Middle blocker Merrick McHenry and outside hitter Cooper Robinson were selected on Monday as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation / Molten Men's Volleyball Players of the Week as the Bruins swept a pair of matches last week against Big West Conference opponent UC Irvine. Robinson was also honored on Monday as Off the Block's National Outside Attacker of the Week.
McHenry hit .476 for the week with 12 kills, 10 blocks assists and a block solo. McHenry's 7 block assists in the home win marked a season-best total and he added a block solo which tied him with Garrett Muagututia (2007-10) for the UCLA school career record at 44. McHenry, who has 21 total blocks over the last four contests, has now hit at least .400 in each of the last seven matches. The redshirt senior has moved up to 10th in the nation in blocks per set average (1.11).
Robinson averaged 5.0 kills per set last week. The redshirt sophomore registered a career-best 22 kills in a five-set win on night one at UC Irvine and then bettered that mark in the next match with 23 in a four-set home victory two nights later. He hit a combined .427 on 82 swings and handled 60 of 62 serve receptions without error over the two matches. During the week, he established new career highs in kills (23), digs (8), points (26.5) and tied his previous high with five block assists. The big week moved Robinson up to sixth in the nation in hitting percentage at .416.
The Bruins return to action on Friday and Saturday this week against another Big West Conference foe in top-ranked Long Beach State. The first meeting takes place on Friday at Long Beach at 7 p.m. in the Walter Pyramid. The Beach comes to Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom the next night for a 6 p.m. match.
UCLA is ranked fourth in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll released on Monday.
AVCA Coaches Poll Top 20 (2/5)
McHenry hit .476 for the week with 12 kills, 10 blocks assists and a block solo. McHenry's 7 block assists in the home win marked a season-best total and he added a block solo which tied him with Garrett Muagututia (2007-10) for the UCLA school career record at 44. McHenry, who has 21 total blocks over the last four contests, has now hit at least .400 in each of the last seven matches. The redshirt senior has moved up to 10th in the nation in blocks per set average (1.11).
Robinson averaged 5.0 kills per set last week. The redshirt sophomore registered a career-best 22 kills in a five-set win on night one at UC Irvine and then bettered that mark in the next match with 23 in a four-set home victory two nights later. He hit a combined .427 on 82 swings and handled 60 of 62 serve receptions without error over the two matches. During the week, he established new career highs in kills (23), digs (8), points (26.5) and tied his previous high with five block assists. The big week moved Robinson up to sixth in the nation in hitting percentage at .416.
The Bruins return to action on Friday and Saturday this week against another Big West Conference foe in top-ranked Long Beach State. The first meeting takes place on Friday at Long Beach at 7 p.m. in the Walter Pyramid. The Beach comes to Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom the next night for a 6 p.m. match.
UCLA is ranked fourth in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll released on Monday.
AVCA Coaches Poll Top 20 (2/5)
- Long Beach (23) 9-0
- Grand Canyon 9-0
- Hawai'i 7-1
- UCLA 8-2
- Stanford 7-1
- Ohio St. 7-2
- UC Irvine 5-3
- BYU 7-3
- Penn St. 7-3
- Princeton 6-3
- Ball St. 8-6
- Pepperdine 7-2
- Loyola-Chicago 5-6
- Lewis 7-3
- USC 7-3
- CSUN 6-4
- UC Santa Barbara 4-7
- George Mason 3-5
- UC San Diego 3-7
- Purdue Ft. Wayne 6-3