Feb. 26, 2011

Box Score

Stockton, Calif.

The No.15 Pacific Tigers looked poised and competitive but dropped a tough set to the No.8 UCLA bruins. Pacific fell in straight sets 25-23, 25-19, and 25-15

Pacific was led offensively by redshirt sophomore Taylor Hughes (Fallbrook, Calif.) who recorded 10 kills on 26 swings, good for a .346 clip, while also adding three blocks in the match. Redshirt junior Chaz Hindsley (Northfield, Ill.) hit .833 tailing five kills on six swings and recording three blocks in the contest and junior Florian Gornik (Schwechat, Austria) added seven kills and three digs in the match to bolster the teams .250 clip and 28 total kills.

The Tigers best performance came in the first set as they traded blows with UCLA back and forth throughout the frame. Set one remained close until the Tigers held a three point advantage, score 16-13 and a timeout call by UCLA head coach and volleyball icon Al Scates. Out of the break the Bruins closed the gap to within one on a kill and subsequent service ace. A UCLA attack error moved the Tigers back to a 2point advantage score 17-15. UCLA's Robert Page collected a kill and a Gornik attack error knotted things up at 18 all. Timeout Pacific. Pacific came out of the break and captured back-to-back kills at the hands of Taylor Hughes and Florian Gornik and held the lead at 20-18. The Tigers then relinquished four straight points three by UCLA kill and trailed 22-20. Another timeout call by Pacific and Gornik slammed down another kill as play resumed. trailing by one Pacific was unable to hold off the Bruin offense as they pummeled down on three more and captured the set 25-23.

Three Hindsley and two Gornik kills kept the Tigers in set two trailing 12-10. The set began to slip away fro the Tigers then as the seven footer from UCLA Robart Page swung hard through a few balls and recorded two of UCLA's next three points. Hughes and Hindsley continued to cntribute but it wasn't enough as UCLA pulled away. The set ended on a Gornik service error. Set score 25-19.

The final third set was a lackluster performance for the Tigers. Quickly falling behind 4-1 the Tigers only recorded one kill leading up until the 11-7 mark when redshirt junior Sean Daley (Moorpark, Calif.) laid one down. Hughes recorded three more kills and Gornik another to aide the teams total of six in the frame but the Tigers were unable to keep pace as UCLA coasted away with the set and ultimately the match win. Final set score 25-15.

The result dropped Pacific to 6-11, (2-9 MPSF) while UCLA improved to 9-9 (4-7 MPSF)

Pacific is on the road for their next four contesting returning to the floor first on Friday March 4 at UCSD in a match slated for 7:00pm.