UC Irvine @ USC

[Deleted]

USC up 21-19

22-19. Irvine serves long

23-19. La Cavera hits wide.

Irvine TO

24-19. Micah's short serve works.

24-20. Kyle Russell backrow kill.

25-20. Backrow kill. USC takes Set 1.

[Deleted]

Set 2:

USC up 8-1. Irvine TO
USC is serving and passing extremely well. Doing whatever they want at the moment

USC up 8-5. 4 straight points for Irvine. Looking much better after the timeout. USC TO.

USC up 10-6. Irvine missing too many serves right now.

USC up 10-7. And USC misses one too.

USC up 11-7. And Irvine misses another one.

USC up 12-7. Irvine hitting error.

USC up 13-7. Irvine hitting error.

USC up 13-8. USC serves in the net.

USC up 14-8. Lollipop serve from Hershko. USC gets kill.

USC up 15-8. Irvine in the net.

USC up 15-9. Irvine kill off the block.

USC up 16-9. Double called on Agopian.

USC up 16-10. Micah serves in net.

USC up 17-10. USC gets block.

USC up 17-11. USc misses serve.

USC up 18-11. Feathers kill in the middle.

USC up 18-12. La Cavera RS kill.

USC up 18-13. Long rally. Irvine block on outside.

USC up 19-13. Benesh kill in the middle. Bit of a mi%*$#.

USC up 20-13. Service ace.

USC up 20-14. Kill

USC up 21-14. Orenic backrow kill down the middle.

USC up 21-15. Hershko RS kill.

USC up 22-15. Micah dumps.

USC up 22-16. Pushed off Micah and out.

USC up 23-17. Micah dumps again.

USC up 24-17. Orenic kill.

USC up 24-18. USC in the net after a long rally.

USC wins set 3 25-18.  River kill for USC.

USC looks very good tonight.

[soljah808]

Goodness gracious!!! USC is taking it to UCI! Impressive I must say so far!

Oh boy, I'm hoping even more now that Hawaii can hold home court with Pepperdine. A crucial series for both teams! Hawaii can start making moves upward with this series.

[Deleted]

USC up 1-0. Orenic LS kill.

Tied 1-1. Rivera hitting error.

USC up 2-1. Irvine serve in the net.

Tied 2-2. La Cavera RS kill. Off the block and out.

USC up 3-2. USC block on the left side.

Tied 3-3. La Cavera kill on RS.

Irvine up 4-3. Irvine blocks middle attack.

Tied 4-4. Benesh monster kill in the middle.

Irvine up 5-4.

Irvine up 6-4. La Cavera RS kill.

Irvine up 6-5. Christian Rivera RS kill.

Irvine up 7-5. Micah hits overpass out.

Irvine up 7-6. Micah dumps.

Irvine up 8-6. Hershko off the block and out.

Irvine up 8-7. Serves long.

Irvine up 9-7. Agopian kill in the middle.

Irvine up 10-7. Good Hershko serve results in La Cavera kill on RS.

Irvine up 11-7. USC not a good connection on middle attack leads to La Cavera kill on RS.

Irvine up 11-7. TO USC

Irvine up 12-7. Woloson LS kill. USC in the net though.

Irvine up 12-8. Hershko misses serve.

Irvine up 12-9. USC ace.

Irvine up 12-10. USC ace.

Irvine T.O.

Irvine up 13-10. Orenic service error.

Irvine up 13-11. Alex Slaught through the block and down on LS.

Irvine up 14-11. Benz kill in the middle.

Irvine up 14-12. La Cavera serves it long.

Irvine up 15-12. La Cavera RS kill over the block.

Irvine up 15-13. USC overpass but they block Hershko on LS.

Irvine up 16-13. Benz another kill in the middle.

Irvine up 16-14. Benesh kill in the middle.

Irvine up 17-14. La Cavera draws USC into the net.

Irvine up 17-15. Irvine serves long.

Irvine up 17-16. USC blocks, then digs La Cavera, then blocks him for point.

Irvine up 18-16. Micah serves in the net.

Irvine up 19-16. Hershko soft serve dribbles over the net. USC middle attack into the net.

T.O. USC

Irvine up 19-17. Rivera RS kill through the block.

Irvine up 20-17. Backrow kill from Hershko.

Irvine up 21-17. USC passes Russell's serve over the net. Irvine gets awkward kill over Micah.

Irvine up 22-17. Russell serve ace.

Irvine up 22-18. Russell serves long.

Larry Tuileta comes for Feathers. He serves.

Irvine up 23-18. Benz kill in the middle.

Irvine up 24-18. Another overpass kill for Irvine.

Set point.

Irvine up 24-19. Kill for Slaught?

Irvine takes Set 3 25-19. Hershko backrow kill.

[Deleted]

Set 4

Irvine 1-0 USC in the net.

1-1

Irvine up 2-1. Saeta dumps.

2-2 Feathers in the middle.

Irvine up 3-2. La Cavera on RS again.

3-3. Slaugh backrow kill.

Irvine up 4-3. Touch called on USC block.

Tied 4-4  USC off the block.

Irvine up 5-4. USC serve in the net.

Irvine up 6-4. La Cavera service ace.

Irvine up 6-5 Slaught LS kill.

Tied 7-5  Bad call. USC block clearly lands inside the line on Irvine's side but called out. Micah very upset.

Irvine up 8-5. Slaught hits it wide on LS. USC still rattled by the previous call.

T.O. USC

Irvine up 9-5.

Irvine up 10-5. Woloson service ace.

Irvine up 10-6. Rivera RS kill.

Irvine up 10-7. Good defense from USC. Benesh draws USC into the net.

Irvine up 11-7. USC serves it long.

Irvine up 11-8.

Irvine up 12-8. Hershko through the block on LS.

USC may be getting tired. Not as sharp as they were earlier. Irvine looking much better now.

Irvine up 13-8. La Cavera kill?

Irvine up 14-8. Great dig from Irvine. La Cavera RS kill.

Irvine up 14-9. Orenic kill on LS. Irvine can't dig it.

Irvine up 15-9. Micah serves right to Brinkley. Handles easily. Kill in the middle for Irvine.

Irvine up 15-10. Irvine serves long.

Irvine up 15-11. Agopian wide in the middle.

Irvine up 16-11. La Cavera sharp angle kill on RS.

Irvine up 16-12. Slaught? kill

Irvine up 17-12. Woloson wonky kill on the LS.

Irvine up 17-13. Slaught deep corner kill on LS.

Irvine up 18-13. Woloson LS kill.

Irvine up 19-13. Hershko wins joust vs. Micah.

Irvine up 20-13. Slaught blocked on LS.

Irvine up 20-14. Rivera RS attack goes off Irvine and out of bounds.

Irvine up 21-14. Slaught hits serve wide.

Irvine up 21-15. Rivera RS attack off the block and out.

Irvine up 22-15. Another kill for Hershko on LS.

Irvine up 23-15. Good rally. Tuileta blocked on LS.

Irvine up 23-16. Service error.

Irvine up 24-16. Backrow attack goes long.

Set point.

Irvine up 24-17. Tuileta powerful RS kill.

2nd set point.

Irvine takes Set 4 25-18 on Tuileta's missed serve.

Going to five. Momentum definitely on Irvine's side. Wonder if USC can turn it around.

[Deleted]

Set 5

USC up 1-0. Hershko hits it wide.

Tied 1-1. Micah serves long.

USC up 2-1. USC blocks Hershko on LS.

Tied 2-2. Nice rally. La Cavera through the block and in on LS.

Irvine up 3-2. La Cavera over the block and in on RS.

La Cavera taking over.

Tied 3-3. Orenic backrow kill.

Irvine up 4-3. La Cavera kill on the RS. USC digs it but can't get to it.

Irvine up 5-3. La Cavera off-speed kill just over the block and down on RS.

T.O. USC

Irvine up 5-4. Slaught off the block on LS.

Tied 5-5. La Cavera dug. Slaught LS kill. Christian Rivera serving.

USC up 6-5. La Cavera goes angle. Blocked by USC.

T.O. Irvine

USC up 7-5. Hershko hits backrow attack out.

USC up 7-6.

Tied 7-7

USC up 8-7.

Tied 8s.

Orenic long. Irvine up 9-8

Benesh hits it wide in the middle.

Irvine up no 10-8. USC calls T.O.

Irvine up 11-8. Benz kill. Good touches and digs from Irvine to keep ball in play.

Irvine up 11-9. Orenic off the block on LS.

Irvine up 12-9. Benz blocked. Irvine gets it back. Benz kill.

Irvine up 12-10. Feathers middle kill.

Irvine up 13-10. Agopian in the middle.

Irvine up 13-11. La Cavera stuffed on RS.

Irvine up 14-11. Backrow attack goes wide.

Irvine up 14-12. Micah tight set to the middle saves match point.

Irvine up 14-13. Hershko backrow into the net. Lazy approach.

Irvine T.O.

Irvine wins it 15-13. La Cavera hits off the block and out.

[soljah808]

Amazing comeback by UCI! Wow.

[Deleted]

USC started out on fire, but they couldn't sustain it. Irvine looked out of it in the 2nd set, but kudos to them for turning it around.

[Deleted]

They went to the UCLA/Northridge match after this one finished. Boy, did UCLA have an ugly first set. They hit zero in the first set and lost 25-16.

Doing better in the 2nd set. Up 9-7. Reeves subbed in for Arnitz early in Set 2. Oops I mean he started Set 2 instead of Arnitz. They've got Hatch back hitting and Bantle playing libero. UCLA takes Set 2 25-21 and is up 9-6 in the 3rd. This match is pretty dull. Not much drama.

[kokyu]

Wish I could've seen this.

[robonthemic]

THAT was a strong come back-- very reminiscent of the 2012 'Eater team that was down 0-2 and upset #1 seeded USC in the MPSF semifinal match. I'm wondering what the coaching staff told the team b/w the 2nd/3rd intermission-- whatever they said totally elevated the play of Zack La Cavera and Andrew Benz. And mad props to Travis Woloson-- coming off the bench and igniting the 'Eater team. Brinkley was Brinkley and was HUGE.

ucirvinesports.com/sports/m-volley/2014-15/releases/20150304v3z0w4

[downtheline]

in the first two sets the UCI team was still on the bus.

USC looked good, serving UCI onto their heels, passing well with Micha hitting the wide open hitters. THe block was to their advantage also. They served Kyle off the court and when Wooley came in and did the beach stuff off Micha's block he fired up himself and the rest of the team.

Irvine finally stated putting pressure in the middle after Roberto came in and fed the lumber jack and the kangaroo.

Suddenly USC looked flat and after setting ZLC off the net all night Michael finally found his wheelhouse and well the air went out of the Gaelen Center.

With the Eaters serving better USC's passing broke down and the UCI blocks found their mark. Micha is a gamer but he talks to the ref way too much, almost after very play.

Poor Lucas looks thin as a rail and was so deep in his warmups he must never expect to see the court this season. Sad, if he was in form this team would be very tough to contend with.

[wonderwarthog79]

I have never bought into all the dissing of Micha, but I have to admit he had some serious location problems in this match, especially setting pipe and outside threes. It could have been the pressure in the last two games or something else I can't figure. Irvine has some mighty heavy outside hitters. SC couldn't match those. Even when SC was winning in this match, Irvine was outhitting them.

[StuffU]

Micha Hancock

Micah Christenson

[Deleted]

Micah got frustrated with the refs and his teammates. He's a fiery player, which is great as long as he doesn't let it negatively affect his play and his interaction with his teammates. USC served lights out in the beginning, and Irvine didn't. Once Irvine started serving the way they usually do and USC's serves started missing, the match looked a lot different. USC started pressing and making mistakes, including Micah.