University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA
8-1, 6-0
UC Santa Barbara
6-3, 3-3MPSF
MVB Sweeps UC Santa Barbara on Friday
January 27, 2017 | Men's Volleyball
No. 2-ranked UCLA swept No. 11 UC Santa Barbara in three sets on Friday night in the Thunderdome to register its sixth straight win on the season. Scores of the match were 25-22, 25-22, 25-17. The Bruins rode the strong serve of senior Mitch Stahl, who had a season-high five aces, to victory. UCLA, now 8-1 and 6-0 in MPSF action, will host Princeton (2-2) of the EIVA in a non-league match on Sunday night at 8 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion.
In set one, UCSB broke a 12-all tie with three straight points to go up 12-16. The Bruins rallied and tied the score at 19s after a kill by junior JT Hatch. Back-to-back aces from Stahl pushed UCLA into a 21-19 lead. Another Hatch smash made it 23-20 and the fifth kill of the set by freshman Daenan Gyimah made it 24-21. Set point came on a service error for a 25-22 decision.
Junior Jake Arnitz' three straight points lifted UCLA into a 10-7 in set two. UCSB came back to even the score at 17 and again at 19-all. The Bruins grabbed a 21-19 lead on a service error and a Hatch kill. Kills by Arnitz and senior Hagen Smith gave UCLA the set at 25-22.
UCLA opened up a 7-1 lead to begin set three behind the strong service game of Stahl. UCSB closed to within one, at 9-8, but the Bruins spurted back out to a 14-10 edge after another ace by Stahl. A kill by Christian Hessenauer made it 21-15 and the set ended on an ace by Stahl, who now has 16 aces in the last five matches.
Gyimah recorded a team-best 12 kills and hit .647 for the match. Arnitz and Hatch (.529) finished in double digits with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. Smith had four kills, 18 set assists, seven digs and a block. Jackson Bantle had 8 digs. Micah Ma'a totaled 21 set assists and six digs. UCLA outhit the Gauchos .420 to .274. UCSB, with 5.0 total blocks, became the first opponent this season to out block the Bruins, who recorded 4.0.
