AUSTIN, Texas — In the beginning, UCLA coach John Speraw was comfortable to get a win after the No. 1 and defending national-champion Bruins have been upset Friday by No. 4 Ohio State within the First Level Collegiate Problem.
However, as champions usually do, the Bruins pulled themselves off the mat and dispatched No. 7 Penn State 25-20, 25-19, 25-15 Saturday. UCLA led all the first set, led the second set after seizing the lead at 5-4 and the rest of the third set after pulling forward 7-6.
The volleyball coach in Speraw was happy with the best way his workforce bounced again after shedding in a reverse sweep the day earlier than.
“Whenever you return a number of gamers, the presumption is that the cake is already baked,” Speraw mentioned. “And I can let you know, this cake shouldn’t be near being baked. … You’ve started working at it. It doesn’t simply occur.
“I’m proud of the best way we got here by this weekend, and I believe we discovered so much. I believe we all know we will get considerably higher.”
Having mentioned that, Speraw mentioned this group has extra depth than any workforce he has coached. That was on full show as a number of lesser-used gamers contributed to the win. Sophomore exterior hitter Zach Rama got here off the bench to provide six kills with no errors in eight assaults to go together with a solo block. Sophomore center blocker Sean McQuiggan — all 6-foot-11 of him — began and had 4 kills on 4 errorless seven swings and had three blocks and two digs.
Junior reverse Grant Sloane, junior libero Hideharu Nakamura, freshman exterior Luca Curci and redshirt senior setter David Flores additionally confirmed up on the stat sheet.
In fact among the typical suspects performed an enormous function. Senior exterior Alex Knight, the MVP of the NCAA Championship final Could who performed sparingly in opposition to Ohio State, led with 9 kills, hitting .471, and had an help, three blocks and three digs. Texan Merrick McHenry, a rsenior center, was good on 5 swings and had an ace and two blocks. Junior reverse Ido David had six kills, a match-high three aces, two assists, two blocks and a dig. Setter Andrew Rowan had a kill in two errorless tries, 23 assists, two blocks and 4 digs. His workforce hit .354 and had 5 aces and 15 errors, half the serving errors because the day earlier than.
Penn State coach Mark Pavlik knew coming into the season that there may be some struggles as his lineup obtained used to taking part in with out graduated standouts Cal Fisher, Brett Wildman and Cole Bogner.
That was evident once more in opposition to UCLA. Penn State hit solely .171 (in comparison with .354 for the Bruins) and had zero aces in opposition to 20 errors The starters groped unsuccessfully for some rhythm.
Senior exterior hitter Will Kuhns, like Pavlik a local of suburban Pittsburgh, got here off the bench to offer a little bit of a spark, going good on his first 5 swings earlier than ending with a personal-best 9 kills on .400 hitting.
Senior John Kerr and senior Toby Ezeonu had 5 kills every. Ezeonu had one error in eight assaults, three blocks and two digs.
“I believe what we discovered this weekend is we’ve obtained to be bodily,” Pavlik mentioned. “We are able to’t play secure volleyball to compete at this stage. … These guys wish to be secure as a result of of their careers, the blokes who’ve been on the court docket — possibly apart from Toby and Owen (redshirt sophomore center blocker Owen Rose) — everyone else who has been on the court docket is saying, ‘So long as I don’t screw up, Fish, Cole or Brett, we’re going to be positive.’
“They ain’t there. You possibly can’t simply be secure anymore. You’ve obtained to attain factors. … You’ve obtained to be bodily together with your serves. You’ve obtained to be bodily together with your attacking. … The fellows on the court docket will make that occur, who these guys might be, I’ve but to know.”
Ezeonu agreed.
“We discovered that we have now a number of stuff to work on,” he mentioned. “It’s solely January. We’ve got a number of time. I believe this match is an effective way to gauge our ability, to gauge our efficiency and see what we have to work on.
“It’s only a course of.”
The six matches right here have been comparatively effectively attended and performed with a corresponding boys membership match within the Austin Conference Middle.
First Level chairman Speraw was glad he introduced his workforce to the third 12 months of the occasion. UCLA’s match was the final of six over two days.
“I’m blown away. To consider the place we have been six years in the past, speaking about the best way to develop boys volleyball and males’s volleyball. I used to be in the midst of the match, and I regarded round and I’m seeing the (First Level) brand on folks’s T-shirts and right here we’re with hundreds of youngsters watching now,” Speraw mentioned.
“Seeing the expansion of the game and figuring out we’ve had some affect on that. … Clearly, the work that Glen and Kathy Lietzke (of Austin Junior Volleyball) have completed and (match director Mitch Casteel), and to only be right here and do that, have the imaginative and prescient to place this collectively. And for this to be this stage of high quality is unbelievable. … We’ve got the NCAA court docket, the USAV flooring, branding in all places, sponsorship, tv, digital boards, a DJ, top quality lodging. Full and whole communication. This was a first-class occasion.
“For me, as somebody who has been round First Level from the beginning, I’m happy with that. I’m thrilled. … I believe everyone ought to be happy with what this has change into.”
Recognize our males’s volleyball protection? Assist preserve free volleyball journalism free by each turning into a VBM Sustaining Member and signing up for our publication.
