Thursday, March 9
Honolulu, HI
6:00 PM
UCLA
18-1,4-0MPSF
3
vs
2
Penn State
15-2,4-0EIVA
1
2
3
4
5
F
Penn St.
20
22
25
25
10
2
UCLA
25
25
16
21
15
3
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
MVB Tames Nittany Lions In Five Sets
March 09, 2023 | Men's Volleyball
The No. 2 UCLA men's volleyball team (18-1) captured its ninth straight win with a five-set decision over No. 3 Penn State (15-2) in the first round of the OUTRIGGER Invitational on Thursday night in Honolulu, Hawai'i. Scores of the match were 25-20, 25-22, 16-25, 21-25, 15-10. UCLA's 18-1 start to the 2023 season is the best since the 1995 team opened with 12 straight wins and then finished with a 31-1 record, including a victory in the national championship match against Penn State.
Ido David finished with a season-high tying 21 kills to pace the UCLA attack. Merrick McHenry hit .615, his sixth straight match with at least a .500 swing percentage, and added nine kills, three aces and seven blocks. Ethan Champlin's strong service in the fifth set proved to be the difference as the Bruin junior served six straight times after UCLA went up 9-8 following a PSU service error and then left the line with UCLA sitting at match point and a 14-9 advantage.
After Penn State jumped ahead 3-5 to begin set one, UCLA rallied to go up 7-6 on a Guy Genis / Alex Knight block. The score was then tied at points 8 through 18. A Champlin kill was followed by a McHenry ace for a 20-18 Bruin lead. Knight's swing made it 22-19. Genis / Knight / Andrew Rowan combined for a block and a 23-19 edge. Knight's kill pushed the Bruins to set point and a Nittany Lion error resulted in a 25-20 Bruin win. UCLA hit .524 in the frame.
UCLA stormed out to an 8-4 lead in set two after two straight aces from McHenry. A Knight ace and a pair of David kills extended the margin to 13-6. Penn State closed to 14-12, but UCLA responded with kills from Knight and David to go back up 18-13. PSU pulled to within one at 22-21 after a series of Bruin errors. A PSU service error and a Rowan service winner, his eighth-straight match with an ace, put UCLA up 24-21. David's fifth kill of the frame ended the set at 25-22.
Penn State surged to a 4-7 advantage in set three. UCLA closed to 7-8 following a David ace. The Nittany Lions capitalized on several Bruin attack errors to go up 11-15. A kill by Zach Rama made it 13-16, but PSU tallied the next four points to take control. David's kill made it 15-22, but Penn State closed out the set by scoring three of the next four points for a 16-25 win. UCLA hit .095 in the set with seven attack errors. Penn State totaled 15 kills in the frame after totaling 17 kills combined in the first two sets.
UCLA fell behind 3-8 in set four after a series of attack errors. David's kill narrowed the deficit to 8-10. A couple of Knight kills made it 10-12 and then 11-13. Kills by Champlin and a block by David pulled UCLA to within 16-18. A block by J.R. Norris IV and David made it 20-22. However, a Bruin service error and a Penn State ace took the Nittany Lions to set point at 20-24. Knight's swing saved one set point, but a PSU kill ended the set at 21-25. Penn State had four aces in the frame while the Bruins hit .219 with seven attack errors.
In the fifth set, the score was tied at points one through eight. A Penn State service error put UCLA in front 9-8. Champlin then stepped to the service line and the Bruins produced the next five points. A David kill made it 10-8. McHenry's block put UCLA up 11-8. Knight and McHenry then teamed up for block and a 12-8 lead. Knight's kill produced a 13-8 margin and a PSU attack error made it 14-8. The Nittany Lions saved a couple of match points, but David's 21st kill of the night ended UCLA's first five-setter of the season, at 15-10.
UCLA out hit Penn State .256 to .250 for the match and enjoyed a 13.0 to 10.5 blocking edge. It marked just the fourth time this season that the Bruins had hit below .300. Rowan recorded season-highs for set assists (47) and digs (10). Knight's five block assists matched his season-best effort. McHenry's three service aces were a career-best total.
The Bruins will meet Purdue Fort Wayne (12-5) on Friday night as play in the OUTRIGGER Invitational continues at 6 p.m. PT. The Bruins will battle top-ranked Hawai'i (15-0) on Saturday night at 9 p.m. PT on ESPN+.
Ido David finished with a season-high tying 21 kills to pace the UCLA attack. Merrick McHenry hit .615, his sixth straight match with at least a .500 swing percentage, and added nine kills, three aces and seven blocks. Ethan Champlin's strong service in the fifth set proved to be the difference as the Bruin junior served six straight times after UCLA went up 9-8 following a PSU service error and then left the line with UCLA sitting at match point and a 14-9 advantage.
After Penn State jumped ahead 3-5 to begin set one, UCLA rallied to go up 7-6 on a Guy Genis / Alex Knight block. The score was then tied at points 8 through 18. A Champlin kill was followed by a McHenry ace for a 20-18 Bruin lead. Knight's swing made it 22-19. Genis / Knight / Andrew Rowan combined for a block and a 23-19 edge. Knight's kill pushed the Bruins to set point and a Nittany Lion error resulted in a 25-20 Bruin win. UCLA hit .524 in the frame.
UCLA stormed out to an 8-4 lead in set two after two straight aces from McHenry. A Knight ace and a pair of David kills extended the margin to 13-6. Penn State closed to 14-12, but UCLA responded with kills from Knight and David to go back up 18-13. PSU pulled to within one at 22-21 after a series of Bruin errors. A PSU service error and a Rowan service winner, his eighth-straight match with an ace, put UCLA up 24-21. David's fifth kill of the frame ended the set at 25-22.
Penn State surged to a 4-7 advantage in set three. UCLA closed to 7-8 following a David ace. The Nittany Lions capitalized on several Bruin attack errors to go up 11-15. A kill by Zach Rama made it 13-16, but PSU tallied the next four points to take control. David's kill made it 15-22, but Penn State closed out the set by scoring three of the next four points for a 16-25 win. UCLA hit .095 in the set with seven attack errors. Penn State totaled 15 kills in the frame after totaling 17 kills combined in the first two sets.
UCLA fell behind 3-8 in set four after a series of attack errors. David's kill narrowed the deficit to 8-10. A couple of Knight kills made it 10-12 and then 11-13. Kills by Champlin and a block by David pulled UCLA to within 16-18. A block by J.R. Norris IV and David made it 20-22. However, a Bruin service error and a Penn State ace took the Nittany Lions to set point at 20-24. Knight's swing saved one set point, but a PSU kill ended the set at 21-25. Penn State had four aces in the frame while the Bruins hit .219 with seven attack errors.
In the fifth set, the score was tied at points one through eight. A Penn State service error put UCLA in front 9-8. Champlin then stepped to the service line and the Bruins produced the next five points. A David kill made it 10-8. McHenry's block put UCLA up 11-8. Knight and McHenry then teamed up for block and a 12-8 lead. Knight's kill produced a 13-8 margin and a PSU attack error made it 14-8. The Nittany Lions saved a couple of match points, but David's 21st kill of the night ended UCLA's first five-setter of the season, at 15-10.
UCLA out hit Penn State .256 to .250 for the match and enjoyed a 13.0 to 10.5 blocking edge. It marked just the fourth time this season that the Bruins had hit below .300. Rowan recorded season-highs for set assists (47) and digs (10). Knight's five block assists matched his season-best effort. McHenry's three service aces were a career-best total.
The Bruins will meet Purdue Fort Wayne (12-5) on Friday night as play in the OUTRIGGER Invitational continues at 6 p.m. PT. The Bruins will battle top-ranked Hawai'i (15-0) on Saturday night at 9 p.m. PT on ESPN+.
Team Stats
PSU
UCLA
Kills
48
53
Errors
19
23
Attempts
116
117
Hitting %
.250
.256
Points
65.5
72
Assists
46
49
Aces
7
6
Blocks
10.5
13
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
11
Aces
1
Blocks
5
Kills
9
Aces
3
Blocks
7
Kills
8
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Men's Volleyball
OH
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's Volleyball
MB
/ Men's Volleyball
S
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