MVB Advances to MPSF Title Match with Sweep
The top-seeded UCLA men's volleyball team (23-4) swept past No. 6 seed USC (13-15) in a semifinal match at the 2024 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championship played Thursday night at the Galen Center. Scores of the match were 25-22, 25-16, 25-21.
The Bruins, who have now won 12 straight matches, will advance to Saturday's MPSF championship contest at 6 p.m. against the winner of tonight's second semifinal between No. 2 seed Grand Canyon and No. 4 seed Stanford. The 12 consecutive wins is the longest streak since the Bruins ended the 2023 national championship title run by posting victories in the final 12 matches of that season.
UCLA moved out to a 5-3 lead to begin set one after a block by Andrew Rowan / Sean McQuiggan. The score was then tied at points 6 through 9. The Trojans tallied the next two points, but UCLA fought back to level the score at 12-all on an Ethan Champlin back row swing. USC went back up by two heading to the media timeout at 13-15. A series of errors and a Rowan ace, his team-best 37th of the season, pushed the Bruins back in front 18-16. Grant Sloane's kill and Champlin's service ace upped the margin to 21-17. Another Sloane kill made it 22-18. USC rallied to narrow the gap to 23-21 with two straight blocks. A Cooper Robinson swing gave the Bruins set point. After a service error, Robinson / McQuiggan teamed up on a block for set point at 25-22.
A McHenry ace followed two kills to lift the Bruins to a 5-2 edge to begin set two. A block and a couple of kills pulled the Trojans even at 7-all. The Bruins responded with the next three points on kills by Sloane and Champlin followed by a block by McHenry / Champlin. More kills from Champlin and McHenry grew the margin to 12-8. A Robinson swing and a block solo by Guy Genis made it 17-10. A block by Genis / Robinson put UCLA in charge 18-10. Ido David's spike resulted in a 21-13 lead. Champlin put UCLA up 23-14 with a kill. A McHenry / Sloane block supplied set point at 24-15. The teams then traded service errors for a 25-16 Bruin win. UCLA hit .500 for the frame. The Trojans had seven attack errors in the set and hit -.045.
A McQuiggan / Robinson block put UCLA in front 7-5 in set three. Three straight aces by Robinson, the 11th time this season he has recorded multiple service winners in a match, upped the gap to 11-6. USC answered with the next three points to pull to within three at 11-9. Kills by Champlin and McHenry made it 14-9. The next four points went to the Trojans before a McHenry kill put UCLA back up15-13. Champlin delivered from the back row for 17-15. Robinson's spike made it 19-16. McHenry's swing put UCLA ahead 21-18. Sloane found an open spot deep in the court for 22-19. McHenry, who hit over .400 for the 24th straight match at .667, was responsible for points 23 and 24 with his ninth and tenth kills. Robinson ended the match with a hit off hands for a 25-21 win.
The MPSF champion will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship Tournament which will begin on April 30 at Long Beach's Walter Pyramid. The eight-team NCAA bracket will be announced on Sunday on ncaa.com.