UCLA
Penn St
Men's Volleyball Defeats Penn State In The Outrigger Invitational
January 26, 2000 | Men's Volleyball
Jan. 26, 2000
LOS ANGELES - The top-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team defeated No. 10 Penn State 3-1 in the first match of the 6th Annual Outrigger Hotels Invitational in Honolulu, HI.
The Bruins won 15-4, 15-3, 11-15, 15-2 in two hours and 11 minutes.
Three-time senior All-American Brandon Taliaferro torched Penn State for a season high five aces, and claimed the UCLA career aces record with 128.
UCLA (6-0) won the first two games in 43 minutes, hitting .444 (30-6-54) and limiting Penn State (1-3) to an attack percentage of .194 (27-15-62). The Bruins outblocked the Nittany Lions 7.0-1.5 and served seven aces to their opponents' one. Seniors Seth Burnham and Evan Thatcher combined for 15 kills without an error.
Following a 10-minute break between Games 2 and 3, the Bruins came out flat and lost their intensity. Penn State won Game 3 by recording eight team blocks to UCLAs three, and freshman Carlos Guerra and junior Eric Houston combined for 15 kills. The Nittany Lions also served three aces and hit .417 on 30 kills.
In Game 4, the Bruins regained their momentum and built a 9-1 lead on the strength of five kills each from senior Ed Ratledge, junior Seth Champi and freshman Cameron Mount. At the net, UCLA dominated by recording five blocks to PSUs one.
Individually, Mount led the Bruins with a career high 23 kills (.486), followed by Burnham's 15 (.464). Ratledge and Champi added nine and five kills off the bench, respectively. Taliaferro was the Bruins' leading blocker with eight, including three solos.
UCLA, the two-time defending Outrigger Invitational champion, faces fifth ranked IPFW Thursday night.
