MVB Completes Non-League Slate in Georgia

No. 1 BRUINS TAKE HISTORIC TRIP to ATLANTA — UCLA (13-3), ranked No. 1 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll, travels to play a pair of matches against Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAC) opponents, Morehouse College (0-11, match on 3/24) and Fort Valley State (4-10), each in their first year of fielding a men's volleyball program. The SIAC received a $1 million grant from First Point Volleyball Foundation and USA Volleyball in September 2019 to start men's volleyball programs. Morehouse College (Ga.) joined Central State University (Ohio), Benedict College (S.C.), Paine College (Ga.), Fort Valley State (Ga.) and Kentucky State as grant recipients.

Fri. Mar. 25 - UCLA at Morehouse College - 3 p.m. PT
no live stats or video available for this match

Sat. Mar. 26 - UCLA at Fort Valley State - 3 p.m. PT
Video: https://team1sports.com/fvsu/ 
Live Stats: https://fvsusports.com/sidearmstats/mvball/summary

UCLA AS NO. 1 -- UCLA held its spot at the top in the AVCA poll for a fifth week. This year's top ranking marks the first appearance for the Bruins at No. 1 since week 12 of the 2016 season (week of Mar. 28). UCLA defeated then No. 1 Long Beach State in five sets on Feb. 19, 2022 to advance into the top of the poll. The Bruins were also ranked No. 1 in the 2016 campaign over an earlier three-week period in weeks 2, 3 and 4 (Jan. 18-Feb. 1). UCLA has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the AVCA poll in 6 of the last 7 seasons (not in 2021).
 
THE SERIES -- UCLA has not played a men's volleyball match in the state of Georgia and is meeting Morehouse College and Fort Valley State for the first time.

MPSF -- The top-seeded team after the conclusion of regular season play will host the entire MPSF Tournament beginning on Apr. 20. 
Pre-season MPSF coaches poll: 1-Pepperdine, 2-UCLA, 3-BYU, 4-Grand Canyon, 5-USC, 6-Stanford, 7-Concordia, Irvine. 
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Standings (3/23)
UCLA 5-1
USC 3-1
Pepperdine 2-2
Grand Canyon 3-3
BYU 2-4
Concordia 2-4
Stanford 1-3

NCAA / MPSF RANKINGS -- Entering the week the Bruins are rated in the Top 10 nationally in hitting % (1st-.359), kills (2nd-13.33), set assists (4th-12.23) and blocks (7th-2.49). Merrick McHenry leads the nation in hitting percentage at .533. Miles Partain rates 6th in the nation in set assists per frame at 10.25. Guy Genis is 11th in blocks (1.07). UCLA leads the MPSF in hitting% (.359) and kills per set (13.33).

NOTES --  UCLA has hit for a higher percentage than its opponent in all 13 wins this season and has hit at least .350 in 11 matches in 2022 ... It has hit at least .400 in four of the last five matches and had a season-high .478 mark in win at CUI (2/25)  ... The Bruins held GCU under .200 as a team in the season's first meeting (.149) and in three of the six sets played over two matches ... the week prior, it held Concordia under .200 in six of the seven sets played in the home-and-home series ... Bruins have double-digit total blocks in 5 of the last 7 matches and own an 11-1 mark in matches when recording more blocks than opponent ... Ethan Champlin has an ace in 9 of the last 10 matches and a total of 20 over that span ... he began the week 3rd in the MPSF and 21st in NCAA in aces (0.43) ... had a career-best 6 aces in win over CUI(h) ... registered a school record four-straight service aces in a set during win at UCSD ... Miles Partain has a career-best three service aces vs. UCI and CSUN ... has 24 block assists in last 7 matches ... team hit season-best .478 at CUI (2/25) and over .400 in four of the last five matches ... Guy Genis has hit .522 over the past 8 matches (84k-12e-138ta) ... he began the week 11th in the NCAA in blocks (1.07 per set) ... Genis had a season-best of 9 block assists at Stanford (3/12) ... Merrick McHenry opened the week leading the nation in hitting percentage (.533) ... has hit 37k-3e-50 (.680) over the last four matches ... he tied his career-high with 6 block assists vs. GCU (3/3) ... Kevin Kobrine is ranked 17th nationally in hitting percentage (.348) ... he has 45 kills over last 4 matches ... he recorded a season-high 14 kills vs. GCU (3/4) ... Ido David totaled a high of four aces in win at UCSD ... Grant Sloane posted a season-best 16 kills in win at UC Irvine ... Cole Pender had season-high 11 digs at UCI ...  Alex Knight totaled a season-best 11 kills at CUI, 8 digs at both Stanford and CUI.

AT HOME/AWAY -- UCLA is 4-2 in away matches this season (losses at Stanford, at Beach) ... the Bruins are 9-1 this season at home (3-1 in Wooden-loss to Lewis; 6-0 in Pauley) ... Over the past six-plus seasons, UCLA is 53-7 in matches played in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom (2016: 10-1--lost to UCI, 2017: 8-1--CSUN, 2018: 13-2--Long Beach 2xs, 2019: 7-1--Long Beach; 2020: 2-0; 2021: 7-2--lost to USC, BYU; 2022: 6-0). UCLA is 3-1 this season on Collins Court and 15-7 over the last six-plus seasons in the Wooden Center.

UCLA HOSTS 2022 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP -- Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom will be the site of the 2022 Men's Volleyball Semis and Final on May 5 and 7 along with a pair of Opening Round Matches on May 3. For ticket information go to: www.uclabruins.com/ncaamvb