
Photo by: Eric Hurd
MVB Puts Away Penn State in Three Sets
January 20, 2024 | Men's Volleyball
The top-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team (5-1) rolled past No. 7 Penn State (4-1) in straight sets on Saturday evening in Austin, Texas at the First Point Collegiate Challenge. Scores of the match were 25-20, 25-19, 25-15.
Alex Knight led the Bruins with nine kills and three blocks. Ido David added six kills to go with three aces. Zach Rama came off the bench to tally six kills and a block solo. UCLA outhit Penn State .354 to .171 for the match and posted over a .300 hitting percentage in each frame. The Bruins will return home to play No. 15 UC Santa Barbara on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.
A kill and a service ace by David put UCLA in front 10-7 in set one. Sean McQuiggan's two kills and a swing by Ethan Champlin extended the margin to 14-8. Kills by Merrick McHenry and Knight made it 17-11. Back-to-back put aways by McQuiggan and Knight left UCLA in front 22-14. Penn State rallied late to close to 24-20. A block by Andrew Rowan and McQuiggan ended the set at 25-20.
UCLA broke a 6-all tie in set two with three straight points on a PSU service error and blocks by McHenry, Knight and David. Knight's kill made it 11-8. David's swing left UCLA in front 14-11. A Champlin ace and kills from McHenry and Knight pushed the margin to 18-12. Knight, McQuiggan and Rowan teamed up for a block and a 21-17 edge. Grant Sloane's spike made it 22-17. A series of errors ended the set with UCLA in front 25-19.
Rama, with three kills and a block solo in the early going, helped the Bruins move out to a 9-6 advantage in set three. A David ace made it 12-8. Another Rama spike pushed UCLA into a 20-12 advantage. After a stretch of four service errors and two attack errors, the Bruins led 24-15. Rama's swing ended the set at 25-15.
In other matches at the First Point Collegiate Challenge on Saturday, Ohio State defeated USC in five sets. Stanford dealt Ball State a 3-1 setback.
Alex Knight led the Bruins with nine kills and three blocks. Ido David added six kills to go with three aces. Zach Rama came off the bench to tally six kills and a block solo. UCLA outhit Penn State .354 to .171 for the match and posted over a .300 hitting percentage in each frame. The Bruins will return home to play No. 15 UC Santa Barbara on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.
A kill and a service ace by David put UCLA in front 10-7 in set one. Sean McQuiggan's two kills and a swing by Ethan Champlin extended the margin to 14-8. Kills by Merrick McHenry and Knight made it 17-11. Back-to-back put aways by McQuiggan and Knight left UCLA in front 22-14. Penn State rallied late to close to 24-20. A block by Andrew Rowan and McQuiggan ended the set at 25-20.
UCLA broke a 6-all tie in set two with three straight points on a PSU service error and blocks by McHenry, Knight and David. Knight's kill made it 11-8. David's swing left UCLA in front 14-11. A Champlin ace and kills from McHenry and Knight pushed the margin to 18-12. Knight, McQuiggan and Rowan teamed up for a block and a 21-17 edge. Grant Sloane's spike made it 22-17. A series of errors ended the set with UCLA in front 25-19.
Rama, with three kills and a block solo in the early going, helped the Bruins move out to a 9-6 advantage in set three. A David ace made it 12-8. Another Rama spike pushed UCLA into a 20-12 advantage. After a stretch of four service errors and two attack errors, the Bruins led 24-15. Rama's swing ended the set at 25-15.
In other matches at the First Point Collegiate Challenge on Saturday, Ohio State defeated USC in five sets. Stanford dealt Ball State a 3-1 setback.
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