By ROMNEY M. STEWART
Saturday night, the BYU men’s volleyball team was swamped by the Waves of Pepperdine in four games 8-15, 9-15, 15-11, and 11-15.
This was the third and last match for the Cougars as they wrapped up a California road trip that included matches against Long Beach State Wednesday, and matches against Pepperdine Thursday and Saturday.
The Cougars fared better against the 49ers of Long Beach State, winning 15-9, 7-15, 15-11, and 15-5. Pepperdine had the Cougars number on this road trip however, winning both Thursday’s and Saturday’s matches at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, Calif.
Saturday night, the Cougars’ bright spot was junior Ryan Millar, who totalled 31 kills for a .295 hitting percentage. Teammates Shane Van Beest and Ossie Antonetti also played strong games for the Cougars, with Van Beest collecting 19 kills with a .395 hitting percentage. Antonetti played especially well on the defensive side of the ball, digging 12 balls.
Pepperdine outside hitter George Roumain, a first team All-American selection last season, and freshman outside hitter Scott Wong were dominating for the Waves. Both players plagued the Cougars with their superb play in the first match, and Saturday night was no different.
Roumain had an incredible 39 kills with a .433 hitting percentage, and Wong wasn’t far behind with 34 kills for a .351 hitting percentage.
BYU was ranked No. 2 in the country, and Pepperdine was ranked No. 4. The Cougars return home for their next three matches against the University of Southern California, University of California-San Diego, and San Diego State.
BYU falls to 3-2 on the season, with its next match against the Trojans of USC this Friday at the Smith Fieldhouse at 7:00 p.m.
