MALIBU, California — The #4 Pepperdine men's volleyball team is two wins away from returning to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 2008. The MPSF regular-season champions are hosting the MPSF semifinals and final this weekend in Firestone Fieldhouse, where the Waves are 12-0 this season. Pepperdine takes on BYU in the first semifinal on Thursday, followed by UCLA vs. USC.
SEMIFINAL #1/MATCH #27 — Thursday (April 18) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California: #4 Pepperdine (20-6, 9-3) vs. #12 BYU (13-11, 6-6) at 5 p.m.
SEMIFINAL #2 — Thursday (April 18) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California: #6 UCLA (19-8, 8-4) vs. #5 USC (17-9, 7-5) at 7:30 p.m.
WATCH/ONLINE — All three tournament matches can be seen online via the MPSF's streaming platform. The subscription-based service costs $9.99 per month. Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Famer Al Epstein will have the call. Links to broadcasts and live stats can be found at PepperdineWaves.com.
TICKETS — Tickets for each night cost $10 for adults and $8 for children under 12 or seniors 65+. Groups of 10 or more can purchase tickets for $5 each. Pepperdine students, faculty and staff with their university ID will be admitted for free.
MPSF TOURNAMENT HISTORY — Pepperdine has won the MPSF Tournament four times (1998, 2002, 2005, 2008). The Waves have a 25-20 record in 24 previous tournaments. This is the sixth time that Pepperdine has hosted the semfinals and final, though the last time was in 2007. The Waves are 5-0 in the semifinal round in home matches, and 9-5 overall in the semifinals. Pepperdine is 16-5 at home in the MPSF Tournament across all rounds.
MPSF AWARDS — David Wieczorek repeated as MPSF Player of the Year, highlighting the league's postseason awards. It's the eighth time a Wave has earned POTY honors, more than any other school. He's just the fourth player to repeat as the award-winner, and the second Wave (George Roumain, 1998-99). Joining Wieczorek on the All-MPSF first team was
Michael Wexter, while
Kaleb Denmark made the second team and
Robert Mullahey was honorable mention.
MPSF TITLES — The Waves won their seventh MPSF regular-season title. It was their first since 2014, and their first outright championship since 2007. It's the program's 11th regular-season title across all conferences.
OPPONENT — After winning at home in three sets, but losing at Provo in four, the Waves' all-time record against BYU is now 35-32, and 23-11 in Firestone Fieldhouse. The Cougars went 0-6 on the road in MPSF play, but traveled to Stanford and upset the Cardinal in five sets in the MPSF quarterfinals.
NEXT — Thursday's winners will square off in the MPSF final in Firestone Fieldhouse on Saturday (April 20) at 7 p.m.
PEPPERDINE VOLLEYBALL — Pepperdine has won five NCAA men's volleyball championships, second only to UCLA. Coaching legend
Marv Dunphy stepped down after the 2017 season. He won four of the NCAA titles, plus 612 matches over his 34 years with the Waves. Pepperdine has won 14 regular-season or tournament conference titles. The Waves have finished in the top six in the final AVCA poll in 17 of the last 22 seasons, and in the top 10 in 21 of the last 22 years. A Pepperdine alum has competed at the Olympics every time since 1984 (Sean Rooney won gold in 2008).
ABOUT PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY — Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I championships in five different men's sports — one of just 18 schools to have accomplished this feat — and nine overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 25 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, California, the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks #46 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
