UCLA Has a Shot at Some Payback Against Loyola
How much motivation is revenge?
UCLA will find out today in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation men’s volleyball semifinals at Pepperdine.
At 4:30 p.m., the fourth-seeded Bruins (25-5) try to even the score against eighth-seeded Loyola Marymount (12-11), which defeated UCLA for the first time in school history, 15-7, 6-15, 15-10, 15-10, on April 5.
“They should have a lot of confidence,” UCLA Coach Al Scates said. “They’re hot right now.”
Second-seeded Pepperdine (21-4) plays third-seeded USC (22-4) at 7 p.m.
USC setter Donald Suxho was selected the NCAA player of the year Wednesday. The four-year starter leads the Trojans with 54 aces and 1,943 assists, and is second on the team with 161 digs and 90 blocks. The 6-foot-5 native of Albania also holds the USC career record with 160 aces.
Pepperdine unexpectedly lost to USC in the first round of last year’s MPSF tournament, but the Waves defeated USC twice this season.
The winner of the tournament championship Saturday at Pepperdine earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Final Four, which begins next Thursday in Fort Wayne, Ind.
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