The pendulum that is the UCLA men’s volleyball season swung back on Thursday night.
The No. 6 Bruins (8-6, 4-4 MPSF) followed up their weekend sweep of the UCSD Tritons with a five-set loss to the No. 12 Cal Baptist Lancers (6-5, 3-3 MPSF).
Once again, the Bruins couldn’t build on any momentum, and once again they came agonizingly close to victory, but not quite close enough.
There was nothing to separate these two teams throughout much of the match. Though it ultimately came down to the fifth set, UCLA failed to convert on a multitude of early set points.
Cal Baptist was able to steal the set and put UCLA in an early hole, which several opponents have managed to do to the Bruins so far this season.
The competitiveness of the match was accurately represented by the scores of each set: 28-30, 25-23, 25-27, 25-23, 15-12.
In the end, it was extremely close, and the Bruins only just lost the match after several sets came just within the two-point minimum for a win.
Junior outside hitter Gonzalo Quiroga led the Bruins with 24 kills and 8 digs, while junior outside hitter Robart Page came back with 17 kills after missing last weekend’s game with an injury.
The upcoming schedule will be tough for a team struggling to string together successive wins, as it will have to face top-notch talent.
UCLA hasn’t won two matches in a row since non-conference wins in Hawaii about a month ago against Penn State and Ohio State.
Next on the schedule for the UCLA squad is No. 1 Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, followed by difficult matches against No. 10 Hawaii, No. 11 USC and No. 3 Pepperdine.
Any winning streak this team racks up will have to be earned the hard way.
Compiled by Leonardo Villalobos, Bruin Sports contributor.
Send an email to lvillalobos@media.ucla.edu.