UCLA vs. Long Beach, Senior Night Tonight

[Mac]

UCLA hosts Long Beach State tonight

April 10, 2007

The 4th-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team, winners of three straight and 10 of their last 13, host Long Beach State on Wed., Apr. 11 before traveling to UC San Diego to end the regular season on Fri., Apr. 13. First serve for both matches is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Darren Preston will call the radio play-by-play action on www.uclabruins.com for the Long Beach State match. Also on Wednesday, UCLA will recognize six senior players and one manager in their final regular season home match in Pauley Pavilion. Eric Chaghouri, Paul George, Steve Klosterman, Mark Lovein, Beau Peters, Brian Schirripa, and Matt Susson.

Last week, the Bruins (17-10, 11-9) defeated a pair of quality opponents in five games. Cal Baptist, the nation's top-ranked NAIA program, fell 3-2 on Apr. 4. No. 2 UC Irvine fell by the same score on Apr. 6. The UCI victory snapped a four-match losing streak to the Anteaters and gave the Bruins sole possession of fifth place in the MPSF race.

Against UC Irvine, the Bruins battled back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2. In Game 3 the Bruins took advantage of 10 UCI service errors to win 30-28, and in Game 4, they recorded nine blocks to win by the same score. In Game 5, UCLA battled back from a 3-0 deficit and match point at 15-14 to capture their 50th win in the series.

Redshirt junior Eric Chaghouri (three digs, .957 pass percentage), and sophomores Jamie Diefenbach (nine kills, .353, nine total blocks) and setter Matt Wade (46 assists, 10 digs and eight total blocks) turned in clutch performances off the bench against UC Irvine. Seniors Paul George and Steve Klosterman each pounded 17 kills, and freshman Garrett Muagututia added 15.

NOTES--Wednesday's match is Faculty/Staff Night. Employees presenting their BruinCard will be allowed four free admissions. The first 200 fans attending the Long Beach State match will receive free Diddy Riese cookies.

[ocmyhome]

Anyone know what the score was?

[ocmyhome]

nm, they just barely posted it... 3-0 UCLA

[kepakai]

ucla 30-27, 30-23, 38-36

[Mac]

UCLA Sweeps Long Beach State in Senior Night
Klosterman, Muagututia combine for 34 kills.

April 11, 2007


Fourth-ranked UCLA avenged a Feb. 28 road loss by sweeping Long Beach State Wednesday night in Pauley Pavilion.

The Bruins won 30-27, 30-23, 38-36 in 94 minutes before 1,059 on Senior Night. The victory raised the Bruins' overall record to 18-10 and 12-9 in league play. The victory was also the Bruins' 13th straight at home. Long Beach State, which lost its seventh straight match, fell to 11-16, 6-15.

In the league playoff picture, UC Santa Barbara swept host USC on Wednesday, ensuring that the Gauchos will host the MPSF quarterfinals against the Bruins on Apr. 21.

UCLA senior Steve Klosterman led all players with 20 kills (.378) and 23.5 points. Freshman Garrett Muagututia added 14 kills (.478) and 15.5 points. Junior Tony Ker and senior Paul George led the Bruins with eight kills, and George added six kills.

Paul Lotman led the 49ers with 16 kills, followed by 12 from Teddy Liles.

In team statistics, the Bruins controlled the net by out-blocking The Beach, 10.0-5.0, including a 5-2 edge in Game 3. UCLA served five aces to Long Beach State's one, and limited their opponent to a hitting percentage of .214, while hitting .361.

UCLA will end the regular season on Fri., Apr. 13 at UC San Diego before beginning the playoffs on the road on Apr. 21.

[Mac]

Not mentioned in the article below is the awesome effort from Beau Peters who came in late in the 3rd game when the 49ers were on top to beautifully set the Bruins to a come from behind victory. In a bit of irony, Peters started his career at Long Beach and transferred to UCLA. Kevin Ker went down with leg cramps and couldn't finish the game when Peters subbed in for him and set perfectly to lead the final charge at the end on his senior night.


Daily Bruin TV Video Clip: www.dailybruin.com/dbtv/2007/apr/12/212/

Article:

Volleyball takes revenge in final home game
Allister Wenzel
Published: Thursday, April 12, 2007

In the last home match of their collegiate volleyball careers,
the departing UCLA seniors wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Against Long Beach State Wednesday night, fourth-ranked UCLA exacted revenge for a five-game loss at Long Beach last February, sweeping the 49ers 30-27, 30-23 and 38-36.

The last regular season match in Westwood recognized the departing seniors: Paul George, Steve Klosterman, Eric Chaghouri, Beau Peters, Brian Schirripa and Matt Susson. A large crowd of 1,059 and the UCLA marching band were all there to wish them farewell.

“The band provides so much environment,” George said. “We didn’t know they were coming so when they started filtering in during warm-ups we were (excited) because they put a good 100 people in the crowd for us. It’s phenomenal. ... It’s just so great to have people in the stands and make some noise for us.”

The 49ers came into this match with nothing to lose, as six straight losses had removed them completely from MPSF postseason contention. However, Long Beach State upstaged UCLA in five games on Feb. 28 and, thus, could not be underestimated. But these weren’t the same Bruins they were in February.

“We get a lot better as the season progresses,” coach Al Scates said. “January we’re 4-6, February 4-2, March 4-2; we’re 3-0 and we have to win out here in April.”

Game 1 saw the 49ers take an early lead and hold it, but the Bruins came back and finished them off 30-27.

While Long Beach was not able to put up as strong a fight in Game 2, they came back roaring in Game 3. After the two teams went back and forth all the way to 36 points, the Bruins were finally able to push out an extra two at the end to take the game 38-36 and grab the sweep.

“We made a lot of service errors in Game 3,” Scates said. “We were hitting at a much better clip than they were, but the number of service errors we made kept them in the game. When it came down to crunch time, we were able to get a few more in than they did and won it.”

Senior Steve Klosterman had another great night and led the Bruins with 20 kills, while freshman Garrett Muagututia added 14 of his own. UCLA had 10 team blocks, compared to five by Long Beach. 49ers Paul Lotman and Teddy Liles combined for 28 kills, but it wasn’t enough to overpower the Bruins.



Photo by Max Chin

Senior Steve Klosterman (left) and redshirt sophomore Jamie Diefenbach
combined for 26 kills in Klosterman’s last home game as a Bruin.

UCSB swept USC Wednesday night at the Galen Center, giving the Gauchos home-court advantage for the first round of the postseason tournament against the Bruins.

“Everything was perfect,” said Klosterman. “We won in three, the band was here, nice crowd; it was fun. It was a good way to go out.”

[Mac]

This season is starting to have an eerily familiar feeling to last year for the Bruins. DBTV clip, let it load:
www.dailybruin.com/dbtv/2007/apr/12/212/

[romeo]

Thanks for the link, Mac. Very cool.