The dejected look on the players’ faces after being swept Wednesday night against UC San Diego said it all.
Less than a week after rallying to take down then-No. 1 Cal State Northridge, the men’s volleyball team couldn’t seem to find a spark Wednesday against No. 14 UCSD.
The No. 3 Bruins (9-7, 8-5 MPSF) lacked intensity in their 30-22, 30-25, 30-26 loss to the Tritons (5-11, 2-9). Senior outside hitter Garrett Muagututia said he felt his team played without passion.
“We didn’t have heart today, we didn’t want to play,” Muagututia said.
After the Tritons opened the match with a .567 clip in the first set, the Bruins could not find a way to rally. The Bruins did show the makings of a comeback in the third, but fell short. The third set was extremely tight and the teams went back and forth for the entirety, with 23 ties, six lead changes, before the Tritons scored four straight points to win the set and the match.
The Tritons out-hit (.427 to .260) and out-blocked (8 to 5.5) their way to victory.
UCLA coach Al Scates addressed the team in the locker room immediately after the match about the blocking woes.
“We came out extremely flat tonight,” Scates said after the meeting. “Our blocking was terrific against Northridge, the best of the season, and it was the worst of the season tonight, and that’s what I talked about.”
The Tritons also had a solid offensive display. They were led by senior opposite Frank Fritsch, who hit 16 kills for a .419 clip. Scates said UCSD’s offensive hit especially well.
Most Bruins had sub-par performances on offense as well as on the block. The Bruins hit only .260 as a team. Muagututia, who hit only nine kills, looked frustrated on the court in his attempts to motivate his team.
“I was trying to get somebody to help me out and get the team fired up, but nobody seemed to want it,” Muagututia said. “There’s nothing I can do other than try to pick my game up, and my game was struggling a little bit, so like I said, I needed some help, and I felt like I didn’t really get any.”
One performance the Bruins can take pride in was that of freshman opposite Jonathan Bridgeman, who had a breakout match. After starter redshirt sophomore Jack Polales struggled early, Bridgeman came in and played the majority of the second and third sets, leading the team with 11 kills and hitting .526 in addition to recording a service ace. Bridgeman’s performance boosted his confidence for the rest of the season.
“I think I really needed this because I’ve been maybe doubting myself a little bit, but it’s definitely going to help me, and I’ll be ready to go in whenever they put me in,” Bridgeman said.