MVB Blocks Way to Sweep Over Patriots

The No. 2 ranked UCLA (8-0) men's volleyball team captured its eighth-straight win to open the season with a sweep at George Mason on Tuesday night in Fairfax, Va. Scores of the non-league match were 25-15, 25-21, 25-19. This marks UCLA's best season start since the 2016 team opened with wins in its first 10 matches. The Bruins recorded 21 blocks (2 solos and 19 assists) on the match and limited the Patriots to a .154 attack percentage. Guy Genis and Ido David led the way with eight (2 solo, 6 assists) and five blocks (all assists), respectively. Freshman outside hitter Zach Rama led UCLA with 10 kills. The Bruins will play next at the Big Ten / Pac-12 Challenge in University Park, Pa. against Ohio State and Penn State on Friday and Saturday.
 
UCLA took a 9-7 first set lead after an ace from Merrick McHenry. After two more points, GMU called timeout, with UCLA up 11-7. The Bruins extended the margin to 15-9 and then 19-11 after a McHenry swing. Grant Sloane's kill put the Bruins up 21-13. A Genis / Alex Knight block made it 22-13. Genis, Knight and Miles Partain them teamed up for a block to give UCLA a 24-14 edge. Genis' kill delivered the set at 25-15. The Bruins hit .391 with Ida David registering four kills and Rama adding three more.
 
The Bruins opened up a 6-4 lead to begin set two. George Mason battled back to tie the score at 6-all. UCLA tallied the next three points featuring kills from McHenry and David. The Patriots then returned the favor to even the score at 9-all. After McHenry's kill leveled the score at 13-all, a GMU error and a pair of Rama kills put UCLA up 15-13. Following the media timeout, David fired an ace and Rama added another kill for a 17-13 advantage. Kills by Knight put UCLA up 20-17 and then 21-18. GMU cut the margin to 22-20 after a Bruin service error. Kills from Genis and Rama pushed UCLA to set point at 24-21 and a GMU setting error resulted in a 25-21 win. UCLA hit .259 for the frame with Rama delivering five kills.
 
George Mason took advantage of Bruin errors to open up a 3-6 margin to begin set three. UCLA sliced the deficit to 6-7 after an ace from Knight. A David / Rama / Genis block made it 8-9. UCLA leveled the score at 9-all on an ace from Rowan. Back-to-back blocks from Genis / David put UCLA up 12-10. A Knight swing left the Bruins in front 15-12 at the media timeout. A couple of spikes by Rama made it 18-15 and 20-17. A McHenry swing put UCLA up 23-18. The Bruins reached set point on a David ace and captured the set following a GMU service error at 25-19.
 
The Bruins will now head to Pennsylvania for the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge to be held on Friday and Saturday at Penn State. UCLA will take on the No. 13 Buckeyes at 1 p.m. PT on Friday and the No. 4 Nittany Lions at 4 p.m. PT on Saturday. The Bruins return home to face No. 3 Long Beach State next Thursday (Feb. 9) in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom at 8 p.m.