Grant Maleski (l) and Daenan Gyimah (r) team up at the net.
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
MVB Hosts Pair of Ranked Teams This Week
January 15, 2019 | Men's Volleyball
MATCH DAY: Wednesday, Jan. 16
No. 12 UC Santa Barbara (3-2) at No. 6 UCLA (4-1)
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Site: Pauley Pavilion, presented by Wescom
TV: Pac-12 Networks
Live Stats: http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=ucla
Live Video: https://pac-12.com/mens-volleyball/event/2019/01/16/uc-santa-barbara-ucla
Live Audio: https://ucla.leanplayer.com/
MATCH DAY: Saturday, Jan. 19
No. 1 Long Beach State (5-0) at No. 6 UCLA (4-1)
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Site: Pauley Pavilion, presented by Wescom
Live Stats: http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=ucla
Live Video: https://pac-12.com/live/ucla
Live Audio: https://ucla.leanplayer.com/
UCLA (4-1), which slipped to No. 6 in the new AVCA Poll after a loss at CSUN, returns home to host a couple of Big West Conference opponents in Pauley Pavilion, presented by Wescom - No. 12 UC Santa Barbara (3-2) on Wednesday at 7 p.m., which will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network, and No. 1 Long Beach State (5-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m. in a rematch of last year's national championship battle.
Last week, UCLA hit just .200 as it dropped its first road match of the season in straight sets at No. 10 CSUN, before heading to the St. Louis area to post sweeps at both McKendree and Lindenwood of the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) over the weekend. Five Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) teams are ranked in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll -- No. 4 BYU, No. 5 Pepperdine, No. 6 UCLA, No. 9 Stanford, No. 15 Grand Canyon. USC and Concordia are unranked.
The Bruins defeated UCSB in last season's matchup in Pauley in straight sets (25-22, 25-15, 25-18) while hitting .446. Micah Ma'a registered four aces in that win over the Gauchos with Daenan Gyimah adding seven block assists. UCLA will play a return match at UCSB this season on Feb. 13. UCLA lost three times to Long Beach State last season, including a five-setter in the NCAA championship match. The Bruins hit .315 and .328 against the 49ers in the two matches played in Pauley while losing in four and five sets, respectively. The two teams will also hook up on Feb. 16 at Walter Pyramid.
NCAA STATS -- UCLA began the week ranked fifth nationally in kills/set (12.94), sixth in aces/set (2.19); seventh in hitting percentage (.357). Daenan Gyimah ranks ninth nationally in hitting % (.482). Micah Ma'a is listed 10th in aces/set (0.68). Brandon Rattray is 12th in kills per set (3.75).
BY THE NUMBERS
• UCLA is 2-0 at home this season after posting a 19-2 record in its home venues of Pauley Pavilion, presented by Wescom (13-2) and in the Wooden Center (6-0) last season ... It was the most home wins ever by the Bruins, one more than the 18 registered in 1987 ... UCLA dropped its first road test of 2019 at CSUN, before posting a pair of wins last week in the Midwest, after going 6-6 in 2018 road matches.
• Over the past three-plus seasons, UCLA owns a 32-4 record in Pauley (2016: 10-1, 2017: 8-1, 2018: 13-2, 2019: 1-0) ... Last year's loss to Long Beach State in the NCAA title match, snapped a streak of 10 straight home wins by the Bruins who have now won 12 of the last 13 overall at home. The last team not named Long Beach State (which also won in Pauley in February 2018) to defeat UCLA in Pauley was CSUN in February of 2017 (note: the Bruins did lose three home matches in the Wooden Center after the CSUN loss in that 2017 season).
• UCLA, is 0-1 this year vs. teams ranked in the AVCA poll at the time of the match, after going 14-7 last season.
• UCLA has won the ace battle in its four wins this season, but came up short (2-4) in the loss at CSUN ... Last season, it was out aced in just five matches and posted a 1-4 record in those contests.
• The Bruins held UCSD to a .066 hitting percentage in match two ... Last season, it held 12 opponents under .200 and posted a 12-0 mark.
• The Bruins rebounded from a season-low .200 hitting percentage at CSUN to hit a season-best .475 in the win at McKendree ... Daenan Gyimah recorded a school record .917 % (11k-0-12att) in that win (old mark was .900 held by several players, the last was Allan Vince in 2005 v. UCI).
• Last season, UCLA hit at least .400 in 12 matches in 2018, all wins ... CSUN hit .417 in its win last Wednesday, which was the first time an opponent had hit .400 against the Bruins since Pepperdine did it last season (.455) on Feb. 23 ... UCLA's .200 hitting % at CSUN was the lowest since it hit .191 in a four set loss at Long Beach State a year ago.
• The Bruins tied the school mark with seven aces in a set (second) in this year's home match against UC San Diego on Jan. 5.
• UCLA is 4-0 in 2019 (26-2 last season) when it hits for a higher % than the opponent - [lost to Long Beach State (.328 to .325) and loss at USC (.384 to .272)] ... UCLA hit .370 in home matches last season to .215 for opponents ... in two home matches in '19 it is swinging at a .372 clip vs. .144 for opponents.
• True freshman Cole Pender (libero) saw his first career action against UC San Diego; R-Fr. Adam Parks took the court for the first time at CSUN.
• MB Daenan Gyimah had three aces in match two vs. UCSD ... Last season, he led the team with seven matches in which he recorded at least three aces ... Micah Ma'a totaled five aces last week at Lindenwood after having six such matches in 2018.
• OH Dylan Missry is tied for eighth on the all-time school list for career aces with 79 (rally scoring era of 2001 to the present).
• Opp Brandon Rattray has 60 kills this season (3.8 kills/set) after totaling just 40 a season ago at UH where he appeared in 12 matches, with one start (2.0 kills/set; 0.8 digs/ 0.55 blocks per set).
• MB Grant Maleski has moved inside this season to middle blocker after seeing action in eight matches last season at OH, with two starts.
• OH Austin Matautia played in 25 matches, with nine starts, at Hawai'i last season (1.9 kills per set/ 24 aces / 0.3 blocks per set).
• MB Matt Younggren saw action in 18 matches last season for UC Irvine (1.3 kills per set / six aces / 0.7 blocks per set).
• John Speraw directed the U.S. Men's National Team to its first FIVB World Championship medal in 24 years last summer (bronze).
Jan. 14 AVCA Coaches Poll
1. Long Beach State (16 first-place votes) 240 pts. 5-0
2. UC Irvine 218 5-0
3. Hawai'i 211 3-0
4. BYU 189 2-0
5. Pepperdine 164 4-0
6. UCLA 156 4-1
7. Loyola-Chi. 134 3-1
8. Lewis 123 3-1
9. Stanford 121 4-0
10. CSUN 98 4-1
11. Ohio St. 79 2-2
12. UCSB 75 3-2
13. Purdue Ft. Wayne 4-0
14. Ball St. 18 2-3
15. Grand Canyon 16 3-2
No. 12 UC Santa Barbara (3-2) at No. 6 UCLA (4-1)
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Site: Pauley Pavilion, presented by Wescom
TV: Pac-12 Networks
Live Stats: http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=ucla
Live Video: https://pac-12.com/mens-volleyball/event/2019/01/16/uc-santa-barbara-ucla
Live Audio: https://ucla.leanplayer.com/
MATCH DAY: Saturday, Jan. 19
No. 1 Long Beach State (5-0) at No. 6 UCLA (4-1)
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Site: Pauley Pavilion, presented by Wescom
Live Stats: http://www.statbroadcast.com/events/statbroadcast.php?t=1&gid=ucla
Live Video: https://pac-12.com/live/ucla
Live Audio: https://ucla.leanplayer.com/
UCLA (4-1), which slipped to No. 6 in the new AVCA Poll after a loss at CSUN, returns home to host a couple of Big West Conference opponents in Pauley Pavilion, presented by Wescom - No. 12 UC Santa Barbara (3-2) on Wednesday at 7 p.m., which will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network, and No. 1 Long Beach State (5-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m. in a rematch of last year's national championship battle.
Last week, UCLA hit just .200 as it dropped its first road match of the season in straight sets at No. 10 CSUN, before heading to the St. Louis area to post sweeps at both McKendree and Lindenwood of the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) over the weekend. Five Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) teams are ranked in this week's American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll -- No. 4 BYU, No. 5 Pepperdine, No. 6 UCLA, No. 9 Stanford, No. 15 Grand Canyon. USC and Concordia are unranked.
The Bruins defeated UCSB in last season's matchup in Pauley in straight sets (25-22, 25-15, 25-18) while hitting .446. Micah Ma'a registered four aces in that win over the Gauchos with Daenan Gyimah adding seven block assists. UCLA will play a return match at UCSB this season on Feb. 13. UCLA lost three times to Long Beach State last season, including a five-setter in the NCAA championship match. The Bruins hit .315 and .328 against the 49ers in the two matches played in Pauley while losing in four and five sets, respectively. The two teams will also hook up on Feb. 16 at Walter Pyramid.
NCAA STATS -- UCLA began the week ranked fifth nationally in kills/set (12.94), sixth in aces/set (2.19); seventh in hitting percentage (.357). Daenan Gyimah ranks ninth nationally in hitting % (.482). Micah Ma'a is listed 10th in aces/set (0.68). Brandon Rattray is 12th in kills per set (3.75).
BY THE NUMBERS
• UCLA is 2-0 at home this season after posting a 19-2 record in its home venues of Pauley Pavilion, presented by Wescom (13-2) and in the Wooden Center (6-0) last season ... It was the most home wins ever by the Bruins, one more than the 18 registered in 1987 ... UCLA dropped its first road test of 2019 at CSUN, before posting a pair of wins last week in the Midwest, after going 6-6 in 2018 road matches.
• Over the past three-plus seasons, UCLA owns a 32-4 record in Pauley (2016: 10-1, 2017: 8-1, 2018: 13-2, 2019: 1-0) ... Last year's loss to Long Beach State in the NCAA title match, snapped a streak of 10 straight home wins by the Bruins who have now won 12 of the last 13 overall at home. The last team not named Long Beach State (which also won in Pauley in February 2018) to defeat UCLA in Pauley was CSUN in February of 2017 (note: the Bruins did lose three home matches in the Wooden Center after the CSUN loss in that 2017 season).
• UCLA, is 0-1 this year vs. teams ranked in the AVCA poll at the time of the match, after going 14-7 last season.
• UCLA has won the ace battle in its four wins this season, but came up short (2-4) in the loss at CSUN ... Last season, it was out aced in just five matches and posted a 1-4 record in those contests.
• The Bruins held UCSD to a .066 hitting percentage in match two ... Last season, it held 12 opponents under .200 and posted a 12-0 mark.
• The Bruins rebounded from a season-low .200 hitting percentage at CSUN to hit a season-best .475 in the win at McKendree ... Daenan Gyimah recorded a school record .917 % (11k-0-12att) in that win (old mark was .900 held by several players, the last was Allan Vince in 2005 v. UCI).
• Last season, UCLA hit at least .400 in 12 matches in 2018, all wins ... CSUN hit .417 in its win last Wednesday, which was the first time an opponent had hit .400 against the Bruins since Pepperdine did it last season (.455) on Feb. 23 ... UCLA's .200 hitting % at CSUN was the lowest since it hit .191 in a four set loss at Long Beach State a year ago.
• The Bruins tied the school mark with seven aces in a set (second) in this year's home match against UC San Diego on Jan. 5.
• UCLA is 4-0 in 2019 (26-2 last season) when it hits for a higher % than the opponent - [lost to Long Beach State (.328 to .325) and loss at USC (.384 to .272)] ... UCLA hit .370 in home matches last season to .215 for opponents ... in two home matches in '19 it is swinging at a .372 clip vs. .144 for opponents.
• True freshman Cole Pender (libero) saw his first career action against UC San Diego; R-Fr. Adam Parks took the court for the first time at CSUN.
• MB Daenan Gyimah had three aces in match two vs. UCSD ... Last season, he led the team with seven matches in which he recorded at least three aces ... Micah Ma'a totaled five aces last week at Lindenwood after having six such matches in 2018.
• OH Dylan Missry is tied for eighth on the all-time school list for career aces with 79 (rally scoring era of 2001 to the present).
• Opp Brandon Rattray has 60 kills this season (3.8 kills/set) after totaling just 40 a season ago at UH where he appeared in 12 matches, with one start (2.0 kills/set; 0.8 digs/ 0.55 blocks per set).
• MB Grant Maleski has moved inside this season to middle blocker after seeing action in eight matches last season at OH, with two starts.
• OH Austin Matautia played in 25 matches, with nine starts, at Hawai'i last season (1.9 kills per set/ 24 aces / 0.3 blocks per set).
• MB Matt Younggren saw action in 18 matches last season for UC Irvine (1.3 kills per set / six aces / 0.7 blocks per set).
• John Speraw directed the U.S. Men's National Team to its first FIVB World Championship medal in 24 years last summer (bronze).
Jan. 14 AVCA Coaches Poll
1. Long Beach State (16 first-place votes) 240 pts. 5-0
2. UC Irvine 218 5-0
3. Hawai'i 211 3-0
4. BYU 189 2-0
5. Pepperdine 164 4-0
6. UCLA 156 4-1
7. Loyola-Chi. 134 3-1
8. Lewis 123 3-1
9. Stanford 121 4-0
10. CSUN 98 4-1
11. Ohio St. 79 2-2
12. UCSB 75 3-2
13. Purdue Ft. Wayne 4-0
14. Ball St. 18 2-3
15. Grand Canyon 16 3-2
Players Mentioned
MB
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OH
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L/OH
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