The four-match, one-week road trip, consisting of matches against three top-15 teams, is almost over.
But that final match before the No. 8 UCLA Bruins (7-7, 4-4) can return to the friendly confines of Pauley Pavilion will come against the No. 5 USC Trojans (9-3, 6-2) tonight at the Galen Center.
Besides a chance to rack up a victory coming up to the halfway point of the season, this match is about competing for pride and picking up momentum for the rest of the season.
But with a tumultuous amount of injuries and a nagging inability to win on the road so far this season, the Bruins have much to reflect on going into tonight’s match.
Having suffered the whole season without a pair of expected starters, sophomore quick hitter Weston Dunlap and sophomore libero Thomas Hastings, the Bruins now are without junior outside hitter Garrett Muagututia, who coach Al Scates says has been the team’s most consistent road player.
Muagututia, who has sat out the team’s last two games due to an ankle sprain when playing against Lewis University on Feb. 13, leads the Bruins in points per set with 3.83, is second in kills per set with 3.03, and is second in digs per set with 1.72. The Oceanside native is also fifth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation in service aces per set.
In short, the Bruins lose an integral part of their attack with Muagututia’s absence.
UCLA’s inability to execute, Scates said, has come from different problems for each player.
“As soon as the players get better individually, the team gets better,” he said.
With the recent succession of road matches, the Bruins have gained valuable experience and faced three unique teams.
“It’s starting to come,” Scates said. “We’ll just have to keep working hard.”
The focus is clearly on beating the rival Trojans tonight.
Led by sophomore outside hitter Murphy Troy’s 5.26 kills per set, USC will look to make a statement after falling out of a tie for first in the MPSF against UC Irvine Wednesday night. Troy leads the conference in aces with .46 aces per set.
The Bruins, however, have a blocking advantage on the Trojans. USC is last in the conference in blocks, with 2.23 per set, while the Bruins are seventh with 2.79 bps.
INJURY REPORT: Dunlap has begun swimming and cycling and is likely to return by the Bruins’ match against Brigham Young University in late-March.
Muagututia looks to return to the court next week when the Bruins host Long Beach State.