UCLA
BYU
Bruins Advance to MPSF Semifinals Against Loyola Marymount
April 22, 2000 | Men's Volleyball
April 22, 2000
The fourth-ranked UCLA men's volleyball won its first round MPSF playoff match by defeating defending conference and NCAA champion BYU, 3-0, Saturday night in Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins (25-5) defeated the Cougars (18-9), 15-11, 15-6, 15-13 in one hour and 55 minutes in front of 1,018 fans. The victory was the Bruins third over the Cougars this season.
In Game 1, the Bruins battled back from a 7-2 deficit to tie the score at 8-8. Senior Evan Thatcher served four straight points to pull the Bruins to 7-6, and, following a point by BYU, UCLA senior Brandon Taliaferro served two points, including an ace. At 9-9, the Bruins went ahead 11-9 with Taliaferro on the service line again. After BYU setter Chris Pitzak served an ace to narrow the Bruins lead to 11-10, UCLA got a point on a block. The Cougars served another ace, but Taliaferro served a pair of aces and Thatcher and senior Seth Burnham recorded a block to give the Bruins the game.
In Game 2, the Bruins took a 13-4 lead on the tough serving of Burnham and junior Mark Williams. Although BYU managed two more points and fought off four game points, the Bruins finally won when the Cougars Joaquin Acosta hit one long.
BYU erased a 6-1 UCLA lead in Game 3 and tied the game 8-8 after a hitting error by Thatcher. But with Williams serving, the Bruins took a 13-8 lead on two blocks, two BYU hitting miscues and a kill by Thatcher. The Cougars rallied again and tied it 13-13 when the Bruins committed four attack errors, two on BYU blocks, and BYU's Mike Wall spiked a kill. After three side-outs, UCLA head coach Al Scates subbed in senior Ed Ratledge to serve for Burnham. Ratledge's two serves set up kills by Mark Williams and Thatcher and the Bruins advanced to the second round for the first time in two years.
Thatcher slammed a season high of 26 kills (.380), followed by Williams who added 17 (.519) and six aces, which was a career high. Freshman Scott Morrow led all players with six blocks.
Wall led BYU with 20 kills, followed by 13 from junior Matt Olsen.
The Bruins will meet Loyola Marymount, a 3-2 winner over Long Beach State, in the semifinals of the MPSF Tournament. In the second semifinal, Pepperdine will meet USC. All matches will take place at Pepperdine, beginning on Thursday, Apr. 27. The MPSF final will be held on Sat., Apr. 29 at Pepperdine.
