Volleyball Wins Opening Match in Hawai'i Invitational
January 10, 2013 | Men's Volleyball
Jan. 10, 2013
Another UCLA men's volleyball match, another five-sets played and a win for coach John Speraw's fifth-ranked squad over seventh-ranked Penn State in a first round match of the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Invitational in Honolulu. HI. Scores of the match were 19-25, 25-18, 18-25, 25-21 and 15-10. UCLA improves to 4-1 on the season with the victory, while Penn State dropped its season-opener in the contest.
In set number five, UCLA took an early 2-1 lead on a kill by Dane Worley. After Penn State evened the score at 7-all, Worley took over with a kill and a pair of aces to send the Bruins ahead 10-7. Clayton Paullin's kill helped the Bruins to an 11-8 margin. A block by Steve O'Dell and Trent Kersten made it 13-9 and the Bruins went on to take a 15-10 decision on a PSU attack error.
In set 1, the Bruins went down early 6-3 before a kill by Worley tied things up at 8-8. Penn State, playing its first match of the season then surged to a 17-12 advantage. UCLA closed to 23-18, but the Nittany Lions remained in control and captured the set 25-19.
In set 2, UCLA took the early advantage at 5-2 on a kill by Kene Izuchukwu. PSU closed to within one at 7-6, before the Bruins moved out to an 11-7 margin on a pair of aces by O'Dell. UCLA maintained its edge at 18-13 before a Robart Page blast ended the set at 25-18.
In set 3, Penn State raced out to a 6-2 edge. The Nittany Lions extended the lead to 12-4 before UCLA narrowed the margin to 13-8 on a couple of Worley kills. Penn State maintained its lead and anther Worley kill made it 20-16, but the Bruins could not sustain the momentum and fell 25-18.
In set 4, UCLA moved out to a 6-2 lead only to see PSU come back to narrow the gap to one, at 10-9. UCLA still led by one after a kill by Worley which made it 16-15. A Page spike made it 18-16 and Michael Beals' ace made it 19-16. A big serve by Page helped the Bruins move ahead 22-17. PSU closed to within three at 23-20, but UCLA held on and sent the match into a final set with a 25-21 win.
Page led UCLA with 17 kills, Izuchukwu and Worley each totaled 13. Evan Mottram topped the Bruins with 15 digs. O'Dell handed out 45 set assists and Worley added five aces for the Bruins who will square off against 10th-ranked Ohio State (1-0, heading into Thursday night's late match with host Hawai'i) on Friday at 6 p.m. PT. UCLA will continue play in the Outrigger Invitational on Saturday against Hawai'i in a match which begins at 9 p.m. PT.
