Feb. 11, 2013

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This Week -- The sixth-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team begins a two-match home stand against No. 13 Hawai'i (Feb. 15, 7 p.m. at John Wooden Center & Feb. 16, 7 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion) before traveling to No. 10 USC on Feb. 18 for an 8 p.m. match at the Galen Center.

Live Coverage -- Fans can follow all the matches on audio, GameTracker and Twitter @UCLAMENSVB. Monday's match at USC will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Networks with Kevin Barnett and Hall of Fame Coach Al Scates at the mic.

THE LAST MEETING UCLA 2 Hawai'i 3 January 12, 2013 Honolulu, HI (Stan Sheriff Center) Box Score

THE LAST MEETING UCLA 2 Hawai'i 3 January 12, 2013 Honolulu, HI (Stan Sheriff Center) Box Score

THE LAST MEETING USC 3 UCLA 0 March 14, 2012 John Wooden Center UCLA Falls to Rivals USC in Three Sets Senior Weston Dunlap had six kills and a team-high nine points, but it wasn't enough as the second-ranked UCLA men's volleyball team fell in three sets to rivals USC on Wednesday night. Recap | Box Score | Photo Gallery

In The Rankings -- The Bruins (8-7, 4-5) were tied for sixth (with Ohio State) in the AVCA national rankings this week after dropping a pair of conference matches last week: losing in five on the road to Cal Baptist on Feb. 6 and falling in three on Feb. 8 in Provo, UT to top-ranked BYU. Entering the week, Hawai'i (4-7, 3-5) was ranked 13th after a week off, and USC (2-5, 2-5) was ranked 10th after falling in four on the road to both CS Northridge (Feb. 6) and Long Beach State (Feb. 8).

Scouting the Opponents -- Hawaii has not played since beating Stanford 3-2 at home on Feb. 2. The previous night, Stanford won 3-2. The Rainbows upset visiting Pepperdine (ranked No.2 at the time) on Jan. 25 (3-2) and Jan. 27 (3-0). Prior to their victory over the Bruins, the Rainbows were winless in their first four matches. USC has lost four straight after recording upset sweeps against UCI and Stanford in the middle of January. This week, the Trojans travel to Cal Baptist (Feb. 14) before hosting BYU (Feb. 16). Entering the week, USC was 1-4 on the road and 1-1 at home.

The Series -- The Bruins lead the all-time series with both opponents: 59-21 vs. Hawai'i and 87-40 vs. USC. Hawai'i defeated UCLA 3-2 in the finale of the Outrigger Hotels Invitational on Jan. 12. Last season, the Bruins swept the Rainbows three times on the road. UH's last victory against the Bruins came on Feb. 19, 2011 in the Wooden Center when it swept the Bruins. The Rainbows have not won in Pauley Pavilion since sweeping the Bruins on Feb. 26, 2005. The Bruins and Trojans split a pair of league matches last season with each team winning in three on the road.

Recapping the Week -- The Bruins established a school record by opening the season with seven consectutive five-set matches, winning five. In fact, no school in league history had played seven straight five-set matches. The streak came to an end on Jan. 15 in a four-set loss to Long Beach State in Pauley Pavilion.

Junior Gonzalo Quiroga led the Bruins in a losing effort at Cal Baptist on Feb. 6, smashing 24 kills (.500) and adding 27.5 points. Robart Page added 17 kills (.364), four aces and 22.5 points.

Against BYU, Quiroga again led the Bruins with 11 kills (.300) and junior Spencer Rowe added nine (.727) and three total blocks in a three-set loss. BYU hit .400 and limited UCLA to .233.

Speraw's First Season at UCLA -- John Speraw (UCLA '95) begins his first season as the head coach at his alma mater. In 10 seasons at UC Irvine, Speraw led the Anteaters to three NCAA championships, including the 2012 title. Last summer, he also served as an assistant coach for the USA Men's National Team, which advanced to the quarterfinals of the London Olympics. In his decade of service at UCI, Speraw compiled an overall record of 199-106 (.646). Speraw earned AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2006 and was given the USA Olympic Committee's National Coach of the Year award in 2007. He entered this week with a career record of 207-113(.649).

Coming Up -- Promotions for the UH matches include Club and High School Team Night and Sports Camper Reunion Night. Teams must register by calling (310) 206-3444 by Feb. 14. Following their matches against Hawai'i and USC, the Bruins will travel to Pepperdine on Feb. 23 for a 5 p.m. MPSF match.