Pac-12 | UCLA’s new Pauley Pavilion works well for volleyball

A smart remodel of a classic arena

Can Huskies top #1 UCLA?

Two weeks ago, Illinois was the number one ranked team in the nation. Since then, the Illini have lost three of four, all of them badly.

Last week, it was Nebraska’s turn at the top. The Cornhuskers promptly lost—first, a match to Penn State, then, hours later, their starting setter was arrested (and is out for this weekend’s home matches against #23 Michigan and Michigan State.)

This week, UCLA is ranked #1. Tonight they host #10 Washington. Will the Bruins hang on, or will the top rank jinx continue?

UCLA has just three losses this season:

• a 2-3 preseason setback to #14 Pepperdine (the Waves won the fifth set 15-13);
• a 2-3 conference road loss to Arizona (the Wildcats won set five 15-12);
• an 0-3 sweep in Seattle at the hands of Washington (24-26, 12-25, 20-25)

In Washington’s September 17 victory:

• The Huskies hit .340; the Bruins .243
• Bianca Rowland had 12 kills and just one error on 17 attempts (.647), her best outing of the season.
• Kylin Muñoz wasn’t far behind: 13 kills, 1 error on 28 swings (.429)
• UW had 8 services aces (3 by Krista Vansant) and just one service error. The Bruins had no aces and 6 service errors.

Washington won convincingly despite recording only 7.5 team blocks … one of its lowest block totals of the season. UCLA’s big star, Rachael Kidder, had one of her usual big nights, getting 16 kills and 3 errors on 30 attacks (.433). Kelly Reeves also came up big: 9-2-16 (.438)

Tonight, the Bruins should see a few new twists. Washington has gone to a 6/2 (six hitter/two setter) offense, introducing sophomore outside hitter Gabbi Parker as both an offensive and blocking threat (she will also be Washington’s only jump server.) The 6/2 had a lot of problems when it was introduced three weeks ago in the Bay Area, and there were still rough spots in a 5-set UW win against Arizona State. But it seemed to click in a sweep of Arizona, and tonight’s match will be a real test.

The match will be played in the John Wooden Center, a fairly modern intermural facility across Bruin Walk from Pauley Pavilion. Pauley is undergoing a major renovation all this season.

The match will be carried live tonight, at no cost, on UCLA's All Access web channel.

You can also follow along with Paul Isaac's live chat on gohuskies.com

Washington's Bianca Rowland (15) had a huge night when UCLA came to Seattle earlier this season
[Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann]

#2 Stanford loses 2-3 to UCLA

A monster Pac-12 match in Pauley Pavilion tonight ...

• UCLA was up 2-0 at the break (25-18, 25-18)
• Stanford fought back to win sets 3 & 4 (25-23, 29-27) (Bruins had a set 4 match point)
• In the fifth set, Stanford had four service errors en route to UCLA's 15-9 set and match victory
• UCLA's Rachel Kidder had 30 kills/10 errors on 77 attacks (.260). She had UCLA's final five kills of the match.

so the nation's top five teams are scrambled ...

• #1 Cal LOST 0-3 to #12 USC
• #2 Stanford LOST 2-3 to #7 UCLA
• #3 Illinois WON 3-2 over #9 Minnesota
• #4 Washington WON 3-0 over Arizona
• #5 Penn State LOST 2-3 to #10 Nebraska (Thursday)

also in the Pac-12...

• #15 Oregon WON 3-0 over Colorado
• Oregon State WON 3-0 over Utah
• Washington State WON 3-2 over Arizona State (after losing the first two sets and trailing in the third)

and note ...

• #3 Illinois is undefeated, but four of its victories were 3-2, three of those at home against unranked teams.
• #15 Oregon is the only team undefeated in Pac-12 play. Oregon travels to Washington on Friday.

A set to remember

It was, in retrospect, the play of the match.

UCLA 21, UW 20, first set. The Bruins sent an impossible shot across the net; a sure point. Somehow, Huskies’ freshman Summer Ross reached out and behind, popping the ball high enough for teammates to continue the rally.

Ross’ heroics was the most memorable play in one of the most memorable college volleyball sets in recent memory.

Washington Huskies celebrate a point against UCLA
[Volleyblog Seattle photo by Leslie Hamann]

Part of today’s blog post is drama. The other—bear with us—is statistics.

The numbers tell much of the story. The final score of the first set was 26-24, UW. Of Washington’s 26 points, 19 came from kills. Of UCLA’s 24 points, 18 came from kills. That means exactly 74% of all points that set came from successful attacks.

Why is that such a big deal? In rally scoring, a team gets a point whenever the other team makes a mistake—service error, hitting error, rule violation (net, double contact, illegal block or attack, etc.)—which usually accounts for a roughly half of each side’s points. Add to that a team’s own service aces or blocks, and a team usually averages about 13 kills per set. (At the moment, the Pac-12 season average—conference and nonconference—is 13.05 kills per set.)

Adjusting for the fact that some sets go beyond 25 points, and that fifth sets (when played) end when one team reaches 15 points, we can still see that approximately half of all points in a set are scored via kills. Last night’s first set was an amazing 50% higher than that average.

Washington Volleyball Sports Information Director Mike Bruscas ran some numbers at our request, and reports that, last season, the Huskies recorded 22 kills in a 28-30 second set loss in—coincidentally—Pauley Pavilion, against the Bruins (.785). UCLA had 18 kills that set, so the combined kills/set percentage (.689) of both teams was lower than last night’s set one combined total (.740). The highest total he was able to find (on short notice) was the fourth set of last season’s UW match at Stanford, when the teams combined for 46 kills and 62 points (Stanford won the fourth set, 32-30; UW had 24 kills (80% of points were kills) to Stanford’s 22 (69%)). Scoring during that set, like last night, was 74% kills.

What it all means is that—once or twice a season—two elite teams face off in a set where neither can count on the opponent’s mistakes. Both teams execute pass/set/kill to near-perfection. In the old “side out” days before rally scoring, these were the sets that could stretch on forever, since teams scored only when they had the serve. When it happens, it’s wonderful drama, best savored in person.

The rally extended by Summer Ross’ big save ended with a slick roll shot kill by fellow freshman Krista Vansant. Two Kelly Holford serves later, Washington had its first lead of the night. Several rallies later—including two close line calls that went the Huskies’ way—UW had its first set victory of the new Pac-12 conference season. Without the Ross save, Holford wouldn’t have had the chance to serve five in a row. As it was, the Bruins never recovered.

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