Thursday, February 29
Los Angeles, CA
7:00 PM
UCLA
at
USC
Andrew Rowan (7), Merrick McHenry (13) and Ethan Champln (20) rise on the Bruin block
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
MVB Plays a Pair versus Trojans
February 27, 2024 | Men's Volleyball
Bruins Play Two with USC — Fourth-ranked UCLA (12-4, 3-1) travels across town to play a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) match at 11th-ranked USC (10-6, 2-2) on Thursday at 7 p.m. The teams will then meet again in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom on Saturday at 5 p.m. The Bruins have won the last six meetings overall in the series with four coming at USC and two at home. The last Trojan decision came at UCLA in the first meeting of the teams in 2021. UCLA coach John Speraw and USC coach Jeff Nygaard were both starters on UCLA's 1995 NCAA Championship MVB team. On Saturday, members of the 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984 UCLA Men's Volleyball NCAA Championship teams will be recognized at the match in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom.
• First Serve at USC (Thu. Feb. 29): 7 p.m. PT
Video: usc stream https://pac-12.com/live?networks=P12I
Live Stats: https://usctrojans.com/sidearmstats/mvball/summary
• First Serve at UCLA (Sat. Mar. 2): 5 p.m. PT
Video: ucla live stream https://pac-12.com/live/ucla
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=498660
With the win over Long Beach earlier this season, UCLA has defeated the AVCA's No. 1-ranked team in each of the last four seasons -- 2024: Feb. 10 Long Beach (3-1) in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom; 2023: March 6 Hawai'i (3-1) in Fairfax, Va.; 2022: Feb. 19 vs. Long Beach (3-2) in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom; 2021: Feb. 4 at BYU (3-1). After 16 matches this season, UCLA owns a 168.5 to 102.5 edge over opponents in total blocks; 114 to 65 margin in service aces. It has out hit the first 16 opponents by a combined .361 to .236.
Ethan Champlin Honored — Ethan Champlin was honored as offtheblockblog.com National Outside Attacker of the Week for his play in the Bruin split at BYU. The senior started at libero in the Friday night setback and was credited with 10 digs. On Saturday night, Champlin began the match at libero before switching to outside attacker at the tail end of the third set. He did not record a kill in set three, which the Bruins lost to go down 1-2 heading into set four. In that fourth set, Champlin started outside and produced an attack line of 8 kills, no errors and 11 swings for a .727 mark. He was responsible for eight of UCLA's 15 kills during the set which the Bruins won 25-23 to remain alive. In the decisive fifth set, Champlin registered six of UCLA's nine kills with a line of 6 kills, 1 error and 9 attempts as UCLA secured a 15-10 win to capture the split. He finished with a match-high tying total of 14 kills and a hitting percentage of .650 on the night. Champlin also was credited with six digs and handled 28 serve receptions without error in Saturday's match.
UCLA and Rankings — UCLA was voted No. 4 in this week's AVCA coaches poll and third in the Off the Block media listing. The Bruins have been ranked as high as No. 2 in the AVCA poll at some point in seven of the last eight seasons (not in 2021) ... The Bruins have risen as high as No. 1 in the AVCA poll in five seasons under John Speraw -- 2024,2023, 2022, 2016, 2014 ... UCLA has ended a season ranked No. 1 in the AVCA poll a record 10 times (1987, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995,1996, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2023) over the years.
Ranking Notes — UCLA is ranked among the nation's top 10 as a team in blocks per set (2nd-2.72), hitting % (2nd-.361), kills per set (3rd-12.94), set assists (3rd-12.34), and aces (7th-1.84) ... So far in 2024, UCLA has 9 double-digit total block efforts (Lewis, Loyola,Ohio St., UCSB, UCI, Long Beach 2x, Pepp, BYU), three double-digit ace performances (Lewis-14, UCI-10, Pepp-10) and has hit at least .400 in six matches (Ft. Valley St., Morehouse, UCSD, UCI, Pepp, BYU) ... One Bruin rates among the nation's top 10 -- Andrew Rowan is 4th in the nation in set assists/set (10.49) ... Merrick McHenry is 12th in blocking (1.05); followed at No. 13 by Guy Genis (1.04) ... After recording a block solo in this year's home match against Long Beach, McHenry moved past Garrett Muagututia (2007-10, 44), and has risen to the top of the school list for career block solos with his 45th solo stuff ... last season (.382) marked the second straight season in which the Bruins topped the nation in hitting percentage after posting a .374 mark in 2022 ... UCLA hit at least .400 in 17 matches in 2023. The Bruins had seven matches in '23 with at least 10 aces, including the championship match against Hawai'i. UCLA recorded double-digit total blocks in 14 matches with a high of 18.5 against Pepperdine.
Sullivan Award Honors — Ethan Champlin was named as a semi-finalist for this year's 94th AAU James E. Sullivan Award which is presented annually to the top amateur athlete in the United States. The senior led UCLA to the 2023 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship, won a gold medal playing for the U.S. Men's National Team during the summer at the Pan Am Cup Final Six and was a 2023 College Sports Communications (CSC) At-Large Team Academic All-America selection. He was also a first-team AVCA All-America choice and a finalist for the Karch Kiraly Award as the nation's top outside attacker.
MPSF — The Bruins had a 21-match MPSF regular-season win streak snapped at BYU last Friday. UCLA finished atop the 2023 MPSF standings with a 12-0 record last season and is picked to repeat by the coaches ... the '24 Pre-season MPSF coaches poll: 1-UCLA, 2-Stanford, T3-BYU, T3-GCU, 5-USC, 6-Pepperdine, 7-CUI ... this year's MPSF Post-Season Tournament will be held at USC on April 17-20 with the league's auto bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
MPSF Standings (2/27)
1. Grand Canyon 4-0
2. UCLA 3-1
3. Stanford 1-1
4. USC 2-2
5. Pepperdine 1-3
BYU 1-3
7. Concordia-Irvine 0-4
• First Serve at USC (Thu. Feb. 29): 7 p.m. PT
Video: usc stream https://pac-12.com/live?networks=P12I
Live Stats: https://usctrojans.com/sidearmstats/mvball/summary
• First Serve at UCLA (Sat. Mar. 2): 5 p.m. PT
Video: ucla live stream https://pac-12.com/live/ucla
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=498660
With the win over Long Beach earlier this season, UCLA has defeated the AVCA's No. 1-ranked team in each of the last four seasons -- 2024: Feb. 10 Long Beach (3-1) in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom; 2023: March 6 Hawai'i (3-1) in Fairfax, Va.; 2022: Feb. 19 vs. Long Beach (3-2) in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom; 2021: Feb. 4 at BYU (3-1). After 16 matches this season, UCLA owns a 168.5 to 102.5 edge over opponents in total blocks; 114 to 65 margin in service aces. It has out hit the first 16 opponents by a combined .361 to .236.
Ethan Champlin Honored — Ethan Champlin was honored as offtheblockblog.com National Outside Attacker of the Week for his play in the Bruin split at BYU. The senior started at libero in the Friday night setback and was credited with 10 digs. On Saturday night, Champlin began the match at libero before switching to outside attacker at the tail end of the third set. He did not record a kill in set three, which the Bruins lost to go down 1-2 heading into set four. In that fourth set, Champlin started outside and produced an attack line of 8 kills, no errors and 11 swings for a .727 mark. He was responsible for eight of UCLA's 15 kills during the set which the Bruins won 25-23 to remain alive. In the decisive fifth set, Champlin registered six of UCLA's nine kills with a line of 6 kills, 1 error and 9 attempts as UCLA secured a 15-10 win to capture the split. He finished with a match-high tying total of 14 kills and a hitting percentage of .650 on the night. Champlin also was credited with six digs and handled 28 serve receptions without error in Saturday's match.
UCLA and Rankings — UCLA was voted No. 4 in this week's AVCA coaches poll and third in the Off the Block media listing. The Bruins have been ranked as high as No. 2 in the AVCA poll at some point in seven of the last eight seasons (not in 2021) ... The Bruins have risen as high as No. 1 in the AVCA poll in five seasons under John Speraw -- 2024,2023, 2022, 2016, 2014 ... UCLA has ended a season ranked No. 1 in the AVCA poll a record 10 times (1987, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995,1996, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2023) over the years.
Ranking Notes — UCLA is ranked among the nation's top 10 as a team in blocks per set (2nd-2.72), hitting % (2nd-.361), kills per set (3rd-12.94), set assists (3rd-12.34), and aces (7th-1.84) ... So far in 2024, UCLA has 9 double-digit total block efforts (Lewis, Loyola,Ohio St., UCSB, UCI, Long Beach 2x, Pepp, BYU), three double-digit ace performances (Lewis-14, UCI-10, Pepp-10) and has hit at least .400 in six matches (Ft. Valley St., Morehouse, UCSD, UCI, Pepp, BYU) ... One Bruin rates among the nation's top 10 -- Andrew Rowan is 4th in the nation in set assists/set (10.49) ... Merrick McHenry is 12th in blocking (1.05); followed at No. 13 by Guy Genis (1.04) ... After recording a block solo in this year's home match against Long Beach, McHenry moved past Garrett Muagututia (2007-10, 44), and has risen to the top of the school list for career block solos with his 45th solo stuff ... last season (.382) marked the second straight season in which the Bruins topped the nation in hitting percentage after posting a .374 mark in 2022 ... UCLA hit at least .400 in 17 matches in 2023. The Bruins had seven matches in '23 with at least 10 aces, including the championship match against Hawai'i. UCLA recorded double-digit total blocks in 14 matches with a high of 18.5 against Pepperdine.
Sullivan Award Honors — Ethan Champlin was named as a semi-finalist for this year's 94th AAU James E. Sullivan Award which is presented annually to the top amateur athlete in the United States. The senior led UCLA to the 2023 NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship, won a gold medal playing for the U.S. Men's National Team during the summer at the Pan Am Cup Final Six and was a 2023 College Sports Communications (CSC) At-Large Team Academic All-America selection. He was also a first-team AVCA All-America choice and a finalist for the Karch Kiraly Award as the nation's top outside attacker.
MPSF — The Bruins had a 21-match MPSF regular-season win streak snapped at BYU last Friday. UCLA finished atop the 2023 MPSF standings with a 12-0 record last season and is picked to repeat by the coaches ... the '24 Pre-season MPSF coaches poll: 1-UCLA, 2-Stanford, T3-BYU, T3-GCU, 5-USC, 6-Pepperdine, 7-CUI ... this year's MPSF Post-Season Tournament will be held at USC on April 17-20 with the league's auto bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
MPSF Standings (2/27)
1. Grand Canyon 4-0
2. UCLA 3-1
3. Stanford 1-1
4. USC 2-2
5. Pepperdine 1-3
BYU 1-3
7. Concordia-Irvine 0-4
Players Mentioned
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MB
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