LOS ANGELES – On the verge of a conference-opening win, No. 9 Stanford gave up a late lead in the fourth set and ultimately fell 21-25, 25-14, 16-25, 26-24, 15-10 to No. 4 UCLA, Thursday, at Pauley Pavilion.
Up 2-1, Stanford (7-4, 0-1 MPSF) led 20-16 in the fourth set and seemed in control of the match. After a UCLA timeout, the Bruins went on a 10-4 run to force a deciding fifth set with a 26-24 win in the fourth.
The Bruins (9-2, 1-0 MPSF) jumped out to an early lead in the final set and was able to hold off the Cardinal down the stretch.
Sophomore opposite Jaylen Jasper led Stanford with 20 kills on .395 hitting to go with four digs, two blocks and the Cardinal's only ace of the night. It marked the second time this season Jasper has reached the 20-kill plateau.
Jaylen Jasper puts set one away for @StanfordMVB. ??
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 8, 2019
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UCLA out hit Stanford, .271 to .254, and finished with a 44-29 advantage in digs. The Cardinal won the blocking battle, 17.0 to 13.0, including 8.5 in the opening set to hold the Bruins to a .000 attack percentage.
Outside hitter Jordan Ewert finished with 14 kills, but hit just .163. The senior also had six digs and a career-high five blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Kyler Presho matched his career-high with seven blocks to go with five kills.
DENIED. ?????
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 8, 2019
Can @StanfordMVB close this one out?
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Setter Paul Bischoff finished with his first double-double of the season, tallying 36 assists and 13 digs. The junior also turned in a career-high with seven blocks. Redshirt senior Kyle Dagostino had a season-high 10 assists and four digs.
Junior Stephen Moye, from nearby El Segundo, chipped in with seven kills and five blocks, while sophomore outside hitter Leo Henken had five kills and a career-high five blocks.
The Cardinal had a hard time containing UCLA middle Daenan Gyimah, who hit .553 with a match-high 25 kills. Setter Micah Ma'a dished out 57 assissts and had eight digs and three blocks.
Up next, Stanford will take on No. 5 Pepperdine on Friday. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Malibu.
Well, this was a fun rally. ??
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 8, 2019
Watch #NCAAMVB on Pac-12 Now: https://t.co/KIqJW0WBQ2 pic.twitter.com/tBmi7QOcvD