Pepperdine Can’t Even Make Waves; Bruins Win

Nina Matthies, Pepperdine’s women’s volleyball coach, did not enter Tuesday night’s nonconference match against UCLA at Pauley Pavilion with any grandiose expectations.

The Waves didn’t figure to upset the Bruins, especially on their home court. But she hoped the Waves would compete well against the ninth-ranked team in the American Volleyball Coaches’ Assn. poll.

Instead, Pepperdine appeared nervous. And that led to poor setting, mistimed hitting and less than stellar blocking that UCLA exploited in a 15-8, 15-4, 15-7 victory.

It was UCLA’s 25th consecutive victory over Pepperdine and gave the Bruins a 38-4 lead in the series.

“They didn’t do anything that surprised us,” Matthies said. “Nothing UCLA does surprises me. They’re just a very good team, and we didn’t play particularly well tonight. We seemed nervous and they seemed to be up for us so I’ll take that as a compliment.”

UCLA (12-6) was particularly dominant in the first two games before resting several starters in the third.

The Bruins, who posted a season-high .432 hitting percentage, hit .452 in game one and .818--that’s not a typo--in game two compared to Pepperdine’s marks of .130 and minus-.143.

Kim Krull, who had six blocks, and Kara Milling and Michelle Mauney, who each had three, all played well at the net. UCLA limited Pepperdine to a hitting percentage of .059.

Nicole Sanderson had 15 kills for the Waves (15-8), but the Bruins held her to a hitting percentage of .194, including a .000 mark in the first two games.

Carrie Romer, who had nine kills with a .316 hitting percentage, had some success hitting off quick sets, but was the only Pepperdine player to hit above .200.

“We had trouble setting and when that happens, everything else has a tendency to get thrown off,” Matthies said. “It all kind of works in a cycle.”

Jenny Johnson had 10 kills and was one of eight Bruins to hit better than .400.