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* BYU hit .643 and .636 in the final two games of its sweep of UCLA.
PROVO - Defending men's volleyball national champion UCLA has graduated several key players, but the Bruins were still supposed to give Brigham Young a more difficult match Friday. The Cougars weren't supposed to sweep UCLA off the court.
Yet, there they were, the second-ranked Cougars elaborately celebrating point after point in a determined 30-28, 30-22 and 30-26 thumping of the No. 3 Bruins while a standing-room-only crowd of 5,537 in the Smith Fieldhouse roared its approval.
“I'm not complaining,” said co-head coach Shawn Patchell, who predicted a better effort from UCLA (2-2) for today's rematch at 7 p.m.
Friday, there were no questions which team was better as BYU (3-0) took control of the match midway through the first game.
Yosleyder Cala, Russell Holmes and Ivan Perez registered double-figure kills as BYU compiled a .500 hitting percentage. The Cougars, who have dropped just one game in three matches, hit an astounding .643 and .636 the final two games.
“We were prepared to win in three,” said Cala, whose 15 kills and .789 hitting percentage led both teams. “We were focused. We did what we do in practice.”
Yet, with all the great passing by freshman setter Yamil Perez that set up BYU's power offense, two hustle plays typified the Cougars' effort. Both came in the second game and both times it was Perez who tracked down balls deep on UCLA's side of the net.
Perez managed to keep both balls in play, each resulting in a momentum-building point.
“In the first game, the off block, we didn't do a good job,” Patchell said. “After that, we got on them, and they responded. We outhustled UCLA on those types of plays.”
Patchell agreed that BYU's practice habits were responsible for the Cougars' victory.
“Our B team beat up the team you saw,” he said. “So it was a team effort.
“One of our goals was to hit .500, and we did. It was direct correlation to our passing. We passed very well.”
UCLA, which hit a respectable .330 offensively, was led by Paul George's 15 kills. But the Bruins were unable to consistently create a cohesive offense, as BYU managed 27 digs.
Each time UCLA attempted to get back into the match, either Cala, Ivan Perez or Holmes bounded home a winner. Perez and Holmes combined for 23 kills.
“We did it for the fans,” explained Cala about BYU's celebratory fervor following nearly each kill. “[The match] went too fast.”