MVB Opens League Play With Sweep of UCI

Thursday, January 12

Los Angeles, Calif.

7:30 PM

UCLA

3-1, 1-0

UC Irvine

5-1, 2-1

UC Irvine

UCLA

Daenan Gyimah

MVB Opens League Play With Sweep of UCI

January 12, 2017 | Men's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score pdf

No. 2-ranked UCLA opened its MPSF schedule by handing No. 7 UC Irvine its first loss of the season in a sweep on Thursday night in Pauley Pavilion. Scores of the match were 25-16, 25-18, 25-22. The Bruins hit .395 for the match and were led by freshman middle blocker Daenan Gyimah's 14 kills. UCLA is now 3-1, 1-0 on the season. UCI falls to 5-1 and 2-1 in MPSF play. Next up for the Bruins is UC San Diego on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Pauley.

In set one, UCLA opened up a 7-4 lead after a Micah Ma'a kill. UCI evened the score at 8-all. UCLA regained their edge for good at 12-11 on a Gyimah kill and then used a run of six straight points to run out to a 20-13 advantage behind the serve of Ma'a and a series of Irvine errors. UCLA closed out the set at 25-16 on a kill by JT Hatch. The Bruins hit .360 to Irvine's .071 mark for the set.

UC Irvine moved to a 4-7 advantage in the second set. UCLA came back to even the score at 9-all on a block by Hatch and Gyimah. A Hatch kill handed the Bruins a 17-14 lead. Jake Arnitz' kill capped off a Bruin run for a 22-16 margin. A UCI service error ended the set at 25-18. UCLA hit .536 for the set with one error on 28 swings.

In set three, UCLA coasted to an 8-3 lead after a kill by Hagen Smith. UC Irvine fought back to level the score at 12-all and then 17-all. After the visitor's grabbed the lead at 20-21, Gyimah's kill and ace along with another kill by Smith pushed the Bruins out in front by 23-21. UCLA closed out the set at 25-22.

Gyimah hit .737 for the match and tallied a pair of aces and a couple of blocks. Ma'a registered his first three aces of the season and added eight kills (.800) to go with seven digs. Smith totaled 20 set assists and a couple of blocks. Jackson Bantle had seven digs. UCLA won the blocking battle 6.0 to 2.0 and out aced the 'Eaters 7-2 for the match.