Men’s volleyball rally falls short of a five-set loss at BYU

PROVO, Utah – Four of #7 Pepperdine’s men’s volleyball team hit double figures and two posted double-doubles Saturday night at Smith Fieldhouse, but #8 BYU would have enough home court advantage to pull off a five-run victory.

The Waves (14-10, 4-4 MPSF) struck first 25-22, but the Cougars (14-6, 4-4 MPSF) took the lead 25-16, 25-21 on set points. Pepperdine won the fourth 25-23 to force a fifth, but BYU, a team that hasn’t lost at home in 10 games this year, closed out the game with a 15-13 win.

Junior setter Bryce Dvorak and a redshirt sophomore out Joe Deluzio each had a double-double in the match, with 41 assists and 10 digs, 10 kills and 11 digs. Dvorak’s is his fifth of his career and his second this season, while it is Deluzio’s first.

Three other Waves also hit double figures alongside Deluzio, finishing opposite Jaylen Jasperredshirt junior Jacob Steele and junior Andersen Fuller 15, 14 and 10 kills. Jasper and Steele have posted 42 and 39 games respectively in the double-digit killer club. Fuller posted her 10 kills on 16 errorless swings for a .667 hitting percentage.

BIG WAVES
Bryce Dvorak (Newport Beach, CA/Corona del Mar HS): 41 assists, 10 digs, 3 blocks, 1 ace, 2 kills
Joe Deluzio (Windermere, Fla./The First Academy): 10 kills, 11 digs, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 ace
Jaylen Jasper (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck Senior HS/Stanford): 15 kills, 5 digs, 6 blocks, 1 ace
Jacob Steele (Trabuco Canyon, CA/El Toro HS): 14 kills, .360 hitting percentage, 3 blocks, 1 ace
Andersen Fuller (Manlius, NY/Fayetteville-Manlius HS): 10 kills, .667 hitting percentage, 3 blocks, 3 digs
Trey Cole (Long Island, NY/Connetquot HS): 8 digs, 5 assists
My Akinwumi (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA/Peninsula HS): 5 blocks, 4 kills

WAVES VS. HOT

BYU had the upper hand offensively, although the Waves had 55 kills to the opposition’s 53, the Cougars’ .314 hitting beat the team’s .218. The home team also had eight aces to Pepperdine’s five. Defensively, the Waves led with 43 digs to the Cougars’ 32, but a 15-10 block margin went in BYU’s favor.

PEPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set WED TH Pct

1 12 5 28 .250
2 10 7 26 .115
3 14 6 32 .250
4 14 5 26 .346
5 5 5 12,000

TTL 55 28 124 .218

BYU ATTACK BY SET
Set WED TH Pct

1 12 6 32 .188
2 9 0 16 .562
3 13 3 32 .312
4 11 4 30 .233
5 8 2 11 .545

TTL 53 15 121 .314

PLAY BY PLAY

The match started with a point-to-point battle for most of the first set, but after an even 12-12 scoreline, back-to-back defeats Jacob Steele giving the Waves a two-point lead. The team would maintain a marginal lead in the single block Bryce Dvorak and more kills from Steele, but the Cougars would eventually answer to tie the score at 17-17. Pepperdine held a slight lead throughout the set, however, and after a 21-all tie, Steele’s smash, some fouls from the other side of the net, and block cooperation from Dvorak and Andersen Fuller would end the set 25-22.

BYU took a small lead to open the second period 6-4, but found a way to build a four-point lead soon after. It would be a gap the Waves would not be able to overcome as the Cougars tied the game with a 25-16 second period victory.

The third set was closer from start to finish and after a tie at 12-12, a kill Jaylen Jasper, followed by a sack from the same Wave that would put Pepperdine up by two points. It would be an advantage that would be held at 17-14, but the opponent began to fight back soon after, eventually tying the set at 18. With the momentum on their side, the Cougars took the set 25-21 to pull ahead 2-1.

The fourth set would be another seesaw battle as the Waves took a 5-3 lead on kills by Steele, Deluzio and Jasper, but the Cougars took the lead 11-9 with kills of their own. Andersen Fuller found his rhythm with the strike to keep the Waves tight. Close aces by Jasper and Deluzio would give the team another two point lead at 19-17. The Cougars would pull within one at 23-22 and 24-23, but Jasper’s final smash would send the match to the fifth set for the second time in as many days and matches.

In the fifth and final set, each team went into a 6-6 tie, a Waves kill from Fuller and My Akinwumi. However, BYU went for the kill and capitalized on an offensive error by the Waves to take a two-point lead on the conversion. The Cougars held the lead for much of the rest of the set, and despite a block from Fuller and Jasper followed by an ace and kill combination from Steele, BYU closed out the match with a 15-13 final. score.

NEXT

The Waves next return to Malibu for one game next week, hosting Cal Lutheran on April 1 at Firestone Fieldhouse.

FOLLOW

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