Friday, March 8
Los Angeles, CA
4:00 PM
UCLA
vs
Penn State
Photo by: Lillie Yazdi
MVB Plays in Big Ten / Pac-12 Challenge
March 06, 2024 | Men's Volleyball
Bruins Battle Penn State / Ohio State in Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge — Fourth-ranked UCLA (14-4, 5-1) takes a break from Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) play to participate in the annual Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge. The Bruins will take on No. 9 Penn State (13-5, with match vs. USC on Wed.) on Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. at USC's Galen Center Pavilion and then head home to host No. 8 Ohio State (14-4, with match vs. USC earlier this week) in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom on Sunday at 5 p.m.
• First Serve vs. Penn State (Fri. Mar. 8): 4 p.m. PT
Video: usc stream https://pac-12.com/live/usc-2
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=498449
• First Serve vs. Ohio State (Sun. Mar. 10): 5 p.m. PT
Video: Pac-12 Network (Brian Webber) https://pac-12.com/live?networks=P12LAX
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=498661
Earlier this season the Bruins defeated Penn State in the First Point Volleyball Collegiate Challenge in Austin, Texas in straight sets (25-20, 25-19, 25-15). UCLA outhit the Nittany Lions .354 to .171 in that contest and won the service battle 5-0. Ohio State handed UCLA its first loss on the 2024 season at the same event, winning in five sets (19-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-23, 15-13). Both teams hit over .300 in that contest with OSU recording more aces 5-4 and more blocks 12.0-10.5. All four teams in the Challenge have won multiple past NCAA Men's Volleyball Championships (UCLA 20, last in 2023; USC 4, last in 1990; Ohio State 3, last in 2017; Penn State 2, last in 2008).
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 18 matches this season, UCLA owns a 186.5 to 117.0 edge over opponents in total blocks; 128 to 69 margin in service aces. It has out hit the first 18 opponents by a combined .367 to .227.
UCLA and Rankings — UCLA was voted No. 4 in this week's AVCA coaches poll and in the Off the Block media listing. After starting out 2024 as the top-ranked team in the pre-season poll and first two of the regular season, the Bruins have now 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-2.70), hitting % (2nd-.367), set assists (2nd-12.35), kills per set (3rd-13.03) and aces (7th-1.86) ... So far in 2024, UCLA has 10 double-digit total block efforts (Lewis, Loyola,Ohio St., UCSB, UCI, Long Beach 2x, Pepp, BYU, USC), three double-digit ace performances (Lewis-14, UCI-10, Pepp-10) and has hit at least .400 in seven matches (Ft. Valley St., Morehouse, UCSD, UCI, Pepp, BYU, at USC) ... One Bruin rates among the nation's top 10 -- Andrew Rowan is 5th in the nation in set assists/set (10.50) ... Merrick McHenry is T14th in blocking (1.00) ... 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 (currently has 46 solo stuffs) ... 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.
OTB National Setter of Week — Andrew Rowan was selected by offtheblockblog.com as the National Setter of the Week after leading UCLA to a pair of MPSF wins over USC last week. The Bruins posted a .425 combined hitting percentage for the two matches against the Trojans including a .492 mark in the sweep at USC which was the second-best attack percentage of the season. It was also the highest percentage by the Bruins in an MPSF match this year and included an .824 attack clip in the second set (14 kills, no errors on 17 swings). Rowan handed out 26 set assists in the victory with five Bruins totaling at least seven kills in the contest. The Bruins followed up on that performance with a .382 effort in a four set win in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Rowan totaled 48 set assists and the Bruin team hit at least .480 in three of the four sets. UCLA enters the week ranked second in the nation in hitting percentage at .367 after leading the nation in the category the past two seasons.
Player Notes — Ethan Champlin is tied for the team lead with seven double-digit kill matches ... Luca Curci had a season-high five kills vs. USC ... Ido David has at least one ace in 11 of his last 12 matches ... Alex Knight has received 57 of the last 58 opponent serves without error ... Merrick McHenry has hit at least .400 in each of the last 15 matches ... Sean McQuiggan has started the last five matches at middle blocker ... Zach Rama has produced double-digit points in four of the last five matches ... Cooper Robinson has double-digit points in six of the last seven matches and is tied for the team lead with seven double-digit kill matches ... Andrew Rowan leads the team with 25 aces and has multiple aces in eight matches this season ... Grant Sloane has played in 15 matches and tied his career-best with 16 kills vs. Long Beach.
MPSF — The Bruins had a 21-match MPSF regular-season win streak snapped at BYU earlier this season. 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
• First Serve vs. Penn State (Fri. Mar. 8): 4 p.m. PT
Video: usc stream https://pac-12.com/live/usc-2
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=498449
• First Serve vs. Ohio State (Sun. Mar. 10): 5 p.m. PT
Video: Pac-12 Network (Brian Webber) https://pac-12.com/live?networks=P12LAX
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=498661
Earlier this season the Bruins defeated Penn State in the First Point Volleyball Collegiate Challenge in Austin, Texas in straight sets (25-20, 25-19, 25-15). UCLA outhit the Nittany Lions .354 to .171 in that contest and won the service battle 5-0. Ohio State handed UCLA its first loss on the 2024 season at the same event, winning in five sets (19-25, 23-25, 25-18, 25-23, 15-13). Both teams hit over .300 in that contest with OSU recording more aces 5-4 and more blocks 12.0-10.5. All four teams in the Challenge have won multiple past NCAA Men's Volleyball Championships (UCLA 20, last in 2023; USC 4, last in 1990; Ohio State 3, last in 2017; Penn State 2, last in 2008).
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 18 matches this season, UCLA owns a 186.5 to 117.0 edge over opponents in total blocks; 128 to 69 margin in service aces. It has out hit the first 18 opponents by a combined .367 to .227.
UCLA and Rankings — UCLA was voted No. 4 in this week's AVCA coaches poll and in the Off the Block media listing. After starting out 2024 as the top-ranked team in the pre-season poll and first two of the regular season, the Bruins have now 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-2.70), hitting % (2nd-.367), set assists (2nd-12.35), kills per set (3rd-13.03) and aces (7th-1.86) ... So far in 2024, UCLA has 10 double-digit total block efforts (Lewis, Loyola,Ohio St., UCSB, UCI, Long Beach 2x, Pepp, BYU, USC), three double-digit ace performances (Lewis-14, UCI-10, Pepp-10) and has hit at least .400 in seven matches (Ft. Valley St., Morehouse, UCSD, UCI, Pepp, BYU, at USC) ... One Bruin rates among the nation's top 10 -- Andrew Rowan is 5th in the nation in set assists/set (10.50) ... Merrick McHenry is T14th in blocking (1.00) ... 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 (currently has 46 solo stuffs) ... 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.
OTB National Setter of Week — Andrew Rowan was selected by offtheblockblog.com as the National Setter of the Week after leading UCLA to a pair of MPSF wins over USC last week. The Bruins posted a .425 combined hitting percentage for the two matches against the Trojans including a .492 mark in the sweep at USC which was the second-best attack percentage of the season. It was also the highest percentage by the Bruins in an MPSF match this year and included an .824 attack clip in the second set (14 kills, no errors on 17 swings). Rowan handed out 26 set assists in the victory with five Bruins totaling at least seven kills in the contest. The Bruins followed up on that performance with a .382 effort in a four set win in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Rowan totaled 48 set assists and the Bruin team hit at least .480 in three of the four sets. UCLA enters the week ranked second in the nation in hitting percentage at .367 after leading the nation in the category the past two seasons.
Player Notes — Ethan Champlin is tied for the team lead with seven double-digit kill matches ... Luca Curci had a season-high five kills vs. USC ... Ido David has at least one ace in 11 of his last 12 matches ... Alex Knight has received 57 of the last 58 opponent serves without error ... Merrick McHenry has hit at least .400 in each of the last 15 matches ... Sean McQuiggan has started the last five matches at middle blocker ... Zach Rama has produced double-digit points in four of the last five matches ... Cooper Robinson has double-digit points in six of the last seven matches and is tied for the team lead with seven double-digit kill matches ... Andrew Rowan leads the team with 25 aces and has multiple aces in eight matches this season ... Grant Sloane has played in 15 matches and tied his career-best with 16 kills vs. Long Beach.
MPSF — The Bruins had a 21-match MPSF regular-season win streak snapped at BYU earlier this season. 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
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