FAIRFAX, VA. >> Hawaii’s bid for a third consecutive NCAA men’s volleyball championship was thwarted by the last school to accomplish the feat.
UCLA’s Ido David put away a season-high 23 kills and tournament MVP Alex Knight added 15 as the Bruins pulled out a 28-26, 31-33, 25-21, 25-21 victory in the final of the National Collegiate Men’s Volleyball Championship today at EagleBank Arena on the campus of George Mason University.
UCLA middle blocker J.R. Norris IV went 8-for-11 without an error and fired five of UCLA’s 10 aces, four coming in the clinching fourth set.
The Warriors and Bruins first split two tension-packed sets, with UH rallying from a 19-13 deficit to claim a second set that featured 16 ties and five lead changes. UCLA then held off the Warriors late in the third and fourth sets to capture its 20th national championship and first since 2006.
UCLA was the last team to win three consecutive titles when the Bruins won four in a row from 1981 to ‘84.
UH opposite Dimitrios Mouchlias led the Warriors with 18 kills in his final collegiate match and setter Jakob Thelle dished out 50 assists to close out his decorated career with the two-time national champions.
Outside hitter Spyros Chakas finished with 12 kills and Chaz Galloway added 11.
>> PHOTOS: Hawaii vs. UCLA
Hawaii pulled out a four-set victory over the Bruins in the finale of the Outrigger Volleyball Invitational on March 11 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
Two sets went to extra points in the first meeting and the Warriors and Bruins opened the rematch in similarly dramatic fashion.
There were 14 ties in the first set, with UH twice opening up three-point leads, the second time at 23-20. Norris halted the UH run, and after a Warriors error, the Bruins tied the set at 23-23 on a Knight ace.
The Bruins survived two UH set points, then moved ahead when Mouchlias hit wide. Chakas kept the Warriors alive with a back-row kill, but David hammered his eighth and ninth kills to give UCLA the opening set.
Turned out, the drama was just warming up.
UCLA appeared to be in control of Set 2 with a 19-13 lead after a block by Knight and Merrick McHenry. After a service error, Thelle set UH’s career aces record with No. 122 of his career in a four-point UH run. UCLA led 22-18 on Knight’s ace, but the Warriors went on a 6-1 run highlighted by Cole Hogland’s second solo block of the match and two Mouchlias kills. UH tied the set at 23-23 when David hit long and suddenly had set point when Hogland scored in the middle.
The tension only grew from there with UCLA fending off five UH set points before earning its first at 29-28. Kills by Guilherme Voss and Galloway extended the set and Norris fought off UH’s seventh set point. UH earned an eighth attempt when Chakas scored out of the back row, and this time the Warriors finished it when Mouchlias scored off the UCLA block to tie the set.
The teams traded sideouts for much of the third set before UCLA pushed ahead with an 8-1 run to open up an 18-14 lead. Hogland was in on two UH blocks in a 4-1 run that cut the deficit to 21-19. But Norris handled a Mouchlias serve off the tape, then got the set from freshman Andrew Rowan for a kill in the middle. Rowan followed with an ace and the Bruins ended the set with David’s 20th kill.
UH led 8-7 in the fourth set when Norris and Knight combined on a block. Norris’ ensuing serve was ruled wide, but the call was reversed after a challenge and he followed with another ace. UCLA maintained a slim lead and pulled away at 22-16 when Norris again paired aces. UH went on a 4-1 run with Mouchlias in on two blocks, the second cutting the deficit to 23-20. After the teams traded sideouts, David saved a shanked pass off Voss’ serve, with Ethan Champlin putting down the kill, prompting UCLA’s bench to spill onto the court in celebration.
UH challenged that the Bruins had committed a net violation, but the play was upheld, giving UCLA the title.
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