UCLA pulled out a five-set victory over Penn State in the opening match of the 27th Outrigger Volleyball Invitational to earn a split of its regular-season series between the men’s volleyball powers.
The tiebreaker could come in Virginia in May.
UCLA middle blocker Merrick McHenry put down back-to-back blocks midway through the fifth set to create the separation the second-ranked Bruins needed to fend off No. 3 Penn State 25-20, 25-22, 16-25, 21-25, 15-10 on Thursday at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
When opposite Ido David hammered his match-high 21st kill off the block, UCLA (18-1) avenged its lone loss of the season, a four-set loss at Penn State’s Rec Hall on Feb. 4, and a third matchup at the National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship, hosted by George Mason in Fairfax, Va., could be coming in the first week of May.
“I think really, really highly of Penn State,” UCLA coach John Speraw said. “I think they’re playing really good volleyball. It doesn’t surprise me that it went five, doesn’t surprise me they put as much pressure on us as they did. I think it ended up being a great win for us.”
McHenry filled the stat sheet with seven of UCLA’s 13 blocks, nine kills in 13 attacks and three aces.
UCLA hit .524 in the first set and came back from down 17-16 with a 9-3 run to close the set. Their efficiency dipped to .134 over the next three sets, as they managed to hold on in the second before dropping the third and fourth.
Penn State outside hitter Cal Fisher entered the match as the Nittany Lions’ kills leader and had 15 in the first meeting with UCLA, but went to the bench early in the second set with no kills and two errors.
John Kerr helped spark the comeback and Fisher returned as a serving sub late in the fourth set. Fisher fired an ace and scored on a tip for his lone kill of the match to force the fifth set.
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The teams traded sideouts, and a couple of stares through the net, before switching sides. After Penn State’s 23rd service error of the match gave UCLA a 9-8 lead, David scored and McHenry stuffed the Nittany Lions’ next two attacks in a 6-0 run.
“Huge, and he did it in a couple of really unique ways,” Speraw said. “They ran a route they haven’t run all match and he stuffed it. It was really quite a play.”
UCLA hit .571 with nine kills in 14 attacks and one error in the fifth set. Freshman setter Andrew Rowan finished with 47 assists and 10 digs.
Outside hitter Michal Kowal led Penn State (15-2) with 13 kills and Brett Wildman added 10.
The Nittany Lions face Hawaii in tonight’s feature match.
“I like the way we didn’t change who we were,” Penn State coach Mark Pavlik said. “We didn’t force, we didn’t press. We did what we’ve done all year long. I’m relay proud of them coming back.”
