MALIBU, California — The #4 Pepperdine men's volleyball team, which has won five in a row, squares off against #8 UCLA in a key Mountain Pacific Sports Federation home-and-home series this week.

MATCH #10 — Thursday (March 11) at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California: #4 Pepperdine (7-2, 7-2) at #8 UCLA (8-3, 8-3) at 5 p.m.

MATCH #11 — Saturday (March 13) at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, California: #4 Pepperdine vs. #8 UCLA at 5 p.m.

WATCH/ONLINE — Thursday's match will be streamed at Pac-12.com. Wednesday's match will be streamed via WaveCasts. Links to broadcasts and live stats can be found at PepperdineWaves.com.

ATTENDANCE — Per the current COVID-19 guidelines set by the state of California and Los Angeles County, fans will not be permitted to attend home matches in Firestone Fieldhouse.

OPPONENT — Pepperdine is 43-82 all-time against UCLA. The two schools didn't get to play in 2020. They split the two-match season series in both 2018 and 2019, with the teams winning at home each time.

LAST TIME OUT — Pepperdine swept Stanford (25-15, 25-21, 25-21) at home last Wednesday in the only match last week. The Waves beat the Cardinal for the ninth straight time and outhit them .304 to .139. Jacob Steele led Pepperdine with 12 kills. 

RANKINGS — The Waves are currently ranked fourth in the AVCA poll. They began the year tied for seventh and have been as high as third.

AWARDS — Spencer Wickens is a two-time MPSF Offensive Player of the Week. He got it on February 1 after averaging 4.12 kills while hitting .500 in two wins against Concordia. He received it again on March 1 after averaging 4.17 points while hitting .471 in two victories against USC ... The Waves have had two MPSF Defensive Players of the Week. Trey Cole took home the first one of the season on February 1 after averaging 2.88 digs agsinst Concordia. Austin Wilmot got it on February 22 after averaging 2.00 blocks in two wins against Stanford ... Cole was Off the Block's National Freshman of the Week on February 1 and Wilmot was the Off the Block National Middle Hitter of the Week on February 22.

MPSF STATS — Spencer Wickens is fourth in hitting (.379), fourth in digs (2.03), sixth in kills (3.58), seventh in points (4.03) ... Austin Wilmot is fourth in blocks (0.97), sixth in hitting (.350) ... Bryce Dvorak is fifth in assists (8.82), seventh in service aces (0.39) ... Andersen Fuller is sixth in blocks (0.90) ... Jacob Steele is eighth in kills (3.31), ninth in points (3.85) ... Trey Cole is eighth in digs (1.81).

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 #49 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.