UCLA Bruins Beat UCI Anteaters in Four Games

[Bruins]

Bruins Beat Anteaters in Four Games
McKinney returns to the lineup and shines.


March 7, 2003


The ninth-anked UCLA men's volleyball team avenged two earlier losses with a 3-1 (30-27, 24-30, 30-19, 30-25) victory over No. 4 UC Irvine in front of a capacity crowd of 700 at Crawford Hall Friday.

The Bruins out-hit UCI .407-.254 and out-blocked the Anteaters, 12-5. UCI led 19-16 in game one when UCLA recorded two kills plus an Anteater hitting error to tie the game, 20-20. The teams traded points until a Chris Pena kill and another Anteater hitting error gave the Bruins a 26-24 advantage. UCI's Monte Tucker and Spencer Bemus tallied kills to knot the score at 27-27, before UCLA scored the next three points for the game.

In game two, UCI led 24-21 when a Jarett Jensen kill and a Bemus and Nic Vislay block of Jonathan Acosta opened the game to 26-21 and the Anteaters went onto take the game 30-24.

UCLA jumped out to a 16-10 lead in game three following two Chris Pena kills and two UCI hitting errors. The Bruins never looked back going on to win, 30-19.

With UCLA leading 18-17, in game four Pena pounded a kill on an overpass followed by an Acosta service ace to extend the lead to 21-17. UCI could get no closer than four the rest of the way.

Chris Pena led the Bruins with 18 kills and seven blocks. Matt McKinney had 15 kills and led all players with 13 digs, while Jonathan Acosta added 12 kills. Senior Rich Nelson totaled 54 set assists.

UCI's Jarett Jensen had a career-high 20 kills to lead all players. Monte Tucker recorded 14 kills and Spencer Bemus had 12 kills. Setter David Kniffin had 57 assists, while Greg Ford notched 12 digs.

UCLA improves to 12-9 overall and 8-7 in MPSF play, while the Anteaters go to 15-6 on the year and 8-6 in league action.

[Dreamteam]

What happened to Jimmy Pelzel, UCI's big hitter? The box score showed he only played in 3 games against UCLA? Was he hurt or did he have an off night?

[007]

KIND OF LOOKS LIKE UCI HAS PEAKED!

[Eater]

Jimmy came out the second game, only came in again the last 3 points or so of the 4th. Wasn't playing so great, missed a bunch of serves. I was thinking they'd put him back in later in the game, but by the time he came back in the game was over.

Irvine should've had this one. UCLA did not look good and was ripe to be beaten.

UCI couldn't get any consistence play out of anyone though. Maybe Jenson, once he came in he was hammering balls left and right. Look for him to start next match I think. Tucker and Bemus were good early on, but both kind of peetered out, and there was no production at all from the middles. I don't know if that's just the setter's choice, the passing's not good enough, or if the middle's aren't up to it(I suspect some of each) but you really need to use your middle more.

Blocking was weak, missed a lot of serves, and missed them at bad times too. UCI would get some momentum then miss their next serve. Or their next two. The last two games were extremely irritating. Irvine just looked bleh.

The reffing was crap. But that's to be expected when playing UCLA-apparently refs think they still have a good setter and don't need to call lifts or doubles on him-and that wasn't why they lost.