Pepperdine University
Stanford
Waves Finish Strong in 3-1 Win Over Stanford
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
Box Score: #4 Pepperdine 3, #14 Stanford 1 
MALIBU, Calif. - A slow start against #14 Stanford turned into a powerful finish for the #4 Pepperdine men's volleyball team, as the Waves delivered a 3-1 victory on Friday night inside Firestone Fieldhouse. Josh Taylor and Parker Kalmbach led the home squad, combining for 33 kills.
After dropping the first set 25-21, Pepperdine improved in each subsequent set, 25-22, 25-15, 25-14. The win gives the Waves their 12th consecutive home victory as they inch closer to the all-time record of 19.
Kalmbach (Coto de Caza, Calif./Tesoro HS) sent home a team-best 17 kills while hitting .424 (17 kills-3 errors-33 attempts). He has now averaged and even 5.00 kills per set in the last four contests.
Taylor (Honolulu, Hawaii/Punahou School) was even more efficient on the attack, tacking down 16 kills off of a .538 (16-2-26) clip. On defense, he collected a season-high 11 digs for his first double-double of the year.
Matt West (Seattle, Wash./Shorewood HS) scattered 47 assists, leading the Waves to a .434 (56-10-106) hitting percentage - their second highest of the year and best against an MPSF opponent.
Reigning AVCA and MPSF Player of the Week Brennan Anderson (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona Del Mar HS/Ohio State) reached double figures for the third match in a row with 10 digs.
Nikola Antonijevic (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson HS) got the starting bid tonight and cashed in on seven kills off of eight errorless attempts. He also led the match with five blocks.
The Cardinal's (3-7, 2-5 MPSF) All-American setter James Shaw lined up as an outside hitter today against Pepperdine, and ended up leading the match in kills with 18.
The Waves came out flat in set one, and were forced to play catch-up for most of the frame. Although Pepperdine whittled a seven point deficit down to two, Stanford was able to hold on to take the first 25-21.
The Cardinal hit .448 (15-2-29) in the frame while holding the Waves to less than .300.
Pepperdine began to pick up the tempo in the second, taking a 17-13 lead to force Stanford into spending its second timeout. The visitors climbed back, knotting the score at 18, before the teams traded side outs to bring the score to 21-21. Another Wave side out preceded an untimely Stanford attack error, and Taylor extended the lead with a kill. Antonijevic did the honors of clinching set two, sending home a kill near the end line to make it 25-22.
The Waves found their stride in set three, out-killing the Cardinal 15-8 while siding out at an 81-percent rate. Seven different players scored points for Pepperdine in the frame, including 4.5 by Antonijevic following three kills, an ace and a block assist. Taylor picked up seven digs and Pepperdine won 25-15.
Pepperdine was untouchable in the fourth, hitting .542 (14-1-24) to Stanford's .000 (9-9-27). The Waves went ahead by double-digits at 13-3, and maintained the 10-point advantage the rest of the way. Taylor added five more kills and the team won 25-14.
Mitchell Penning (Peoria, Ill./Westminster Christian Academy) posted eight kills, followed by Scott Rhein (Pleasant View, Tenn./Aaron Academy) with six.
Pepperdine goes back on the road next week, with matches at UC San Diego (Feb. 13) and UC Irvine (Feb. 14).
