Pepperdine University
UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara Issues Pepperdine 3-0 Loss
1/28/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
Jan. 28, 2011
Box Score 
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The #8 Pepperdine men's volleyball squad struggled to piece its offense together and suffered a 3-0 (25-23, 25-13, 25-17) loss to #6 UC Santa Barbara on Friday in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation action.
The Waves are now 2-5 on the season and 0-5 in the MPSF, while the Gauchos improve to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the conference.
Sophomore opposite side hitter Maurice Torres (Riverside, Calif./Orange Lutheran HS) led Pepperdine with 10 kills and 13.5 points. Cory Riecks (Auburn, Calif./Placer HS) and Chase Ross (Carlsbad, Calif./Carlsbad HS) both contributed five kills apiece.
UCSB saw three players hit double-digit kill totals including a match high 15 out of Jeff Menzel. Overall, the Gauchos controlled the pace of the contest with a .563 attack percentage (48 kills-8 errors-71 attempts), compared to Pepperdine's .186 (29-16-70) success rate.
The Gauchos built an 18-12 lead in the first frame, but the Waves chiped away at the deficit with kills from Torres, Riecks, Ross and Tyler Jaynes (Granite Bay, Calif./Granite Bay HS). Down 24-19, Pepperdine fought off four set points, thanks in part to the solid serving of Torres, but eventually lost 25-23.
UC Santa Barbara's offense lit up in the second game, as they recorded a near-perfect 17 kills on 19 swings to put the frame away 25-13. The Waves were unable to put a stop to the momentum and bowed out in the third stanza, 25-17.
The Waves play one more road match at UC San Diego on Feb. 4, before returning to Firestone Fieldhouse on Feb. 11 to take on USC.
