VOLLEYBALL : No. 1 UCLA Rolls Over No. 3 Stanford

The top-ranked UCLA men’s volleyball team showed its considerable composure Friday, defeating third-ranked Stanford, 15-7, 15-9, 15-10, in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match before 1,381 in UCLA’s John Wooden Center.

For the Bruins, 15-1 overall and 11-0 in the MPSF, the victory capped a week in which they also defeated second-ranked Hawaii.

The victory also showed that UCLA has regained its stride from last week, when it was upset by No. 8 Ball State. Before that loss, UCLA had lost only three games in winning 14 consecutive matches.

Jeff Nygaard, UCLA’s star quick hitter, said that the loss to Ball State came at a key time.

“It was the wake-up call we needed,” he said.

What’s more, the Bruins also had Paul Nihipali, a sophomore opposite hitter, return to the starting lineup. Nihipali did not start against Ball State because of a knee injury, but was cleared to play this week.

Against Stanford (10-4, 7-3), Nihipali had nine kills to spark UCLA in the first game and the Bruins never slowed after that.

Nihipali led UCLA with 24 kills, hitting .556, and Jeff Nygaard added 20 kills, hitting .517.

Nygaard, a senior, is one reason that UCLA is considered the team to beat this season. He was named the American Volleyball Coaches’ Assn. and the MPSF player of the year last season after leading UCLA to the NCAA final, where it lost to Penn State. He also helped the U.S. national team to a bronze medal in the World Championships in Greece last summer.

Although Stanford could not stop Nygaard and Nihipali, Mike Lambert kept the Cardinal in the match. Lambert, younger brother of former UCLA women’s volleyball player Mia Lambert, led the Cardinal with 24 kills.

In the end, however, UCLA was simply too tough, and that was encapsulated in match point, when Nygaard and Nihipali blocked a spike by Lambert.