MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine men's volleyball team fell in a close match at No. 2 UCLA on Thursday night, posting 22-25, 23-25, and 22-25 set scores. 
Throughout the close match, the Waves posted a .356 hitting percentage on 38 kills, along with five service aces and 27 digs. Cole Hartke and Ryan Barnett each hit double-figure kills, tabbing 13 and 12, respectively, while Barnett was also able to serve two aces and assist on a block. George Dyer was strong on both attacking and defense, tallying seven kills on a .500 offensive clip while also adding seven digs and a service ace. Gabe Dyer had 30 assists while also leading the team in digs with nine. 
 
BIG WAVES
Ryan Barnett (R-Jr./Westhampton Beach, N.Y./St. Edward's): 12 kills, .321 hitting %, 2 aces, 1 block
Cole Hartke (Fr./Barrington, Ill./Barrington HS): 13 kills, .387 hitting %
Gabe Dyer (Gr./San Clemente, Calif./UCSD): 30 assists, 9 digs, 1 block 
George Dyer (Gr./San Clemente, Calif./USC) 7 kills, .500 hitting %, 2 assists, 1 ace, 7 digs
 
WAVES VS. BRUINS
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          13        3          37        .270
2          14        2          24        .500
3          11        2          26        .346 
TTL      38        7          87        .356
 
UCLA ATTACK BY SET
Set       K          E          TA        Pct
1          15        4          32        .344
2          15        2          26        .500
3          17        3          33        .424
TTL      47        9          91        .418
 
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Throughout the first set, UCLA was able to keep Pepperdine to a .270 success rate and 13 kills while posting 15 on a .344 clip of their own. Ryan Barnett led the attacking for the set, tabbing six kills on a .353 hitting percentage, while George Dyer had three of his own on five swings. Attacking and service errors plagued both teams, leading to 14 ties and five lead changes during the set. The Bruin's efficient hitting would allow UCLA to take set one, 25-22. 
In the second set, both squads were evenly matched, with both UCLA and Pepperdine hitting a .500. Hartke led the attacking efforts with seven kills on 12 swings, also serving an ace, while James Eadie went a perfect three-for-three on attacking. The Bruins' four service aces pushed UCLA ahead of the Waves, taking set two, 25-23. 
The Bruins were able to maintain a steady lead throughout the third set, being five points ahead of the Waves multiple times throughout the set. Hartke led the set with four kills, while Barnett and George Dyer each had three. Service aces from three separate Waves would attempt to close the score, but UCLA's 17 kills outnumbered Pepperdine's 11. The Waves went on a 3-0 scoring run at the end of the set to keep UCLA at match point, but ultimately, the Bruins were able to take set three, 25-22, and the match, 3-0. 
 
UP NEXT
Pepperdine will play UCLA on March 29 in Firestone Fieldhouse at 5 p.m. 
 
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.