The UCLA men’s volleyball team will enter finals week on a good note after its three-set victory over Loyola Friday.
The No. 8 Bruins (12-9) played with intensity throughout the 30-16, 30-27, 30-24 victory, handing the No. 12 Ramblers (12-2) just their second loss of the season. UCLA’s Thomas Amberg helped to set the tone in the first set. In it, the sophomore quick hitter slammed five kills for a .571 clip and hit a service ace along with two block assists. Amberg said he felt coach Al Scates sparked the strong start by talking about his 2006 NCAA Championship team.
“Coach really gave us a good motivational speech,” Amberg said. “He was talking about the 2006 team and how they started from this point specifically in the season and made their run for the championship and that kind of brought us together, gave us the energy to come out and really dominate the first set.”
And after the first set, the Bruins kept the onslaught going, taking the next two. UCLA significantly out hit (.429 to .170) and out blocked (8 to 3) the Ramblers. Redshirt sophomore Jack Polales led the Bruins with 14 kills, while Loyola’s sophomore outside hitter Mike Bunting led the Ramblers with 15 kills. Scates said he thought that involving his quick hitters gave other players opportunities to score.
“We were setting the (quick hitters) quite a bit, so they had to stay there and then we’d get one-on-one on the outside, so the outside hitters hit for some huge numbers tonight too,” Scates said, adding that his team got to the block before Loyola from the beginning of the match.
“I told them, ‘I don’t want to see us quick in set three, I want to see us quick in set one tonight,'” Scates said. “Some of the players, it takes a while for them to get started. Tonight it seemed like everybody was getting over before the opponent hit the ball, so this was our finest start blocking-wise.”
The team will now break for final exams before a five-game road trip. Senior outside hitter Garrett Muagututia, who finished with 12 kills, a .474 clip, and four service aces Friday, said he is looking to relax next week.
“I think it’s much-needed,” Muagututia said. “Just like this win, I think we need a break, so that we can rest our bodies. Hopefully most of us will be resting our bodies, not doing too much so that we can just finish this year off strong.”
With several talented teams in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, the Bruins need to continue playing well. Amberg said the key is to win when it matters.
“Everyone’s a good team,” Amberg said. “Everyone can win it this year, it’s just a matter of being the good team at the right time.”