Bruins Battle Anteaters in MPSF Quarterfinals
April 22, 2009
The ninth-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team begins the 2009 postseason with a tall order by visiting No.1 UC Irvine for the MPSF Quarterfinals at the Bren Center on Sat., Apr. 25. First-serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
UCLA's radio team of Darren Preston and Jade Machado will call the action from courtside on uclabruins.com.
Tickets for Saturday's match are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for students and youths under 17. For more information click here.
Since 1993, UCLA's conference playoff record is 24-8. In the last 17 years, the Bruins have won the conference tournament seven times; the last time in 2006 on their way to the NCAA title. Saturday's match will be the first postseason meeting between the two schools.
UCLA's Al Scates is the most successful coach in the sport with a career record of 1,185-252 (.796) near the end of his 47th season. He has guided the Bruins to 21 national championships, 19 NCAA titles and 24 league crowns.
UC Irvine Coach John Speraw (UCLA '95) played for Scates from 1992-95. In 2003, Speraw was named UCI's head coach and has guided the 'Eaters to a record of 136-73 (.650) with a conference and NCAA championship in 2007. Speraw, a former NCAA All-Tournament middle blocker, played on two of UCLA's NCAA title teams (1993, '95). As a coach, Speraw is 8-8 against his former mentor.
Last weekend, the Bruins (14-15, 10-12) split a pair of MPSF road matches in the Bay Area, sweeping unranked Pacific and falling in three to No.4 Stanford. Against the Tigers, junior Garrett Muagututia led the Bruins with 12 kills (.500) and 13.5 points and freshman quick hitter Nick Vogel added eight kills, three aces and three total blocks for 12.5 points.
In Palo Alto the following night, the Bruins could not stop the Stanford trio of Evan Romero, Spencer Mclachlin and Brad Lawson, who combined for 41 kills. Muagututia led the Bruins with 15 kills (.455) and senior Sean O'Malley added 10 and 14.5 points.
Also in the Bay Area, UC Irvine (24-4, 19-3) swept both Stanford and Pacific on successive nights. Against the Cardinal, Carson Clark, Jordan DuFault and Taylor Wilson combined for 43 kills to lead the 'Eaters' .457 hitting attack. UCI also served seven aces and outblocked Stanford, 9.0-2.0, Against Pacific, UCI hit .431, led by Cory Yoder's 15 kills (.583) and Clark's 10 (.350) and served nine aces.
This season against UC Irvine, the Bruins have lost three matches: 0-3 on Jan. 10, 1-3 on Jan. 30 and 2-3 on Mar. 6. The Bruins lead the overall series, 52-10.