Saturday, January 6
Los Angeles, CA
7:30 PM
UCLA
3-0
3
vs
0
McKendree University
0-4
1
2
3
F
McKendree
21
22
27
0
UCLA
25
25
29
3
Dylan Missry had 10 kills and a team-high three digs in the win.
Photo by: UCLA Athletics
MVB Wins Third Straight to Open Season
January 06, 2018 | Men's Volleyball
The No. 4 UCLA men's volleyball team upped its record to 3-0 on the season with a sweep of McKendree University from Illinois in the nightcap of the Wooden Volleyball Classic on Saturday in the John Wooden Center. Scores of the match were 25-21, 25-22, 29-27. Senior All-America Jake Arnitz led the way for the Bruins with a match-high 13 kills. UCLA outhit McKendree .356 to .204 on the night and out aced the visitors 8 to 3.
Arnitz, who hit .476 on the night, was joined in double-digit kills by Dylan Missry who added 10 on 18 swings and hit .500 for the match. Oliver Martin had seven kills (.545) and two blocks. Daenan Gyimah totaled six kills (.364) and a couple of aces. Micah Ma'a registered 37 set assists, two aces, four kills and a block assist. The Bruins will play next on Wednesday night when No. 7-ranked UC Irvine comes to Pauley Pavilion for a 7 p.m. match.
The Bruins started slowly against the Bearcats who hail from the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) Conference which is home to two-time defending NCAA champ Ohio State. UCLA fell behind 4-11 before coach John Speraw called timeout. After a McKendree service error, Missry served the Bruins back into the set, igniting a run which closed the gap to 9-11. An ace by Arnitz pulled the Bruins even at 15-all. The Bruins began to pull away down the stretch taking a 22-18 lead on an Arnitz kill and winning the set 25-21 on a kill by Martin.
In set two, UCLA fell behind 1-3 before tying it up on a kill by Gyimah. The score was then even at points 5, 10, 11, 12 and 13. Arnitz, Gyimah and Christian Hessenauer combined on a block to lift the Bruins into a 14-13 lead. Another Hessenauer kill made it 22-18 for the Bruins. McKendree closed to within two at 23-21 and 24-22, but UCLA prevailed on a Arnitz kill for a 25-22 win. The Bruins hit .485 for the set.
In set three, neither team led by more than two points in tightly contested battle which featured 23 tie scores. The score was level at points 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22 and 23. Missry's 10th kill of the night made it 24-23 for the Bruins, but they could not put away the Bearcats who managed to even the score at 24, 25, 26 and 27 when facing match points. Martin, Arnitz and Ma'a teammed up on a block for a 28-27 lead and then finished off the Bearcats for a 29-27 win.
In other action at the Wooden Classic on Saturday:
King University (Tenn.) d. McKendree 3-1 (25-18, 18-25, 25-23, 26-24)
UC San Diego d. King University 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 26-28, 25-18)
Team Stats
MCK
UCLA
Kills
24
48
Errors
13
16
Attempts
54
90
Hitting %
.204
.356
Points
33.0
62.5
Assists
24
44
Aces
3
8
Blocks
6.0
6.5
Game Leaders
Kills
13
Aces
3
Blocks
3
Kills
10
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
6
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's Volleyball
Opp
/ Men's Volleyball
S
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's VolleyballOH
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