UCLA
USC (Kilgour Cup)
UCLA Wins 28th Annual Kilgour Cup Against USC
January 21, 2005 | Men's Volleyball
Jan. 21, 2005
The top-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team won the 28th Annual Kilgour Cup in four games against USC Friday night to extend its winning streak against its cross-town rival to 12 matches.
The Bruins won 30-27, 24-30, 36-34, 30-27 in two hours and five minutes before a raucous crowd of 1,313 in Pauley Pavilion. The victory raised UCLA's record to 7-0 overall, 3-0 in league play. USC fell to 1-6, 0-4.
The Bruins' victory also enabled them to retain the Kilgour Cup for the 22nd time. UCLA has won the trophy 10 times when playing against USC.
With the teams deadlocked after two games, USC held a 21-13 lead before UCLA mounted a furious comeback. UCLA's Allan Vince slammed a kill to give the Bruins the serve and senior Kris Kraushaar served three straight points to pull the Bruins to 22-17. The teams traded points, USC's Juan Figueroa served an error and UCLA setter Gaby Acevedo came to the service line. Acevedo served three straight points before USC called its final timeout leading 24-23. The teams traded points again when USC's Blake Tippett served into the net. UCLA's Paul Johnson came to the line with the score 25-24 in favor of USC. Johnson served an ace to tie the game and Vince slammed a kill to give the Bruins the lead at 26-25.
USC tied the game at 28-28 on a kill by Chris McKniff's and went ahead on a kill by Juan Figueroa. After a UCLA timeout, Damein Scott slammed a kill to tie the game at 29-29. The Bruins went ahead a point on a block by Acevedo and Johnson, but USC got two points on a kill by Figueroa and a hitting error by Scott. The teams traded points with USC having four chances to win the game before the Bruins scored the final three points on a kill by Vince, and two unforced errors by USC.
In Game 4, USC rallied from an 11-6 deficit to take a 20-18 lead. The Trojans still led 25-23 until they committed a ball-handling error, a hitting error and were aced by Vince to make it 26-25. The Bruins were ahead 28-27 when two kills by UCLA's Steve Klosterman ended the match.
Johnson slammed a match-high 18 kills (.552) and added eight block assists and an ace to lead the Bruins. Klosterman added 14 kills (.300) and Vince recorded 10 kills (.529). Both players contributed five total blocks. Acevedo recorded 41 set assists and libero Tony Ker led the Bruins with 11 digs.
Junior Joao Grangeiro led the Trojans with 16 kills (.303), 11 digs, two aces and two block assists.
The Bruins travel to No.2 BYU next week and will be on the road at Cal State Northridge (Feb. 2) and at UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 4). Their next home match will be against Long Beach State on Feb. 9.
