Jan. 2, 2013

Follow UCLA Athletics on Twitter

UCLA Athletics on Facebook

Juniors Gonzalo Quiroga and Robart Page combined for 23 kills in a losing effort, as UCLA fell in three sets to visiting Alberta in an exhibition men's volleyball match at Pauley Pavilion Wednesday night.

Quiroga spiked 13 kills and Page added 10 as the Bruins tuned up for the Asics Tournament this weekend in Santa Barbara.

Jay Olstead led the Bears with a match-high of 16 kills (.429) and Matt McCreary added 11, including three aces. Since September, Alberta has won 20 of 22 matches in the U.S. and Canada.

The Bruins battled back from moderate deficits in the first two sets, only to falter down the stretch. In Set 1, they trailed 6-12 before tying the score at 19, and taking a 20-19 lead on a bad set by Alberta's Jarron Mueller. After the visitors called a timeout, they scored three straight points to take a 22-20 lead. But the Bruins tied it at 23 on a kills by junior Spencer Rowe, freshman Trent Kersten and Page. Alberta called another timeout and scored the final two points to take the set.

Set 2 was much the same with UCLA trailing 15-19 before tying it at 20, thanks to three kills by Quiroga. But the Bears went on a 4-0 run on a pair of kills by Olmstead. After a Quiroga kill and a combo block by Quiroga and Rowe, the Bears' Mitch Irvine scored with a kill through the block.

There were six ties in Set 3, but none after the 12th point. Alberta held a 23-20 lead when UCLA called its final timeout. The Bruins cut the lead to one on kills by Quiroga and Rowe, but Mueller gave the visitors a two-point advantage with his final kill of the night. After Page converted for the Bruins, Irvine scored the match winner.

The Bruins will travel this weekend to the Asics Tournament in Santa Barbara before returning home on Jan. 8 to meet CS Northridge in their MPSF opener.