MVB Opens 2024 With Win over Fort Valley St.

Thursday, January 4

Los Angeles, CA

5:00 PM

UCLA

1-0,0-0MPSF

Fort Valley State

0-2,0-0SIAC

Fort Valley St.

UCLA

MVB Opens 2024 With Win over Fort Valley St.

January 04, 2024 | Men's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score pdf

The top-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team opened defense of its 2023 NCAA Championship with a straight-set win in the HBCU SoCal Challenge over Fort Valley State (0-2) on Thursday evening in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Scores of the match were 25-18, 25-12, 25-17.

Ethan Champlin recorded a double-double to lead the way for the Bruins compiling a match-high 13 kills and 10 digs. UCLA out hit the Wildcats .427 to .136 for the match while recording eight aces and 4.5 total blocks. Ido David joined Champlin in double-digit kills with 10. Alex Knight added nine more spikes. Merrick McHenry was credited with a couple of blocks. Coleman McDonough finished with five digs at libero.

In set one, UCLA scored three straight points after a 5-5 start to move in front 8-5 after a Champlin kill and a couple of Wildcat errors. After Fort Valley closed to 11-9, the Bruins rattled off three points in a row after another Champlin swing, a David ace and a FVSU error to go in front 14-9. Andrew Rowan's kill made it 17-13 and David followed with a block solo and a kill for a 19-13 advantage. David's cross court spike ended the frame at 25-18. UCLA hit .440 for the set.

The Bruins pulled away early in set two, taking a 10-4 edge after a Guy Genis / Champlin block. Back-to-back kills by Knight upped the margin to 15-9 and then two more Knight swings made it 19-11. Champlin then added consecutive kills off of the sets of David Flores for a 20-11 lead. David Decker then served out the set, while recording his first career ace, as the Bruins posted a 25-12 win.

Set three featured 11 ties and a couple of lead changes. UCLA grabbed a 7-5 lead after a kill from Rowan. The score was then even at points 7 through 12. After UCLA went up 14-12, Fort Valley State answered and evened the score at 14-each. A couple of David kills helped spark the Bruins and was followed by a Genis ace for a 17-15 lead. Consecutive aces by Rowan lifted UCLA into a 20-16 edge. A Champlin kill made it 22-17 and his ace finished off the set and the match at 25-18.