HONOLULU, Hawai'i — Despite a fourth-set comeback attempt, including an impressive 8-2 run late in the action featuring three-consecutive service aces from Joe Deluzio, the #7 Pepperdine men's volleyball team was felled by top-ranked Hawai'i in the first of two matches this week.
 
After the still undefeated Rainbow Warriors (14-0) took the first set 25-15, the Waves (10-7, 2-2 MPSF) rallied to tie things up with a 25-22 second set victory.  The opposition had the home court advantage in the following two sets, however, taking a 25-22 third set win before closing the door on the back of a 25-21 fourth set.
 
Bryce Dvorak posted his first double-double of the season and the fourth of his career with a solid 44 assists and 10 digs, while Jaylen Jasper led the way with 26 kills, his fifth-consecutive match with 20 or more kills and his ninth achieving the feat this season.
 
BIG WAVES
Jaylen Jasper (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck Senior HS/Stanford): 26 kills, .468 hitting %, 6 digs
Bryce Dvorak (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar HS): 44 assists, 10 digs, 2 blocks, 2 kills
Joe Deluzio (Windermere, Fla./The First Academy): 6 kills, .308 hitting %, 6 digs, 3 aces, 1 block
Akin Akinwumi (Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif./Peninsula HS): 9 kills, 2 blocks
Trey Cole (Long Island, N.Y./Connetquot HS): 5 digs, 3 assists
Andersen Fuller (Manlius, N.Y./Fayetteville-Manlius HS): 7 kills, .429 hitting %
Kevin Roberts (Ocoee, Fla. (Apopka HS): 4 kills, 2 assists
 
WAVES VS. RAINBOW WARRIORS
Each side of the net produced 54 kills throughout, but Hawai'i had the advantage in hitting percentage, finding success with a .420 hitting percentage compared to Pepperdine's .336.  The home team also had the lead with 8.0 blocks to the Waves' 3.5, 34 digs to 29 and nine aces to four. 
 
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          10        4          20        .300
2          15        2          28        .464
3          16        7          38        .237
4          13        4          24        .375
TTL      54        17        110      .336
 
HAWAI'I ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          14        2          19        .632
2          14        4          25        .400
3          12        4          32        .250
4          13        2          24        .458
TTL      54        12        100      .420
 
PLAY-BY-PLAY
After a Bryce Dvorak ace started things off for the Waves, the opposition gained some momentum with a five-point scoring run to pull ahead 7-5.  The two teams then exchanged points, but Hawai'i again started to extend the gap, eventually taking a six-point 18-12 lead.  Pepperdine was unable to counter in the set, falling 25-15 for the home team to take the first advantage of the match.
 
The Waves were able to counter in the second set, however, and after an 8-8 lead, kills from Jaylen Jasper and Andersen Fuller helped the squad secure an 11-8 lead.  Pepperdine eventually advanced to a five-point lead at the 15-10 mark with a solo block from Jasper and kills from Kevin Roberts to help the cause.  The Warriors tied the set and even took a one-point lead at the 20-19 mark after a few errors from the Waves, but Pepperdine quickly regained composure and tied the set with a Joe Deluzio smash.  Down the stretch, more kills from Roberts and a final smash from Jasper tied the overall with a 25-22 set victory.
 
The third set would prove to be another tight one, though the opposition would gain the first lead, 9-6.  UH worked ahead, maintaining an advantage through to the 18-15 mark before kills from Jasper and Fuller and attack errors from across the net brought the Waves within two, 20-18.  Back-to-back smashes from Jasper tied the set at 21's, but an overturned call played enough of a factor for Hawai'i to take the lead once again 22-21.  It would be a lead UH would keep until the 25-22 set win put the home team up 2-1 overall.
 
Hawai'i had the momentum in the fourth set, building a 10-5 lead to open things up.  Though the Warriors had a strong lead at the 21-12 mark, the Waves kept fighting and an 8-2 run including three-consecutive service aces from Joe Deluzio brought the squad within four.  It would inevitably be a lead the Waves would be unable to overcome, however, as the Warriors were ahead en route to a 25-21 set victory.
 
UP NEXT
On Friday, the Waves and Rainbow Warriors will go head-to-head once again, staying Honolulu with first serve slated for 9 p.m. PT.
 
FOLLOW
Follow the Waves on Facebook and Twitter, @WavesVolleyball, and follow the team on Instagram, @peppvolley.  Get all the most recent schedules, results and more on www.PepperdineWaves.com.