UCLA men’s volleyball comes back in 3rd set to sweep Cal State Northridge

This post was updated Jan. 29 at 11:01 p.m.

As the third set began, what first appeared to be a night of smooth sailing in Northridge would soon turn into a tempest.

Following a series of victories in Westwood, No. 2 UCLA men’s volleyball (7-0) walked out of the match at the Matadome with a 3-0 victory against Cal State Northridge (4-4). However, the win would not come without challenges in the third and final frame.

UCLA opened the match with a similar starting rotation to its previous showdown with UC San Diego, with outside hitter Cooper Robinson making his second start as a redshirt freshman.

“We have the ability to move some pieces around and get great results,” said coach John Speraw. “I was happy to see Coop get out there. He deserves it.”

In the first two sets, the blue and gold never gave up the lead, only allowing the Matadors to tie the score once in the second frame.

But heading into the third set, UCLA was unable to carry over the same momentum from previous sets, allowing CSUN to take its first lead of the game.

Speraw said his team took information from the change of fortune and adjusted accordingly.

“We got off to a slow start. We gave up an ace in the seam, … had a couple of unforeseen errors,” Speraw said. “We made some changes, came out with a bit more energy.”

The Matadors led for a majority of the third set as the Northridge faithful cheered, shouted and heckled while the team maintained their lead. On the other side, UCLA maintained its focus, but errors and a tighter CSUN defense made it unable to take the lead for the lion’s share of the frame.

Nevertheless, the Bruins managed to keep themselves within striking distance of the lead, taking advantage of the opposition’s errors and coming up with important kills from all sides of the court.

[Related: UCLA men’s volleyball to kick off road trip with rematch against CSUN]

“My mindset going into the third set was just to keep on pushing,” said middle blocker J.R. Norris IV. “We knew that they weren’t going to lie down. … The job wasn’t finished, so we just had to go out and finish.”

Norris would prove to be a crucial offensive weapon in the third set. The redshirt senior would score five kills for the Bruins to prevent the Matadors from running away with the set.

The standout play for Norris came late in the frame, when he managed to score an ace to even the scoreboard at 23 apiece.

Norris’ big-time play was a testament to his recent boom on the offensive side of the ball, according to Speraw.

“His serve at the end came up very big,” Speraw said. “Right now, J.R. is attacking the ball real well. … He’s a tough guy to stop when we’re passing the ball well.”

Norris would also hit for a perfect nine kills for nine attacks throughout the match. Whether from the service line or from open play, wherever UCLA needed a point from Norris, he delivered.

Norris’ performance combined with the rest of the team allowed for the Bruins to reach a season-high .507 hitting percentage.

“The one thing I really love about this team and this sport in general is that nothing can be done by yourself,” Norris said. “It was a real big group effort. … I loved that they had the faith in me to put the ball away.”

But from the beginning, the leader on offense for the Bruins was outside hitter/opposite Ido David. David led the team in kills with 16, including six in the final slate.

After returning from a three-week injury stint, David has led the team in kills in back-to-back starts. The sophomore said he enjoyed being part of the on-court battle again.

“It was a tough battle, but it was fun,” David said. “The team supported me and gave me the motivation.”

Also carrying over from the previous match was the connection between David and freshman setter Andrew Rowan. Rowan showcased his ability to distribute the ball as he recorded a personal-best 39 assists, leading both teams in the category.

[Related: UCLA men’s volleyball sweeps UC San Diego rematch with new lineup]

 

Down 20-23 in the third set, the Bruins rallied to score four in a row and take the lead. Despite a service error, the blue and gold was able to cement the comeback through the hands of redshirt junior middle blocker Merrick McHenry and a bad set by the Matadors.

The victory pushed UCLA’s undefeated run to 7-0, right before an East Coast road trip that will see the team face off against George Mason, No. 13 Ohio State and No. 4 Penn State.

“We have really difficult opponents, and we have three of them in a week,” Speraw said. “We will be tested, that’s for sure, and we need to be tested. … We need to face some challenges, and we’re going to get them.”