ZACH ENGLUND
Sports Assistant
The No.-3 Pepperdine men’s volleyball team just keeps rolling along, dismantling every team that crosses their path. After beating No. 14 University of Southern California, 3-1 (26-30, 30-24, 30-26, 30-25) Friday in their final game of their five-game road trip, the Waves finally returned home to face UC Santa Cruz, which they treated with the same relent as those before them en route to a sweep and their sixth-straight victory, 3-0 (30-17, 30-18, 31-29), Saturday in the Firestone Fieldhouse.
Friday’s game against USC proved to be a struggle, at least early on, as the Trojans fed off the crowd’s energy and found themselves tied with the streaking Waves at 21-all in the first set. With Pepperdine on their heels, USC would go on a 6-2 run on the way to a 1-0 lead in a crucial match against their conference rival.
Not used to facing adversity as of late, the Waves seemed to come out with more passion and aggression in the second set, knowing that they could not fall behind, 2-0, to an opponent like the Trojans. Both teams would trade points and leads during the second set, with the Waves clinging to a 19-18 lead later in the game. Pepperdine would build on that lead with a 5-0 run from which the Trojans never rallied back, tying the match at one game apiece.
Tied at 13-all midway through midway through the third set, the all-important game was up for grabs to whomever could force their will on the other first. With the crowd as electric as can be, the Waves would block out the noise and answer the call, taking a 26-20 lead they would not surrender and a 2-1 advantage in the match.
Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and not wanting to provide any optimism for the Trojans and their fans, the Waves came out firing in the fourth set and took an early eight-point lead at 16-8. Although USC would make one final run to come within three points at 27-24, Pepperdine would close the door at the end and leave the Galen Center with a hard-fought victory. The next day, Pepperdine would return to Malibu where a well-rested UC Santa Cruz team waited for them.
Game one started off with both teams trading points, knotted at nine-all in the early going. At that point the Waves took control, going on an 11-4 run, followed shortly after by a 10-3 run that led to a 1-0 lead in the match over Santa Cruz.
The Banana Slugs would do little to bounce back in the second set, falling behind 10-5 to a team that has not been giving up leads lately. Pepperdine sustained the onslaught the rest of way through, taking a remarkable 22-10 lead that left Santa Cruz with little hope of a comeback.
Down 2-0 to a superior opponent in their building, the Banana Slugs would have had every right to throw in the towel and call it a day. Instead, they fought valiantly and actually managed to sustain a slim advantage through most of the third set, leading 28-26 late in the game and threatening to force the match to a fourth set. However, the Waves would gather themselves one last time and seal the deal, holding their own and winning the set and match on a hitting error by Santa Cruz.
“To their credit, they really played well in game three,” said Head Coach Marv Dunphy, referring to Santa Cruz. “They made it fun at the end, but we played very well throughout, especially considering we had played the night before.”
Even with Pepperdine playing at such a high level, having won six straight games, Dunphy said he knows that there’s much more to it than just the standings.
“I don’t really get into guessing on wins and losses,” he said. “We’re not yet meeting the standard on all our rotations, and once we do that, then we’ll be close to being a good team. We could be 15-0 in the season by winning a lot of close matches, and then get to a playoff match and not perform as well as we need to.”
Having played their first game at home in a long while Saturday, the players and coaches are glad to be back in the friendly confines of Malibu. Although it’s nice to play in front of the home crowd and be successful, Dunphy says he almost enjoys playing well on the road a little more.
It’s not where you are, it’s who you are,” he said. “I’ve always thought that it’s special to go on the road and do well. At home, it’s expected and the crowd does help, so I take a lot of pride in playing well on the road.”
As part of the Homecoming festivities this week, the Waves will battle top-ranked Brigham Young University on Thursday at 7 p.m. and then again at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
“They have by far the most talented team in the country,” Dunphy said. “And it’s not just me saying that. We played them in the fall and they crushed us, so we know that they’re good, and this match will be a test of where we are at this time.”
A game like this appears to be coming at a good time, with the Waves playing at such a high level. Even with the odds staked against them, Dunphy’s seen bigger obstacles overcome.
“Any time you play a good opponent and are successful, it’s like the sun coming up, because it’s happened before,” he said. “It’s a test, and we’ll see what happens.”
02-15-2007
