#10 Pepperdine Stuns #2 UCLA with Sweep in Malibu

Friday, February 23

Malibu, Calif.

7:00 PM

Pepperdine University

UCLA

2/23/2018 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball

Feb. 23, 2018

Final Stats

Highlights | Photo Gallery | Interview | Box Score

MALIBU, Calif. -- A big offensive attack front led by Alex Harthaller and David Wieczorek propelled the No. 10 Pepperdine men's volleyball team to a stunning 3-0 upset over No. 2 UCLA in Firestone Fieldhouse on Friday night, marking 25-21, 25-23 and 25-20 set scores to complete the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation win.

Harthaller's 17 kills on a career-high .708 success rate, along with Wieczorek's 13 kills and four aces, helped advance Pepperdine to a 9-3 overall record and 3-1 conference output. UCLA drops to 14-4 overall and this is the first MPSF loss for the Bruins this season.

BIG WAVES

Alex Harthaller (Innsbruck, Austria/Akademischeg Gymnasium/IPFW): 17 kills, .708 hitting %, 6 digs, 4 blocks (1 solo)
David Wieczorek (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy): 13 kills, .440 hitting %, 4 aces, 5 blocks (1 solo), 3 digs
Max Chamberlain (Burbank, Calif./John Burroughs HS): 7 blocks, 4 kills, .500 hitting%, 1 ace
Michael Wexter (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way West HS): 6 kills, .625 hitting %, 1 block
Robert Mullahey (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa HS): 36 assists, 5 digs
Noah Dyer (San Clemente, Calif./Saddleback Valley Christian HS): 6 digs, 4 assists
Colby Harriman (Rochester, N.Y./McQuaid Jesuit HS): 3 kills, 3 digs, 1 block

WAVES VS. BRUINS

Pepperdine outperformed UCLA in nearly all categories, leading on the attack front with 43 smashes on a .455 success rate, compared to 31 kills on a .203 clip from the opposition. The Waves posted 42-29 and 25-22 assist and dig ratios respectively, while the Bruins marked a 6-5 ace differential. The `Malibu Roofing Company' was out in full force tonight, as the Waves out-blocked the Bruins 10.0-3.0 on the night. Pepperdine hit for staggering .684 and .556 hitting percentages in the second and third sets.

PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET

Set K-E-TA (Pct)

1. 12-5-31 (.226)

2. 14-1-19 (.684)

3. 17-2-27 (.556)

TOTAL: 43-8-77 (.455)

UCLA ATTACK BY SET

Set K-E-TA (Pct)

1. 7-8-28 (-.036)

2. 12-3-21 (.429)

3. 12-4-30 (.267)

TOTAL: 31-15-79 (.203)

PLAY-BY-PLAY

The Waves came out rolling in the first set, with both sides exchanging big attacks in the early moments. UCLA took the first lead with a 10-8 advantage, but the Waves countered with a pair of David Wieczorek smashes to even things up. After the set saw a 17-17 tied score, kills from Alex Harthaller, an ace from Wieczorek and back-to-back blocks from Harthaller and Max Chamberlain and Chamblerain and Colby Harriman put the Waves up 20-17. After a service error put the Waves at set-point, Wieczorek and Michael Wexter denied a Bruin attack for the 25-21 set point to go ahead early in the match.

There would be no let-up in the second set from Pepperdine as a big Wieczorek serving effort including an ace and kills from Harriman, Wieczorek and Harthaller gave the home team a 6-1 lead to open. UCLA eventually tied the match at 10's, before exchanging points to the 18-18 mark. The Bruins then tabbed their first lead of the set towards a 21-18 lead late in the action. The Waves hitting .684 in the set helped the cause, however, as a smash from each Wieczorek and Harthaller and another ace from Wieczorek put the set at 23-23. Wexter marked a big kill from the middle to gain the advantage and the Waves forced an attack error from across the net to close the set 25-23 in the home team's favor.

Heading into the third with a 2-0 lead gave the Waves the necessary momentum early in the action. UCLA was ready to put up a fight, though, and each team worked for a 7-7 tie score. Wieczorek picked up a smash, followed by a Chamberlain, Harthaller block collaboration and the Waves started to pull away. More kills from Wexter, Harthaller and Wieczorek fueled by Pepperdine's .556 success rate in the third set courtesy of Robert Mullahey's playmaking duties helped the efforts. At the 21-17 mark, Harthaller found the floor again along with Wexter and Wieczorek, followed by a Wieczorek, Chamberlain block to put the Wavesup 24-19. Harthaller smashes his 17th kill of the night on the floor to earn the 25-20 set win and complete the sweep for the Waves.

NEXT UP

The Waves hit the road next week to challenge No. 6 BYU on Thursday before heading to Stanford on Friday. Follow the Waves on Facebook and Twitter, @PeppVolleyball, and follow the team on Instagram, @PepperdineWaves. Get all the most recent schedules, results and more on www.PepperdineWaves.com.