ZACH ENGLUND
Sports Assistant
The Pepperdine men’s volleyball team has been unstoppable, having won three straight games on the road against teams all ranked sixth or better, coming into their game Friday at No. 3 ranked UC Santa Barbara. With their confidence skyrocketing, much like their ranking, the No. 4 Waves made short work of the Gauchos, winning in a sweep 3-0 (33-31, 33-31, 30-18).
Although Pepperdine managed to leave early, Head Coach Marv Dunphy said the sweep was not indicative of how the game was played.
“We came back from behind to win the first two games, and we we’re pretty lucky to do so,” he said. “They made a few key errors, we made a few key plays, and we got up 2-0.”
Just as Dunphy said, the Waves started off slow in the first set and had a considerable deficit to make up, down by six at 24-18. The Waves huddled, then responded with a remarkable 6-0 run that tied the game up at 25-all.
Santa Barbara took another lead at 29-26, yet Pepperdine’s resilience once again brought them back to within one at 29-28. With the all-important game one up for grabs, the Waves were able to fight off three game-point tries by the Gauchos, make big plays and escape with the first set victory, shocking and temporarily silencing the 1,068 fans in attendance.
The second set was much like the first, as Santa Barbara maintained a lead throughout most of the game, holding a three-point advantage at 18-15. The Waves once again fought back, taking a three-point lead of their own at 27-24, putting the crowd on the edge of their seats.
Knowing that a 2-0 deficit could be fatal, the Gauchos would gather themselves and stay right with Pepperdine the rest of the way, knotting it up at 31 apiece. However, despite the boisterous crowd, the Waves managed to focus enough to snatch the second set from the clutches of the Gauchos, essentially closing out the highly competitive match.
Deflated and discouraged, Santa Barbara put up little fight in the third set, as Pepperdine jumped out to a 12-4 lead that they would not relinquish. With all hope gone in the eyes of 1,068 fans, the Gauchos couldn’t find the strength to muster up a comeback, and the Waves consequently left Santa Barbara with its fourth straight win and their heads held even higher than before.
“It was pretty good,” said junior setter John Winder, who was named the MPSF Molten Player of the Week for his exceptional play in both wins against Cal State Northridge and Santa Barbara. “Our passing and serving was really good. We’re probably one of the best serving teams in the country and, basically, we were able to do whatever we wanted.”
A two-time All-American, Winder made it clear that he wants no praise for the accomplishment, but rather that he was just one part of a collective group that seems to know how to play brilliantly down the stretch.
“The award really means nothing,” he said. “I’m just glad we beat two really good teams, and I was able to help out. We have some guys who have played in the National Championship game and we have a lot of guys who know how to win when a win or loss is on the line. I think it’s great for our team that we have great veteran players.”
Even though he just recently came off a four-week knee injury, Winder’s play has not surprised Dunphy in the least bit.
“The only thing that was in question was his endurance, and I think that’s coming back,” Dunphy said. “I don’t think it’s a secret that he’s a good player.”
Pepperdine will finish its five-game road trip on Friday at 7 p.m. as it travels to the Galen Center in Los Angeles to take on USC.
02-08-2007