No. 1 BYU Men’s Volleyball Sweeps no. 8 UCLA

Number 1 BYU Men’s Volleyball swept number 8 UCLA on Saturday afternoon 25-16, 25-21, 25-17 at the Smith Fieldhouse.

The Cougars looked rejuvenated and energized after Thursday’s frustrating match, and were sparked by the return of Wil Stanley, who provided 30 assists for the Cougars in the sweep.

BYU took command of the first set early, going up 10-6 and cruising to a set victory, winning by nine at 25-16 in the set.

The second set was more competitive, but the Cougars maintained a lead throughout and went on to win the set 25-21.

The Bruins started strong in the third set, going up 8-5. The Cougars responded and led by as many as 8 in the set as they went on to win by that same margin 25-17.

The Cougars were led by the country’s best D1 player in Gabi Garcia Fernandez, who had 12 kills and hit .800, much improved from his .075 on Thursday. Davide Gardini was phenomenal as well with 11 kills with a hitting percentage of .579, much better than his .000 on Thursday.

The Cougars were helped by the return of Wil Stanley, who sprained his ankle earlier in the week and missed the match against UCLA on Thursday. Stanley provided better sets for the Cougars hitters despite his limited movement.

BYU will host Pepperdine next Friday and Saturday at the Smith Fieldhouse.