speraw came back to UCLA after 10 seasons at UC Irvine where he led the Anteaters to three NCAA championships, and a 199-106 (.646) overall record. In winning that 2007 title, Speraw became the only individual to produce a championship as a head coach, assistant coach and player in collegiate men's volleyball history. On Mar. 25, 2013, he was named head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team for the next quadrennial ending at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero. In the summer of 2014, he guided the U.S. team to a win over top-ranked Brazil in the FIVB World League gold-medal match. In the summer of 2012, he had served as an assistant coach for the National Team, which advanced to the quarterfinals of the London Olympics. Speraw won the National Coach of the Year award in 2007.
Elsewhere in MPSF: March 6-Stanford at Pepperdine, March 9-Concordia at UCSB; March 10-Cal Baptist at Pepperdine; UCSD at Concordia; March 11-UC Irvine vs. Ohio State (at Long Beach St.), Lewis at Long Beach, Hawaii at CSUN, March 12-Pepperdine at Stanford, UC Irvine vs. Lewis (at Long Beach State), Hawaii at CSUN, Ohio State at Long Beach State
Live Coverage — Fans can follow matches on UCLA's live Twitter feed @UCLAMVB.
*Ball State - Pac-12 Networks --- Live Stats http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=ucla --- internet radio - http://www.uclabruins.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?type=live&db_oem_id=30500
In The Rankings — The Bruins are No. 4 in the AVCA national rankings. UCLA fell from the top spot following a Feb. 5 loss at Hawaii after being ranked No. 1 for three straight weeks. It was the first time the Bruins had held the top spot since being ranked first in the week 4 and 5 AVCA polls during the 2014 season after beginning that year by winning nine of the first 10 matches. Ball State is No. 8.
Scouting the Opponent — The Bruins last played Ball State in the Hawai'i Outrigger Tournament in 2011, a 3-1 win by UCLA. Ball State has won 11 of its last 12 matches and had an 11-match win streak snapped in five sets (13-15 in the fifth set) on Saturday night at Grand Canyon. The Cardinal vs. ranked teams this season -- L to Stanford 0-3, L Penn State 0-3, W Ohio St. 3-2, W Loyola (Chi.) 3-1, W Lewis 3-2.
Recapping — The Bruins defeated UCSB twice last week in MPSF action. On Friday night, the Bruins won at Santa Barbara 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-23 ). Jake Arnitz led UCLA with 12 kills (.364). Mitch Stahl had seven kills (.500) and seven block assists. Micah Ma'a finished with 10 digs and 17 set assists. His two aces moved him past Gonzalo Quiroga (39 in 2011) as the all-time school freshman leader in service aces, now with 41 on the year. Hagen Smith totaled 15 set assists and four block assists. Davis Gillett added 12 digs. UCLA had a 7-6 advantage in aces, a 9.5-6.0 edge in total blocks and in hitting percentage .2478 to .083.
Last Wednesday, UCLA rallied after dropping set one to defeat UCSB. Arnitz (.385) led three Bruins in double digit kills. JT Hatch (.207) and Ma'a (.550) each recorded 12 kills. Hatch added a pair of aces and eight digs. Ma'a had one ace and 24 set assists. Stahl (.429) finished with six kills, four block assists and an ace. Gillett and Arnitz both had 10 digs. UCLA hit .328 to .186 for the Gauchos.
The Bruins' 10-0 start this year was their best since the 1998 squad earned wins in the first 16 matches of that season. As far as conference streaks go, the Bruins also started out 6-0 in the 2014 season (7-0 in 2012 and 10-0 in 1998). UCLA, under the direction of coach Al Scates, owns the only three unbeaten seasons in the history of the men's game (1984:38-0, 1982: 29-0, 1979: 30-0).
Last Five Matches: Kills- Arnitz (58), Hatch(52); Aces-Hatch(10), Ma'a(8); Digs-Gillett(40), Ma'a (38); Block Assists-Stahl(23), Smith (12)....Notes: The seven aces for Ma'a vs. CSUN is the most by an MPSF player in a match this season ... Hatch has 13 aces in the last seven matches ... Bruin team had a streak of hitting over .300 in six straight matches snapped at UCSB (.247) last Friday ... Freshmen Davis Gillett and Micah Ma'a are tied for the team lead for sets played with 76 this season.
NCAA Nat'l. Rankings - Mitch Stahl 4th in blocks (1.35/set); Micah Ma'a 6th in aces (0.55/s); Hit% Stahl 4th (.428); UCLA team 3rd Aces (1.91/s), 4th Blocks (2.64/s); 5th in Kills/s (13.03); 5th in set assists (12.32); 8th in hitting % (.312).
All-Time Bruin Lists— Micah Ma'a is 8th on school rally scoring era list for most aces in a season (41)-No. 7 is Matt Komer, 2002 (46)...Mitch Stahl is 9th on career block assist list (223)-No. 8 is Weston Dunlap, 2009-12 (248)...Stahl is 10th in career total blocks (237)-No. 9 is Garrett Muagututia, 2007-10 (248).
2016 Honors — Feb. 22 Micah Ma'a -Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Co-Freshman of the Week; Jan. 31 - Jake Arnitz, MPSF Player of the Week. Micah Ma'a Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Co-Freshmen of the Week; Jan. 11 Mitch Stahl - AVCA National POW and MPSF POW. Micah Ma'a Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Co-Freshman of the Week.
Coach Speraw: Year Four at UCLA — John Speraw (UCLA '95), who is in his fourth season as the head coach at his alma mater, has captured three NCAA titles as a head coach (2012, 2009, 2007 at UCI), three as an assistant coach (1996, 1998, 2000 at UCLA) and two as a player (1993, 1995 at UCLA). Also the head coach of the U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team, Speraw led that squad to the 2015 FIVB World Cup and automatic qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games. Speraw came back to UCLA after 10 seasons at UC Irvine where he led the Anteaters to three NCAA championships, and a 199-106 (.646) overall record. In winning that 2007 title, Speraw became the only individual to produce a championship as a head coach, assistant coach and player in collegiate men's volleyball history. On Mar. 25, 2013, he was named head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team for the next quadrennial ending at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero. In the summer of 2014, he guided the U.S. team to a win over top-ranked Brazil in the FIVB World League gold-medal match. In the summer of 2012, he had served as an assistant coach for the National Team, which advanced to the quarterfinals of the London Olympics. Speraw won the National Coach of the Year award in 2007.
Elsewhere in MPSF: March 6-Stanford at Pepperdine, March 9-Concordia at UCSB; March 10-Cal Baptist at Pepperdine; UCSD at Concordia; March 11-UC Irvine vs. Ohio State (at Long Beach St.), Lewis at Long Beach, Hawaii at CSUN, March 12-Pepperdine at Stanford, UC Irvine vs. Lewis (at Long Beach State), Hawaii at CSUN, Ohio State at Long Beach State