First-team NVA/AVCA All-America selection Ethan Champlin
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
MVB Battles Pepperdine to Begin NCAA Play
May 02, 2022 | Men's Volleyball
Bruins Meet Pepperdine Tuesday at 5 p.m. — UCLA (21-4), the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation regular season champ, will meet MPSF Tournament Champion Pepperdine (19-9) in Opening Match 2 of the 2022 National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom on Tuesday May 3 at 5 p.m. The last two times the programs have meet in NCAA play it was for the national title - won by Pepperdine in 2005 at UCLA and by UCLA in 1998 at Hawai'i.
• First Serve (Tue. May 3): UCLA vs. Pepperdine - 5 p.m. PT
Video: http://pac-12.com/live/ucla
Live Stats: https://www.ncaa.com/game/5999235
If UCLA wins it will meet top-seeded Long Beach State (20-5) on May 5 at 5 p.m. in a semifinal match.
UCLA in the NCAA's -- This is UCLA's 28th appearance in the NCAA Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship where it has compiled a 54-9 record, including a won-loss mark of 27-2 in matches played in Pauley. The last NCAA participation by the Bruins came in the 2018 Championship, also played in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom, when UCLA won an Opening Round Match against Harvard (3-1) and earned a victory over No. 2 seed BYU (3-1) in the semfinals. Top-seeded Long Beach State then bested the Bruins 3-2 in the title tilt. The Bruins have advanced to the title match in 26 of their previous 27 NCAA appearances (not 2016-lost in semis to Ohio State).
This will be the 16th time UCLA has played host to the NCAA men's volleyball championship - 1970 (UCLA champ), 1971 (UCLA), 1975 (UCLA), 1977 (USC), 1979 (UCLA), 1984 (UCLA), 1985 (Pepperdine), 1987 (UCLA), 1989 (UCLA), 1993 (UCLA), 1996 (UCLA), 1999 (BYU), 2005 (Pepperdine), 2013 (UC Irvine), 2018 (Long Beach St.). The Bruins have captured nine NCAA championships in Pauley.
Should the Bruins advance with a win over the Waves, UCLA owns victories in all 11 previous NCAA semifinal matches they have played in Pauley (2018, 2005, 1996*, 1993*, 1989*, 1987*, 1984*, 1979*, 1975*, 1971*, 1970*). UCLA won titles* in nine of those 11 championship matches.
Quick Looks -- In 2006, the Bruins earned a 3-0 NCAA Championship victory against Penn State to produce program championship No. 19 ... No current UCLA team members have seen previous action in the NCAA tournament ... J.R. Norris IV and Ian Parish were on the 2018 UCLA team which advanced to the Championship match, but they did not see post-season action ... Under Coach Speraw, the Bruins also advanced to the NCAA Championships in 2016, held at Penn State, where UCLA lost a semifinal match to eventual national champion Ohio State in five sets ... Coach Speraw owns an 8-3 overall (2-2 at UCLA) record in NCAA Tournament Matches, winning NCAA titles in 2007, 2009 and 2012 while at UC Irvine.
UCLA as No. 1 -- UCLA held the top spot in the AVCA poll for nine straight weeks before losing in the MPSF semifinals. It marked UCLA's longest stay in the top spot since 1995 when it was on top for 13 weeks. This year's top ranking marked the first appearance for the Bruins at No. 1 since the 2016 season. UCLA defeated then No. 1 Long Beach State in five sets on Feb. 19, 2022 to advance into the top spot. UCLA has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the AVCA poll in 6 of the last 7 seasons (not in 2021).
UCLA vs. 2022 NCAA Field -- Pepperdine, 2-0; Long Beach State 1-1; Princeton 1-0.
Vs. Pepperdine: UCLA swept the home-and-home series with the Waves by 3-0 scores. UCLA hit .386 and .452 in those two matches while Pepperdine hit below .200 in each contest. The Bruins held a 9-7 edge in aces and a 24.5 to 5.0 margin in total blocks.
NCAA/MPSF Rankings -- Entering the NCAAs, the Bruins are rated in the Top 10 nationally in hitting % (1st-.375), kills (3rd-13.85), set assists (6th-12.25) and blocks (7th-2.42). Merrick McHenry is second in the nation in hitting % at .527. Miles Partain ranks 7th in the nation in set assists per frame at 10.26. Guy Genis is 11th in blocks (1.01).
Team Notes -- UCLA has hit for a higher % than its opponent in all 21 wins this season; it has hit at least .350 in 19 matches and hit at least .400 in 11 matches ... it has hit at least .300 in the last 16 matches ... Bruins own a 17-1 mark in matches when recording more blocks than the opponent ... UCLA has outblocked 6 of its last 7 opponents by a 69.0 to 42.0 margin ... 12 times this season UCLA has held an opponent under .200 hitting percentage ... Pepperdine ended UCLA's 2021 season in the MPSF Semifinals.
ALL-AVCA/MPSF -- OH Ethan Champlin, MB Merrick McHenry and S Miles Partain were named first-team 2022 NVA/AVCA All-America selections ... Guy Genis and Kevin Kobrine were chosed to the NVA/AVCA second-team ... Partain was named MPSF Player of the Year, UCLA's first such honor since 2000 (Brandon Taliaferro) ... Genis was the MPSF Freshman of the Year ... Partain joined Champlin, Kobrine and McHenry on the first team. Genis was on the second-team and Ido David was honorable mention. Grant Sloane joined David and Genis on the MPSF All-Freshman Team.
At Home -- The Bruins are 11-2 at home (3-1 in Wooden Center; 8-1 in Pauley) in 2022 ... Over the past six-plus seasons, UCLA is 55-8 in Pauley. matches played in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom (2016: 10-1, 2017: 8-1, 2018: 13-2, 2019: 7-1; 2020: 2-0; 2021: 7-2; 2022: 8-1--lost to Stanford).
• First Serve (Tue. May 3): UCLA vs. Pepperdine - 5 p.m. PT
Video: http://pac-12.com/live/ucla
Live Stats: https://www.ncaa.com/game/5999235
If UCLA wins it will meet top-seeded Long Beach State (20-5) on May 5 at 5 p.m. in a semifinal match.
UCLA in the NCAA's -- This is UCLA's 28th appearance in the NCAA Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship where it has compiled a 54-9 record, including a won-loss mark of 27-2 in matches played in Pauley. The last NCAA participation by the Bruins came in the 2018 Championship, also played in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom, when UCLA won an Opening Round Match against Harvard (3-1) and earned a victory over No. 2 seed BYU (3-1) in the semfinals. Top-seeded Long Beach State then bested the Bruins 3-2 in the title tilt. The Bruins have advanced to the title match in 26 of their previous 27 NCAA appearances (not 2016-lost in semis to Ohio State).
This will be the 16th time UCLA has played host to the NCAA men's volleyball championship - 1970 (UCLA champ), 1971 (UCLA), 1975 (UCLA), 1977 (USC), 1979 (UCLA), 1984 (UCLA), 1985 (Pepperdine), 1987 (UCLA), 1989 (UCLA), 1993 (UCLA), 1996 (UCLA), 1999 (BYU), 2005 (Pepperdine), 2013 (UC Irvine), 2018 (Long Beach St.). The Bruins have captured nine NCAA championships in Pauley.
Should the Bruins advance with a win over the Waves, UCLA owns victories in all 11 previous NCAA semifinal matches they have played in Pauley (2018, 2005, 1996*, 1993*, 1989*, 1987*, 1984*, 1979*, 1975*, 1971*, 1970*). UCLA won titles* in nine of those 11 championship matches.
Quick Looks -- In 2006, the Bruins earned a 3-0 NCAA Championship victory against Penn State to produce program championship No. 19 ... No current UCLA team members have seen previous action in the NCAA tournament ... J.R. Norris IV and Ian Parish were on the 2018 UCLA team which advanced to the Championship match, but they did not see post-season action ... Under Coach Speraw, the Bruins also advanced to the NCAA Championships in 2016, held at Penn State, where UCLA lost a semifinal match to eventual national champion Ohio State in five sets ... Coach Speraw owns an 8-3 overall (2-2 at UCLA) record in NCAA Tournament Matches, winning NCAA titles in 2007, 2009 and 2012 while at UC Irvine.
UCLA as No. 1 -- UCLA held the top spot in the AVCA poll for nine straight weeks before losing in the MPSF semifinals. It marked UCLA's longest stay in the top spot since 1995 when it was on top for 13 weeks. This year's top ranking marked the first appearance for the Bruins at No. 1 since the 2016 season. UCLA defeated then No. 1 Long Beach State in five sets on Feb. 19, 2022 to advance into the top spot. UCLA has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the AVCA poll in 6 of the last 7 seasons (not in 2021).
UCLA vs. 2022 NCAA Field -- Pepperdine, 2-0; Long Beach State 1-1; Princeton 1-0.
Vs. Pepperdine: UCLA swept the home-and-home series with the Waves by 3-0 scores. UCLA hit .386 and .452 in those two matches while Pepperdine hit below .200 in each contest. The Bruins held a 9-7 edge in aces and a 24.5 to 5.0 margin in total blocks.
NCAA/MPSF Rankings -- Entering the NCAAs, the Bruins are rated in the Top 10 nationally in hitting % (1st-.375), kills (3rd-13.85), set assists (6th-12.25) and blocks (7th-2.42). Merrick McHenry is second in the nation in hitting % at .527. Miles Partain ranks 7th in the nation in set assists per frame at 10.26. Guy Genis is 11th in blocks (1.01).
Team Notes -- UCLA has hit for a higher % than its opponent in all 21 wins this season; it has hit at least .350 in 19 matches and hit at least .400 in 11 matches ... it has hit at least .300 in the last 16 matches ... Bruins own a 17-1 mark in matches when recording more blocks than the opponent ... UCLA has outblocked 6 of its last 7 opponents by a 69.0 to 42.0 margin ... 12 times this season UCLA has held an opponent under .200 hitting percentage ... Pepperdine ended UCLA's 2021 season in the MPSF Semifinals.
ALL-AVCA/MPSF -- OH Ethan Champlin, MB Merrick McHenry and S Miles Partain were named first-team 2022 NVA/AVCA All-America selections ... Guy Genis and Kevin Kobrine were chosed to the NVA/AVCA second-team ... Partain was named MPSF Player of the Year, UCLA's first such honor since 2000 (Brandon Taliaferro) ... Genis was the MPSF Freshman of the Year ... Partain joined Champlin, Kobrine and McHenry on the first team. Genis was on the second-team and Ido David was honorable mention. Grant Sloane joined David and Genis on the MPSF All-Freshman Team.
At Home -- The Bruins are 11-2 at home (3-1 in Wooden Center; 8-1 in Pauley) in 2022 ... Over the past six-plus seasons, UCLA is 55-8 in Pauley. matches played in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom (2016: 10-1, 2017: 8-1, 2018: 13-2, 2019: 7-1; 2020: 2-0; 2021: 7-2; 2022: 8-1--lost to Stanford).
Players Mentioned
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