No. 8 Bruins fall to No. 1 Trojans even after clutch first set

The talent was there, the heart was there, and the chance came for the UCLA men’s volleyball team to knock off a heavily favored USC team in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoff opener. At several points in the match, the Bruins were poised to put away the Trojans but ultimately fell 3-1.

The No. 8 Bruins (16-15, 9-13 MPSF) lost to the No. 1 Trojans (22-2, 20-2) twice in the regular season. In both losses they couldn’t find an answer for a powerful USC offense, so coach Al Scates looked to the versatility of his players as a weapon, and it worked. Junior Kyle Caldwell was put onto the court as a setter-opposite hitter hybrid, both positions he can play.

“He attacked the ball as the setter, and they weren’t used to that,” Scates said. “Nobody does that.”

The baffling setup was enough to squeak through the first set 25-23, despite an early 10-5 deficit. Junior quick hitter Thomas Amberg and freshman outside hitter Gonzalo Quiroga continued to give the Bruins opportunities for success, with Amberg serving a 3-0 run to close the first-set gap, and Quiroga’s 15 kills putting UCLA in a position to break a late tie.

With the Bruins up 1-0 after a clutch performance, volleyball’s national powerhouse looked quite vulnerable. But the Caldwell threat could only take UCLA so far.

The Trojans neutralized a quick 3-0 Bruin lead and took control of the second set. Junior outside hitter Tony Ciarelli led USC with 21 kills, but his team was loaded with threats. A kill from Ciarelli sparked a late burst that resulted in a 20-14 Trojan lead, and they evened the match with a 25-18 win.

“Our hitting wasn’t enough to put them away,” senior libero Tom Hastings said. “They hit .460 (in the second set); it’s impossible to win when they do that.”

From there, USC kept rolling and managed to take the next two sets, preventing what would be volleyball’s upset of the year. They broke a 12-12 tie in the third with an 11-3 run to get another 25-18 win. The Bruins stayed within reach during the fourth and final set but couldn’t catch up in a 25-21 loss to conclude the match.

“We got a lot of good block-touches, balls we could dig,” freshman opposite hitter Spencer Rowe said. “Overall we just have to swing more aggressively.”

Unless UCLA receives an at-large bid, a highly unlikely case, the defeat ended what was quite a tumultuous season. The Bruins opened the year with a 7-2 record and went on a seven-match winning streak in March but also suffered four-match and five-match losing streaks. Inconsistent performance will almost surely bar UCLA from any chance for an at-large bid.

“Every year, the goal is to win the national championship,” Amberg said. “We have the players and the coaches and the ability to do it. It’s just a matter of putting it together and making it click, but this year that didn’t happen.”