The Bruins are back on track.
After suffering a disappointing loss to crosstown rival USC this past Wednesday, the men’s volleyball team rebounded against Pepperdine on Saturday night, defeating the Waves 30-28, 30-24, 22-30, 30-26.
“We were all embarrassed in how we performed on Wednesday, so we knew we had to pick it up against Pepperdine,” junior quick hitter Jamie Diefenbach said. “We were ready to take care of business and play to our potential.”
They took care of business.
The No. 4 Bruins (9-4, 6-3 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) were led by outside hitters Sean O’Malley and Garrett Muagututia, who each finished the match with 18 kills. Muagututia also lead the team with an efficient .314 clip, followed closely by Diefenbach’s .312 clip.
Statistics don’t fully reflect the impact that sophomore setter Kevin Ker had on the match.
“Kevin was huge,” Diefenbach said. “He was a great spark off of the bench and a difference in a lot of those games when we were able to score a few points in a row.”
Ker finished the match with four assists and an ace serve.
The victory on Saturday night meant more for the Bruins than being able to mark another “W” on their schedule. With the win, the team was awarded the Kilgour Cup, a trophy in honor of Kirk Kilgour, one of UCLA’s hall-of-fame athletes.
This annual tradition started in 1977, and benefited Kilgour, who had severed his spinal cord. Since his passing in 2002, the proceeds from the match help fund a scholarship in Kilgour’s memory, given to a UCLA student with disabilities.
“Kirk Kilgour set the standard for UCLA volleyball,” coach Al Scates said. “As one of our first great players, Kirk laid the groundwork for this program by leading us to three straight championships. We are excited to honor him every year.”
The win marks the end of the Bruins’ four-game home stand. The team will play its next six matches on the road, and will not return to Pauley Pavilion until March 4, when they will take on Lewis.
“This game was a huge confidence booster to the team,” Diefenbach said. “With this win under our belt, our team knows that we can play to a higher level, even if we are on the road.”