MVB Opens 2023 Season Thursday

Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA Photography

MVB Opens 2023 Season Thursday

January 04, 2023 | Men's Volleyball

MVB OPENS 2023 SEASON THURSDAY — UCLA, ranked No. 2 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Pre-Season poll, will open the 2023 season at the UC Santa Barbara Asics Tournament against three Big West Conference opponents --- CSUN, UCSD and UCSB.

MATCH INFORMATION
• First Serve vs. CSUN (Thu. Jan. 5): 5:30 p.m. PT at UCSB
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=438838
• First Serve vs. UCSD (Fri. Jan. 6): 3:00 p.m. PT at UCSB
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=438840
• First Serve vs. UCSB (Sat. Jan. 7): 8 p.m. PT ESPN+
Live Stats: http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=438845
Video: https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/e7081946-7174-414e-ba7b-87a0b27e3a15?om-navmethod=espn%3Aglobalsearch%3Aresults

Last season, UCLA defeated CSUN in three sets in the Wooden Center in the only meeting with the Matadors. The Bruins defeated UCSD in four sets in San Diego. UCLA did not face UCSB in 2022. The Bruins will return to Westwood next Saturday, Jan. 14, to host Princeton at 6 p.m. on Collins Court in the Wooden Center.

RETURNING -- UCLA returns five starters in redshirt sophomore middle blocker Guy Genis, the 2022 MPSF Freshman of the Year, senior outside hitter Alex Knight, redshirt junior middle blocker Merrick McHenry, junior outside hitter Ethan Champlin along with junior setter Miles Partain. Also back are redshirt junior opposite Kyle Vom Steeg, redshirt middle blocker J.R. Norris IV, senior outside hitter/opposite Cole Ketrzynski, redshirt junior setter Aryton Garcia-Jurado, redshirt freshman middle blocker Sean McQuiggan, redshirt freshman outside hitter Cooper Robinson, sophomore libero Matthew Aziz, sophomore outside hitter/opposite Ido David, redshirt sophomore outside hitter Grant Sloane and redshirt freshman middle blocker Matthew Edwards.

NEW TO THE MIX -- UCLA adds redshirt senior libero Troy Gooch from Purdue Fort Wayne, freshman setter Andrew Rowan, freshman middle blocker Christopher Hersh, freshman opposite David Decker, freshman outside hitter Zach Rama, freshman libero Coleman McDonough.

UCLA AND RANKINGS -- UCLA earned the No. 2 spot in the pre-season AVCA poll for the fourth time in the past five seasons. UCLA received one first-place vote in the poll while two-time defending national champion Hawai'i garnered the remaining 21 votes for the top spot. Eleven of the AVCA's Top 15-ranked teams appear on the Bruins' schedule for 2023 and will meet UCLA for a total of 19 matches this season. UCLA has now been ranked as high as No. 2 in the AVCA poll at some point in 7 of the last 8 seasons (not in 2021). The Bruins finished the 2022 season listed fourth in the final AVCA poll.

MPSF -- UCLA, which finished atop the 2022 MPSF standings with an 11-1 record, is picked to repeat by the coaches in 2023. The 2023 Pre-season MPSF coaches poll: 1-UCLA, 2-Pepperdine, 3-Stanford, 4-Grand Canyon, 4-USC, 6-BYU, 7-Concordia, Irvine. This year's MPSF post-season Tournament will be held at Stanford as the location will rotate among the league schools going forward. Returners Miles Partain, Ethan Champlin and Merrick McHenry each earned first-team 2022 All-MPSF honors. Guy Genis was the 2022 MPSF Freshman of the Year and a second-team selection. Ido David earned honorable mention. Grant Sloane joined Genis and David on the 2022 MPSF All-Freshman Team.

HOME SCHEDULE -- UCLA will host matchups against ranked opponents this season versus No. 15 Princeton (Jan. 14), No. 7 UC Santa Barbara (Jan. 20), No. 3 Long Beach State (Feb. 9), No. 8 UC Irvine (Feb. 26), No. 10 USC (Apr. 6) and No. 5 Pepperdine (Apr. 15).

ROAD SCHEDULE -- On the road, UCLA will square off against No. 1 Hawai'i (Mar. 11) as well as battle No. 7 UC Santa Barbara (Jan. 7), No. 13 Ohio State (Feb. 3), No. 4 Penn State (Feb. 4 and Mar. 9), No. 3 Long Beach State (Feb. 10), No. 8 UC Irvine (Feb. 24), No. 9 Stanford (Mar. 17 and 18), No. 11 Grand Canyon (Mar. 31 and Apr. 1), No. 10 USC (Apr. 8), No. 5 Pepperdine (Apr. 13). The Bruins will also travel to the site of the 2023 Men's Volleyball Championship when it plays a match at George Mason, in Fairfax, Va., on Jan. 31.

TEAM NOTES -- Last season, UCLA ranked among the nation's top 10 as a team in hitting % (No. 1 at .374), set assists/set (No. 5 at 12.2), kills/set (No. 5 at 13.1) and blocks/set (No. 8 at 2.4).

PLAYER/COACH NOTES -- Coach John Speraw will take aim at milestone wins at No. 200 at UCLA (186-90) and No. 400 overall (385-201) this season ... UCLA added two new assistant coaches during the off-season, both former Bruin players, in Nick Vogel (2009-12) and Brandon Taliaferro (1997-2000) ... Returners J.R. Norris IV, Ethan Champlin and Merrick McHenry each earned bronze medals as members of the U.S. Men's National Team at the 2022 Pan American Cup Final Six in Mexico this past off-season ... Newcomers Andrew Rowan (MVP, Best Setter, Best Server) and Zach Rama (Best Attacker) helped the U.S. win gold at the 2022 U21 Pan American Cup held in Cuba in October.