MALIBU, California — After more than a month without a home match, the #7 Pepperdine men's volleyball team returns to Firestone Fieldhouse for the second week of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation action and matchups against Concordia and USC.
The Concordia match will be the first of five where the Waves celebrate the various decades in their 50th season of competition, with the 1970s being featured on Wednesday.
MATCH #8 — Wednesday (February 12) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California: #7 Pepperdine (4-3, 1-1) vs. Concordia (6-6, 1-0) at 7 p.m.
MATCH #9 — Friday (February 14) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California: #7 Pepperdine vs. USC (2-9, 0-2) at 7 p.m.
WATCH/ONLINE — Both matches will be live streamed via WaveCasts with Pepperdine Hall of Famer Al Epstein on the call. Links to broadcasts and live stats can be found at PepperdineWaves.com.
OPPONENTS — Peppedine is a perfect 5-0 all-time against Concordia with a 3-0 record in Firestone Fieldhouse ... Pepperdine is 66-40 all-time against USC. The Waves have won six of the last nine matches overall, and eight of the last nine in Firestone Fieldhouse.
LAST WEEK — The Waves opened up MPSF play with a five-set win at #13 Stanford and a four-set loss at #2 BYU.
Jacob Steele (2.67) and
Alex Gettinger (2.62) paced the team in kills while other leaders included
Austin Wilmot (1.56 blocks/set),
Joe Karlous (10.22 assists/set) and
Diego Perez (2.11 digs/set).
NEW LOOK — After graduating the bulk of last year's lineup, the Waves have a much different look in 2020. 75.9% of the kills so far have been recorded by players not in last year's lineup, and 53.4% of have been made by players in their first year on the court for Pepperdine (including redshirts and transfers).
50 SEASONS — This is the 50th season for Pepperdine men's volleyball — which began in 1971 — and the program's rich history will be celebrated throughout this spring's schedule. All Pepperdine men's volleyball alums will be welcomed back for the March 15 match vs. Harvard. The Waves will also celebrate each decade at various matches, beginning with the 1970s on February 12 vs. Concordia. The others are February 26 vs. UCSB (1980s), March 11 vs. Jamestown (1990s), March 21 vs. NJIT (2000s) and April 11 vs. Stanford (2010s).
NEXT — Next weekend, the Waves visit #3 UC Santa Barbara for a non-conference match on Friday (Feb. 21) and then resume MPSF play at Grand Canyon on Sunday (Feb. 23).
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 #50 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
