MALIBU, Calif. -- Third-ranked Pepperdine did something no other MPSF team has been able to do in 2014 and shut out No. 1 UCLA 25-14, 25-20, 25-19 on Wednesday night inside Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves were firing on all cylinders and were led by Josh Taylor with 14 kills and Nikola Antonijevic with nine blocks.
The loss snapped the Bruins’ nine-match win streak to bring the team to 9-2 overall and 6-1 in league play. With the win, Pepperdine moved to 6-1 overall and in MPSF matches.
Taylor couldn’t be stopped and put down 14 kills earned at a .550 (14 kills-3 errors-20 attempts) hitting percentage. Antonijevic, entering this week with an NCAA-leading 1.60 blocks per set season average, posted a whopping 3.0 blocks per set for a match-high total of nine roofs.
Kyle Gerrans turned in a well-rounded performance with nine kills, two aces, five digs and four blocks.
The Pepperdine defense was up to the challenge and outdug UCLA 35-26 while outblocking the opposition 14.5-5.0.
The Waves’ serve receive, comprised of Gerrans, Taylor and Brennan Anderson, allowed just one ace against a team that averages an MPSF-best 1.65 aces per set. Anderson also provided 10 digs from his libero position.
Matt West handed out 33 assists as he set the offense to the tune of a .345 (39-10-84) team clip.
Matt Tarantino finished the three-set affair with five kills, four blocks and a pair of digs, while Parker Kalmbach posted seven kills, six blocks, four digs and an ace.
Robart Page led the UCLA attack with 15 kills. Gonzalo Quiroga added 10 kills for the Bruins.
No. 2 Loyola Chigao 3, No. 10 Lewis 1
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. -- Thomas Jaeschke hammered 18 kills and added a team-high nine digs as No. 2 Loyola Chicago raced past No. 10 Lewis, 3-1 (25-23, 21-25, 25-17, 25-19) on Wednesday in a rematch of the 2013 Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball title match last year at Neil Carey Arena in Romeoville. The Ramblers improved to 8-1 (2-0 MIVA) while sending the Flyers to 7-3 (0-1) with the loss.
Jaeschke drilled 17 of his 18 kills in the first three sets while Dainis Berzins picked up the slack in the fourth, putting down six of his 10 kills in the final frame. Joseph Smalzer added seven kills and three aces while Owen McAndrews pitched in with seven kills and three blocks.
The Lewis offense was led by Geoff Powell with 14 kills, two block assists and a service ace, while Greg Petty chipped in 10 kills and a block assist. Jacob Schmiegelt hit .364 with five kills and one error on 11 attempts, while collecting two block assists. BJ Boldog dished out 33 assists and tallied one solo block and three block assists while Lucas Yanez collected eight digs.
