Box Score

HONOLULU - For the second time this season, the 15th-ranked University of Hawai`i Warriors (4-6, 3-4 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) and the No. 4 UCLA Bruins (9-5, 6-4 MPSF) played a five-set thriller and this time UH prevailed, 25-30, 30-26, 30-24, 26-30, 15-13. UH head coach Mike Wilton reached a milestone by winning his 300th career match at Hawai'i in front of 2,656 fans at the Stan Sheriff Center tonight.

UH was led by James Clar who tallied a team high 18 kills. Joshua Walker was second on the team with 13 kills and had eight digs. Sean Carney had 48 assists and 10 digs. Ric Cervantes had a match-high 16 digs.

Early in game one, there were six ties and four lead changes. Clar's service ace tied it up at 11 but that was the last time the score would be tied. UCLA went on a 9-4 run to pull away, and took game one 30-25. Hitting woes plagued UH as they only hit for .115 in the first contest.

Game two was much of the same for both teams. Hawai'i lead 15-12 at the media break. The Warriors kept on their attack and forced a Bruin timeout with a 23-19 lead. Longtime Bruin head coach Al Scates was forced to use another timeout after a Bruin double contact error gave UH a 27-22 advantage. Clar's 10th kill of the match sealed the contest for the Warriors, 30-26.

The Warriors and Bruins did not let up in game three. A Carney service ace tied the game up at 10. For the second straight game, UH led at the break, 15-12. The Warriors extended their lead to five, 20-15, off another Clar kill. UCLA stormed back down the stretch and got within three, 27-24 and forced Wilton to call a timeout. Nonetheless, the Warriors defeated the Bruins 30-24 again off a Clar kill.

The fourth game of the match proved to be another close affair. UH again led at the break 15-13, but UCLA climbed back and led 18-17 off a Ryal Jagd kill. Jagd got another key kill later in the game and gave UCLA its largest lead of the game at 23-19. UCLA never looked back in game four, and forced a fifth game at 30-26.

In the deciding fifth game, the Warriors took an early 8-4 lead off a triple block by Matthew Rawson, Carney, and Clar. The Bruins would not go down without a fight and scored four straight to make it 11-11. Jacob Schkud put down a kill for the Warriors to give them the edge at 12-11. Another Bruin attack error gave UH a 13-11 lead. However, a kill by Garrett Muagututia and a triple block by UCLA tied it back up at 13-13. A Ryan Ratelle service error gave UH match point at 14-13, UCLA's 33rd service error of the night. Jagd's attach error gave the match to UH at 15-13.

The two teams go at it again on Friday night. First serve is 7:00 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.

-UH-