Box Score

MALIBU, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team dropped its second straight match to No. 7 Pepperdine in as many nights in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match Saturday at Firestone Fieldhouse. Set scores were 25-20, 25-21, 22-25, 25-23.
 
The Warriors (2-5, 1-3 MPSF) lost for the fourth straight time and were swept in the two-match series at Pepperdine for the first time since 2002. Pepperdine (5-1, 4-0), which extended its win streak to five, avenged a two-match sweep by the Warriors last season in Honolulu.
 
Outside hitters Steven Hunt and JP Marks shared team-high honors with 15 kills. Marks hit at a .345 clip and had the teams' lone service ace. Newcomer Taylor Averill added 10 kills in his first significant action of the season at opposite. Middle blocker Nick West had seven kills in 11 swings while fellow middle Jarrod Lofy had a career-high eight blocks.
 
Maurice Torres led the Waves with a match-high 21 kills. The junior also had two service aces, five digs, and three blocks. Josh Taylor, a 2011 Punahou School graduate, added 14 kills but hit only .147.
 
The Warriors, who fell behind 7-3 in Set 1 and trailed by as much as six at 16-10, would not get closer than three the rest of the way.
 
The teams went back and forth in the early part of Set 2 until Hawai'i committed back-to-back hitting errors to trail 13-10. The Warriors tied it with three straight before giving it right back. UH closed to within one at 21-20 before a Torres kill and Waves' double-block of Hunt put the game out of reach.
 
Hawai'i rebounded in Set 3, taking a 19-17 lead with three straight points off consecutive Pepperdine hitting errors and a Hunt kill. The teams traded side-outs until the Warriors scored on back-to-back points giving them set point and closed out the set with a Jarrod Lofy and JP Marks double-block.
 
UH led 9-7 in Set 4 before the Waves took a 12-10 lead after Matt Pollock's two kills and a block during a three-point spurt. Pepperdine extended its lead to 18-15 but a kill and service ace by Marks closed the deficit to one. The Warriors took a 21-20 lead after the Waves committed three straight hitting errors.
 
After a UH service error, Hunt hit into the big Pepperdine block as the Waves retook the lead at 22-21. The teams traded side-outs until Torres gave the Waves match point with his 21^st kill. On the next play, Marks hit long ending the match.
 
The Warriors return to Honolulu to host a two-match non-conference series against Grand Canyon, Friday, Jan. 27 and Saturday, Jan. 28. Both matches start at 7:00 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.