MICHAEL MANTEL Sophomore outside hitter Parker
Smith goes for a cross-court kill against USC on Saturday.
UCLA went on to win the game. UCLA d. USC 30-23,
30-17, 30-23
By Diamond Leung
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The UCLA men’s volleyball team wasn’t afraid to
admit it. Even before the match, the Bruins knew they would beat
crosstown rival USC.
“We had a great scouting report,” UCLA head coach Al
Scates said. “So for a few hours on my patio, I had a nice
cigar.”
Scates wasn’t just blowing smoke. He predicted that
Saturday’s showdown would be a mismatch, and he was right.
No. 1 UCLA easily dispatched of USC 30-23, 30-17, 30-23 in the 25th
annual Kilgour Cup Saturday at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins’
winning streak is now at nine matches.
“We were trying not to get too overconfident,” said
sophomore outside hitter Parker Smith, who tallied a career-high
seven kills.
Still, it was hard for UCLA (11-1, 6-0 MPSF) not to get a little
cocky knowing that every attack would likely slice through the
holey Trojan block. Senior outside hitter Matt Komer led the way
with 14 kills, and the Bruins finished with a season-high .513
hitting percentage.
Meanwhile, they held their opponents to a season-low .110
clip.
Senior All-American outside hitter Brook Billings paced the
Trojans with a match-high 16 kills, but only hit .222.
“We actually played better tonight than in our last two
matches,” Trojan head coach Pat Powers said.
That’s not saying much considering USC was swept in those
two matches. The Trojans (4-9, 1-6) are off to their worst start
since 1971. They have now lost their last six matches, only winning
one game in that span.
Also, in the last 10 years, UCLA has beaten USC in 18 of 19
matches.
“It’s important to beat ‘SC all the time. I
want most of my players to graduate without losing to
‘SC,” Scates said.
The match was also special because its proceeds were donated to
UCLA Hall of Famer Kirk Kilgour, who suffered a spinal cord injury
in 1976 that left him a quadriplegic. Kilgour lettered from
1969-71, earning All-America honors each year.
UCLA got its name engraved on a perpetual trophy for winning.
The Bruins got a satisfying win as well.
“We get fired up for USC no matter what they’re
ranked,” Smith said. “They’re unranked this year,
but we wanted to beat them just as much.”
UCLA heads north this weekend for matches against No. 15 Pacific
and No. 6 Stanford.
Kilgour is currently in critical care at Swedish Hospital in
Denver. He welcomes cards and letters of support. Please send
correspondence to: Kirk Kilgour c/o Belinda Begley 2594 South
Harlan Ct. Lakewood, CO 80227 or e-mail [email protected].