MVB Aces Lindenwood in Straight Sets

Saturday, January 12

St. Charles, MO

5:30 PM

UCLA

4-1

Lindenwood

0-2

UCLA

Lindenwood

Grant Maleski totaled four kills and a couple of blocks in a return to his home area.

Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA

MVB Aces Lindenwood in Straight Sets

January 12, 2019 | Men's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (pdf)Season Stats

The No. 2-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team came away with a straight set decision in a non-league matchup against Lindenwood University from St. Charles, Mo. of the Midwest Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIVA) on Saturday night. Scores of the contest were 26-24, 25-17, 25-23.

In set one, the score was tied at five after a block by Brandon Rattray and Matt Younggren. A Dylan Missry kill evened the score at 8-each. Lindenwood then ran off the next three points for an 8-11 lead. The home team then won seven of the next nine points to extend the margin to 10-18. UCLA closed to 17-19 after three straight kills from Younggren, but the Lions responded with the next two. With UCLA down 20-23, Austin Matautia's swing put the Bruins within two. Micah Ma'a delivered two straight aces to level the score at 23-23. Rattray's fifth kill of the set made it 24-23. Lindenwood held off one set point attempt by the Bruins, but a hitting error gave the serve back to UCLA. Matautia then blasted an ace from the line for the win at 26-24. UCLA hit .353 for the frame to .296 for the Lions.

UCLA blew out to a 6-1 advantage to begin set two. The Bruins led 10-5 after a block by Younggren / Matautia. However, Lindenwood tallied four of the next five points to draw within 11-9. UCLA led 13-11 when it ripped off three straight on a service error, a Sam Kobrine kill and a block by Rattray / Grant Maleski. The Lions clawed back to trail 19-16 only to see UCLA rattled off the next five points to up the margin to 24-16. Rattray's swing then earned the win at 25-17. The Bruins hit .364 for the set with the Lions checking in at -.042.

In set three, UCLA broke a 5-all tie with a kill by Ma'a and an ace from Rattray. A Rattray kill made it 11-8. Lindenwood came back to even the score at 13-each. UCLA broke back on top at 18-15 after another Ma'a kill and then tallied three straight points for a 21-16 advantage. The Lions were not done and battled back to level the score at 23-all. UCLA answered with kills from Daenan Gyimah and Rattray to finish the match at 25-23. UCLA hit .360 for the set, but Lindenwood managed a .444 percentage.

UCLA hit .358 for the contest to .217 for Lindenwood. The Bruins owned a 9-7 edge from the service line, but the Lions won the battle at the nets 7.0 to 10.0 in total blocks. UCLA is now 4-1 on the season and will return home to face No. 10 UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday night in Pauley Pavilion, presented by Wescom at 7 p.m. Top-ranked Long Beach State visits on Saturday night in a rematch of last year's national championship battle.