The MPSF is not without its fair share of tough competition. Nine of the top 15 squads in the nation play in the MPSF, and two of them will face off tonight in Pauley Pavilion.
In the second match of their four-game home-stand, the No. 4 Bruins (7-3, 4-2) host the No. 9 UC Irvine Anteaters (6-5, 3-3) for the first time this season.
The Bruins hope to come out stronger against the Anteaters than they did against the Cal Baptist Lancers last Wednesday simply because they are more familiar with the team.
The Bruins own a 9-6 record against the Anteaters since 2002, and UCLA won the last contest last April 3-2.
Tonight’s will be a power matchup as the last two NCAA champions square off Pauley Pavilion. UCLA won in 2006, Irvine in 2007.
Both teams are coming off key victories; the Bruins squeaked past an unknown yet veteran CBU Lancers squad, and the Anteaters, currently on a three-match winning streak, romped UC Santa Cruz. In that game, nine Anteaters recorded kills.
Suffice it to say the competition, both at the net and in the back, will be fierce. After some weak defense early against the Lancers, the Bruins adjusted their play and focus on defense in practice.
“We had a slow start, and there was a lot of lack of effort on the defensive end that we have to keep reiterating (in practice),” assistant coach Brian Rofer said.
At the net, the Bruins will have to focus on the AVCA national player of the week, UC Irvine’s junior opposite Taylor Wilson. Wilson led the charge against a slipping Pepperdine squad with a career-high of 24 kills. Wilson also recorded 19 kills against a competitive Trojan squad and is among the top hitters in the MPSF.
Holding the Waves to a 0.203 clip, the Trojans to 0.210 and the Banana Slugs to 0.205, the Anteater defense will force the Bruins to play tough at the net.
But the Bruins ““ after a late-game surge due to strong bench performances by junior opposite Sean O’Malley and sophomore outside hitter Jeff Woodley, and with the likely return of kills leader, sophomore outside hitter Garret Muagututia ““ enter tonight’s match with plenty of momentum.
“(O’Malley and Woodley) made a huge impact,” junior quick hitter Jamie Diefenbach said. “To win that fifth game creates huge momentum for us, and we look forward to playing UC Irvine.”
Diefenbach has been stepping up his strong play at the net in the past two wins, recording 34 kills and a 0.627 clip. This will be especially useful against the fourth-ranked Anteater defense, which holds its opponents to a 0.243 hitting average.
The Bruins’ recent work on their passing also showed up against the Lancers, namely in senior libero Tony Ker’s 15 digs.
Momentum will be huge for the Bruins in this home stand where they will also host division rivals No. 11 USC and No. 5 Pepperdine next week.