BYU Volleyball knocks off #6 Pepperdine

BYU Volleyball beat no. 6 Pepperdine in four sets(28-26, 27-25, 22-25, 26-24) on Saturday night in an extremely competitive Top Ten match-up at the Smith Fieldhouse.

Felipe de Brito Ferreira had an incredible 13 blocks in the match, setting a new career high for the sophomore. Gabi Garcia Fernandez had 20 kills and nine blocks himself, also recording a career high for blocks. Davide Gardini added 17 kills and five blocks, and third-string setter Brody Earnest provided 40 assists in his first career start. Earnest’s performance helped the Cougars in their dramatic comeback against UCLA, and was instrumental again tonight in the Cougars’ victory.

The first set was very tight as both teams traded points until the end of the set, when the Cougars finally won 28-26. The second set was nearly identical, with the Cougars squeezing by the Waves in extra points again, winning 27-25.

The third set was won by the Waves, 25-22, and neither team could extend a lead to greater than three. Neither team hit well, as both teams hit under .250 on the evening. The fourth set was won by the Cougars 26-24, as they split the regular season series with the Waves.

The Cougars are now 11-6 overall and 6-3 in MPSF play. They sit in second in the conference standings behind UCLA, and will take a break from conference play to host the BYU Invite from Thursday to Saturday next weekend. The Cougars will play Princeton on Thursday, McKendree on Friday, and top-ranked Hawaii on Saturday night in the Cougars final home matches of the regular season.