UCLA
8-1
Pepperdine
6-4
Bruins Rally Past the Waves
September 13, 2016 | Women's Volleyball
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MALIBU, Calif. - Senior Taylor Formico notched a season-high 28 digs, while juniors Reily Buechler (15 kills, 12 digs) and Ryann Chandler (season-high 52 assists, 13 digs) each had double-doubles, as the 11th-ranked Bruins defeated Pepperdine on Tuesday in four sets at Firestone Fieldhouse. Set scores were 19-25, 25-14, 26-24, 25-18.
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Five Bruins (8-1) were in double figures in kills, as senior Jordan Anderson had 14, while seniors Claire Felix and Jennie Frager and freshman Torrey Van Winden totaled 11 kills apiece. Felix had just one error in 17 attempts for a .588 hitting percentage to go with six digs, Frager added four blocks and four digs and Van Winden had four blocks. Defensively, sophomore Zana Muno had 14 digs and freshman Savvy Simo notched eight digs. The Bruins hit .198 as a team.
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The Bruins scored the first point of the match, but surrendered the next five and couldn't get closer than three the rest of the way. UCLA didn't net consecutive points until at 17-10, the visitors scored four in a row on an Anderson kill, a Pepperdine attack error, a Frager kill and a Frager/Anderson combo block to close to within three at 17-14. But out of a timeout, the Waves scored the next three and went on to win the opener 25-19. Anderson, Frager and Van Winden each had three kills, as the Bruins still out-hit the Waves .189 to .184. UCLA, which had three blocks, saw Formico record nine digs.
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The second set went the complete opposite way, as the Bruins led wire-to-wire to even the match. UCLA scored six of the first eight on two Buechler kills, one apiece by Felix and Anderson and two Pepperdine attack errors. After a Wave sideout, two Anderson kills and two Pepperdine errors extended the lead to 10-3. UCLA's lead reached double figures for the first time at 16-6 as part of a 4-0 run which featured two Felix kills and one by Frager. The Bruins' lead never dipped below nine, reaching as high as 13 at 23-10 following a Van Winden/Frager combo block, as UCLA won the second 25-14. Anderson and Felix each posted four kills in the second, while Buechler and Frager both had three. Buechler and Formico notched five digs apiece. The Bruins out-hit the Waves .243 to -.053.
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Set three featured nine ties, three lead changes and neither team leading by more than three, as UCLA won the deuce set in overtime. Pepperdine scored the first three, but the Bruins came back with five of the next seven on three kills by Felix, one from Van Winden and a combo block by Felix and Van Winden. At 9-all, two Buechler kills, one by Van Winden and a Muno ace on a 4-1 run put the Bruins up by a set-best three at 13-10. With the Bruins still up 16-13, Pepperdine scored five straight to take an 18-16 edge. The Waves still held a lead as late as 23-22, but two attack errors gave the Bruins a set point. Pepperdine saved the first try, but kills by Anderson and Frager wrapped up the 26-24 win. Buechler led the Bruins with five kills, Felix and Van Winden had four apiece and Frager posted three. Formico added nine digs and Chandler had six. UCLA was out-hit .171 to .132.
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UCLA led from start to finish in the fourth to finish the match, scoring the first three points on kills by Van Winden and Buechler and a Felix solo block. At 5-3, the Bruins scored four straight on three Pepperdine errors and a Frager kill to take a 9-3 advantage. UCLA's largest lead was seven, reaching that margin for the first time at 12-5 on a Van Winden kill. Pepperdine got as close as three, as late as 21-18, but UCLA finished with the last four points on a Felix kill, an Anderson kill, a Felix/Anderson block and an Anderson kill to wrap up the 25-18 victory. Anderson and Buechler each had five kills in the fourth, while Van Winden added three. The Bruins out-hit the Waves .244 to .000. Muno notched seven digs, while Chandler and Formico both had five.
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The Bruins conclude non-conference play on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Long Beach State. Free audio, video and live stats will be available at UCLABruins.com.
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