Friday, March 29, 2024

AdvertiseDonateSubmit
NewsSportsArtsOpinionThe QuadPhotoVideoIllustrationsCartoonsGraphicsThe StackPRIMEEnterpriseInteractivesPodcastsBruinwalkClassifieds

The Rundown: Nov. 24

Jean-Julien Rojer and his doubles partner Horia Tecau secured the No. 1 doubles ranking in the world after downing Bob and Mike Bryan in the semifinal of the ATP World Tour Finals. Rojer was a former Bruin and an All-American while at UCLA. (Creative Commons by TwoWings via Wikimedia Commons)

By Tanner Walters, Matt Cummings, Korbin Placet, and Claire Fahy

Nov. 24, 2015 2:08 a.m.

Check out a breakdown of the UCLA sports stories you might have missed this week.

Preseason tuneup

web.sp.rundown.FILE.jpg
UCLA boasts one of the strongest rookie classes in the country and got the chance to prove it this weekend in its preseason tournament. The Bruins have one remaining preseason matchup before conference play opens in January. (Daily Bruin file photo)

Competing on campus for the first time this season, UCLA men’s volleyball was able to debut some of its newest faces to Bruin fans at the four-team SAC Tournament last weekend.

The home team went 2-1 over the course of the two-day event, falling to UC Santa Barbara on Friday and finishing with a 3-0 sweep of the USC Trojans Saturday afternoon. The rivals split the 2015 season series and will play each other twice in 2016.

The Bruins have six true freshmen on the 2016 roster, three of whom played a large share of minutes over the weekend – libero Davis Gillett, outside hitter Dylan Missry and setter/hitter Micah Ma’a. Sophomore setter Eric Matheis was the team’s setter for the entirety of the USC match.

An exhibition match with British Columbia on Jan. 3 is all that stands between UCLA and the regular season, when the Bruins will open with six straight on the road.

New skipper

web.sp.rundown.baseball.CreativeC.jpg
(Creative Commons by Malingerin via Flickr)

Dave Roberts spent 10 seasons in the major leagues, including three in Los Angeles with the Dodgers. But his playing career is largely defined by one moment: His steal of second base in Game 4 of the 2004 American League Championship Series helped catapult the Boston Red Sox to an unprecedented series comeback and a World Series championship that broke the franchise’s 86-year drought.

Now Roberts will start a new chapter with the Los Angeles Dodgers, as his managerial career will begin in the same city where the speedy outfielder became UCLA’s all-time leader in stolen bases.

As he takes over the Dodgers – who lost in the Division Series even with a record $310 million payroll last year – Roberts will face the pressure of championship hopes.

Perhaps he can steal another.

Falling short of Australian wildcard

While most of the men’s tennis team finished the fall season a week ago, one player was still pushing, trying to make some noise on the ATP tour.

Junior Mackie McDonald went on a six-match win streak in the JMS Challenger of Champaign-Urbana in Champaign, Illinois. However, in the semifinal, McDonald fell to Taylor Fritz 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-2. This was McDonald’s fourth Challenger event of the fall.

The junior jumped up to No. 379 in world rankings. In college tennis, he is the No. 3 player in country. Had McDonald won the tournament, he would have earned the USTA wildcard for the Australian Open.

No. 1 doubles ranking

Former Bruin Jean-Julien Rojer and his doubles partner Horia Tecau secured the No. 1 doubles ranking in the world after downing the Bob and Mike Bryan 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinal of the ATP World Tour Finals.

“It feels pretty darn good right about now,” Rojer said at a press conference after the semifinal. “There was so much riding on this match for us. We put in a lot of hard work, like many of the other teams do, of course. To have it come down to one match to play for the year-end No. 1 spot, it’s just a dream scenario. On top of that, to win it with a lot of our friends and family here, it’s just really cool.”

In the final, the pair defeated defeated eighth seeds Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea 6-4, 6-3, winning the ATP World Tour Finals.

Rojer and Tecau had a very successful ATP season, finishing with three team titles, including Wimbledon. They finish the year with a 48-21 match record.

Compiled by Matt Cummings, Korbin Placet and Tanner Walters, Bruin Sports senior staff.

Share this story:FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Tanner Walters | Alumnus
Walters joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2014 and contributed until he graduated in 2018. He was the Alumni director for the 2017-2018 academic year, Editor in Chief for the 2016-2017 academic year and an assistant Sports editor for the 2015-2016 academic year. Walter spent time on the football, men's basketball, men's volleyball, men's soccer, men's water polo and rowing beats.
Walters joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2014 and contributed until he graduated in 2018. He was the Alumni director for the 2017-2018 academic year, Editor in Chief for the 2016-2017 academic year and an assistant Sports editor for the 2015-2016 academic year. Walter spent time on the football, men's basketball, men's volleyball, men's soccer, men's water polo and rowing beats.
Matt Cummings | Alumnus
Cummings joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2014 and contributed until he graduated in 2018. He was an assistant Sports editor for the 2015-2016 academic year and spent time on the football, men's basketball, baseball, cross country, women's volleyball and men's tennis beats.
Cummings joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2014 and contributed until he graduated in 2018. He was an assistant Sports editor for the 2015-2016 academic year and spent time on the football, men's basketball, baseball, cross country, women's volleyball and men's tennis beats.
Korbin Placet | Alumnus
Placet joined the Bruin as a junior in 2014 and contributed until after he graduated in 2016. He was an assistant Sports editor for the 2015-2016 academic year and spent time on the men's basketball, women's basketball, softball, women's soccer, women's volleyball and men's tennis beats.
Placet joined the Bruin as a junior in 2014 and contributed until after he graduated in 2016. He was an assistant Sports editor for the 2015-2016 academic year and spent time on the men's basketball, women's basketball, softball, women's soccer, women's volleyball and men's tennis beats.
Claire Fahy | Alumna
Fahy joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2013 and contributed until she graduated in 2017. She was the Sports editor for the 2015-2016 academic year and an assistant Sports editor for the 2014-2015 academic year. Fahy spent time on the football, men's basketball, men's water polo, men's volleyball and swim and dive beats.
Fahy joined the Bruin as a freshman in 2013 and contributed until she graduated in 2017. She was the Sports editor for the 2015-2016 academic year and an assistant Sports editor for the 2014-2015 academic year. Fahy spent time on the football, men's basketball, men's water polo, men's volleyball and swim and dive beats.
COMMENTS
Featured Classifieds
More classifieds »
Related Posts