UCLA
Pacific
Streak Ends, Bruins Edge Pacific, 3-2
June 21, 1999 | Men's Volleyball
March 6, 1999
Fifth ranked UCLA snapped its school record four-match losing streak Friday night with a 3-2 victory over visiting Pacific before 528 in the John Wooden Center.
The Bruins (12-6, 10-5) got back on the winning track with a 15-2, 9-15, 15-13, 10-15, 15-12 victory in two hours, 27 minutes. The Bruins extended their winning streak to nine straight over the Tigers (6-6, 4-6), one of three league teams never to have beaten them.
UCLA cruised to an easy victory in Game 1, serving six aces and posting a .667 attack percentage. All-American Adam Naeve, making his first appearance in four matches because of an ankle injury, spiked five kills in six attempts.
In Game 2, the Tigers discovered their sideout offense, and UCLA All-American setter Brandon Taliaferro bagen to suffer the affects of a stomach ailment. At 2-2, UOP moved ahead on kills by Vladmir Andric and Dylan Merrick, and after a Naeve spike made it 5-3, the Tigers went on a 5-1 run to take a 10-4 lead. The Bruins closed to 11-8, before Pacific scored four of the next five points.
In between Games 2 and 3, Taliaferro was forced to leave the venue, and senior Court Young stepped in at setter. The Bruins were also without the services of three-year starter Fred Robins, who sat out for the second straight match because of an illness.
At 10-12 in Game 3, the Bruins rallied for a 12-12 tie on kills by Mark Williams and Evan Thatcher. But the Tigers moved ahead 13-12 on Tim Gerlachs kill. After a UCLA sideout, kills by Thatcher and Danny Farmer, and a hitting error by Andric gave the Bruins the game and a 2-1 lead.
In Game 4 following a UOP timeout at 10-10, the Bruins committed four consecutive unforced errors with UOP serving, and Andric spiked the game-winner to force the rally-point scoring fifth game.
In the final game, the Bruins took a 7-2 lead after UOP had burned both its timeouts. The Tigers rallied to 8-10, but never got closer than two points.
Andric led all players with 23 kills and Gerlach hit .643 (10-1-14) to pace the Tigers.
Naeve was the Bruins kill leader with 21 (.375), and Farmer recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs. Thatcher added 18 kills and Williams 14.
The Bruins host UC Santa Cruz at 7 p.m. Mar. 6 in the John Wooden Center.
