BYU Men’s volleyball responds to season-opening loss with sweep of UCLA
The BYU men’s volleyball program found positives after a season-opening loss to UCLA on Feb. 4. Senior outside hitter Davide Gardini said the team doesn’t have to worry about going undefeated any more and can play more freely.
The No. 1-ranked Cougars did just that Saturday night, sweeping No. 8 UCLA 3-0, and avenging their loss to the Bruins less than 48 hours earlier.
“This is the level we can play at and we can continue this throughout the season,” Gardini said.
Right: Wil Stanley celebrates a BYU point against UCLA on Feb. 6. Right: Davide Gardini looks down after a play against the Bruins. (Preston Crawley)
BYU men’s volleyball prepares to build off of 2020 success
The BYU men’s volleyball team felt it was heading in the right direction as the Cougars swept then-No. 1 Hawaii, subsequently earning the No. 1 spot in the next AVCA poll in March 2020. But then a week later their season came to an end.
“It was a whirlwind of emotions,” head coach Shawn Olmstead said, “(We) were the number one team in the nation and there was nothing they would be able to prove beyond that.”
While the cancellation of the season ended BYU’s hopes for a national championship, the team feels it can continue the success it had during the shortened 2020 season.
UCSB Men’s Volleyball Ranked 3rd in AVCA Preseason Poll
Senior Roy McFarland returns to the UCSB men’s volleyball team after earning All-American honors last season. (Noozhawk file photo) By Barry Punzal, Noozhawk Sports Editor |
@NoozhawkSports
| 6:10 p.m.
With the return of four decorated seniors, the UCSB men’s volleyball team has been ranked third in the American Volleyball Coaches Association preseason poll for the 2021 season.
UCSB, 14-2 last season, placed behind BYU (17-1) and Hawai’l (15-1) in the poll.
They’re followed by Long Beach State (10-1), Lewis (15-4), UC Irvine (10-7), Pepperdine (7-6) and UC San Diego (13-5), UCLA (10-9) and Grand Canyon (14-7) in the top 10.