No. 7 UCLA Ends Regular Season at No. 3 CS Northridge
April 13, 2006
The seventh-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team will end the 2006 regular season on the road with a key conference match.
On Fri., Apr. 14, the Bruins visit No. 3 Cal State Northridge (18-9, 13-8) for a 7 p.m. match at the Matadome. The match will be broadcast live over the internet on www.uclabruins.com.
Over the weekend, the Bruins swept both Stanford and Pacific on the road and on Wednesday they swept host UC Santa Barbara to run their winning streak to seven consecutive matches -- their longest of the season.
After losing three straight from March 10-16, the Bruins have turned around their season. They were 12-12 overall and 5-10 (10th place) in MPSF play on March 17. Three weeks later, they have clinched a playoff spot and a home date, and have secured their 44th consecutive winning season.
One of the keys to UCLA's turnaround has been the emergence of freshman setter Matt Wade, who is 7-2 as a starter since an injury to senior Dennis Gonzalez on Mar. 10.
"We're hitting much better than we have all year, and a lot of the credit has to be given to Matt Wade," said Head Coach Al Scates. "Our hitting average is escalating, and right now we are hitting well enough to beat almost any team in the country. Matt is giving (our players) great sets. He really is on top of his game."
During the streak, the Bruins' team hitting percentage has risen from .299 to its current mark of .312. Wade is averaging 9.83 assists per game with 747 total set assists. In their last nine matches the Bruins are hitting .336 and during the seven-match winning streak they're hitting at a .356 clip.
In addition, several of the Bruins' top scorers have seen a rise in their production during the streak. Junior Steve Klosterman has watched his kills per game average jump from 3.8 to 3.9; senior outside hitter Damien Scott is hitting .370 in the last seven matches; and junior Paul George has seen his hitting percentage jump from .276 to. 283. In addition, senior middle blocker Nick Scheftic has watched his hitting percentage rise to .424 and is hitting better than .450 during the streak.
On Apr. 19, the Bruins will host UC Santa Barbara in the first round of the MPSF playoffs at 7 p.m. in Pauley Pavilion. The match will be broadcast live over the internet on www.uclabruins.com.