Follow
No. 3/3 UCLA not only put an end to No. 2/2 UC Irvine’s undefeated season, but did so emphatically right from the start.
The Bruins hit a match-best .750 in the opening game and finished the match with a .442 attack percentage as they swept the Anteaters 25-22, 25-17, 25-23 on Wednesday in Irvine, California.
Setter Andrew Rowan guided the Bruins to hit more than .300 in all three games en route to the team having its second highest attack percentage of the season. In addition, UCLA (7-3, 0-0 MPSF) had three players with double-digit kills and at least a .400 attack percentage.
Middle attacker Cameron Thorne led all players with 15 kills and hit .579, including having a game-high five kills in the final game. Opposite Cooper Robinson added 11 kills and did not commit an attack error until late in the second game.
MIddle attacker Sean McQuiggan had 10 kills and zero errors on a perfect 1.000 attack percentage. McQuiggan also capped off the performance with the match-winning kill against UC Irvine (10-1, 0-0 Big West).
Along with the offensive performance, McQuiggan had a match-high four blocks.
UC Irvine playing in front of a home crowd of 2,927 people was held to a season-low .077 attack percentage.
Outside attacker Hilir Henno in the loss had a team-high 10 kills. Henno, though, was the Anteater to have more than three kills and have a .100 attack percentage.
UC Irvine entered the opener of this home-and-home non-conference series as one of the three remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball.