UCLA
Pepperdine
Bruins Fall in Three to Waves
April 08, 2009 | Men's Volleyball
April 8, 2009
The ninth-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team fell in three games to top-ranked Pepperdine on Wednesday night in Pauley Pavilion.
The Waves won 35-33, 30-26, 33-31 in two hours in front of 851 spectators. Pepperdine improved to 19-2 overall, 17-2 in MPSF play. The Bruins, who saw their modest two-match winning streak come to a halt, fell to 12-14, 8-11.
In Games 1 and 3, the Bruins relinquished set points that could have changed the outcome of the match. In the first set, the Bruins were sitting on a 29-23 lead only to watch the Waves roar back to tie the game at 29-29. The Bruins had two more chances to win at 30-29 following a kill by freshman Thomas Amberg and at 32-31 after senior Sean O'Malley's kill, but could not convert. The Waves finally clinched the set on a kill by senior All-American Paul Carroll and a block by Tyler Jaynes and Brent Schirripa.
In the third game, the Bruns were up 29-27 after a kill by senior Ryan Ratelle gave them the serve. Pep's Matt McKee converted a kill to pull the Waves to within one and then Amberg was blocked for the tying point. As in the first set, Pepperdine won on a kill by Carroll and a block by Schirripa and Jaynes.
Amberg was the Bruins' kill leader with 13 (.375), four aces and six total blocks for 20.5 points. His four aces was a career-high. Junior Garrett Muagututia added 12 kills, an ace and three total blocks for 14.5 points. Junior Brett Perrine came off the bench and contributed four kills (.400) and an ace for 5.0 points.
Carroll led Pepperdine with 23 kills (.326), followed by McKee's 15.
The Bruins finish their home season Fri., Apr. 10 with a rivalry match against USC at 7 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion. The match will be the 32nd Annual Kilgour Cup and Senior Night.
