Everyone Clicks

Friday, February 27

Riverside

7:00 PM

California Baptist University

5-13

UC Merced

2-12

UC Merced

California Baptist

Photo by: Lauren Garcia

2/27/2015 9:11:00 PM | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Andrew Shortall, Asst. Sports Information Director

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Things were clearly going right for California Baptist University when it subbed out just about its whole starting lineup in the second and third sets of its nonconference match against UC Merced.

With 13 different players putting in time, the Lancers swept the Bobcats of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, 25-13, 25-16, 25-19. Robert Hadobas logged the match-clinching kill before being mobbed by his teammates, who let out a loud roar of celebration as they stormed the court.

"We kept our rhythm we got into at the end of yesterday," Coach Wes Schneider said. "We got a couple other guys some opportunities. … Over the last few weeks, we have been giving guys a lot of opportunities, so seeing them do what they've been able to do in practice is nice."

Coming off back-to-back wins via sweeps, the Lancers improve to 5-13 this season. UC Merced falls to 2-12. With two different setters posting more than 10 assists, CBU hit at a .417 clip with 43 kills and 13 errors on 72 attempts. Zachary Melcher tallied 24 assists, while Jackson Carr followed with 13.

Giovanni Llinas Rosa led all players with 11 kills and six digs for CBU. He hit .368 with just four errors on 19 swings. Cody Jackson followed with nine kills and three blocks in two sets for CBU, which received seven spikes from Jackson Burge in two games.

"To come out today and play the way we did is just amazing," Llinsa Rosa said. "It is great getting all these new guys in because they have a chance to show what they are made of."

In the first set, CBU hit .522 (14-2-23) with Llinas Rosa notching five kills and Jonathan Tuttle also connecting on all five of his swings in his only action of the night. The Lancers sped out to a 10-3 lead in the match off two kills and an ace from Tuttle and two kills from Daniel Maurer.

CBU managed to five-straight points, with Llinas Rosa tallying two kills, to take a commanding 16-5 lead. UC Merced would trade points back and forth with the home team, but it was far too late, as the Lancers scored two straight with a Tuttle kill ending the set, 25-13.

The Lancers were even more efficient in the second set with a .524 hitting percentage (14-3-21), with Jackson smashing six kills. Freshman Bryan Ilena also had all three of his blocks in the set, as CBU tallied seven in the frame.

Still, the Bobcats were took a 5-4 lead in the game. The Lancers went on a 10-2 run from there on two kills from Llinas Rosa and Jackson to take a 14-7 cushion. A pair of 3-0 runs from there helped give CBU a 23-14 lead and Llinas Rosa capped the set with a kill, 25-16.

It was Burge who led the way in the third, with six kills on eight attacks. He had a huge hand in CBU's 7-2 run that turned a 12-12 tie into a 19-14 Lancer lead.

Next up for CBU is a trip to UC San Diego on March 6^th, as it resumes Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play at 7 p.m. The Lancers will look to extend their winning streak to three matches in La Jolla.

Llinas Rosa said, "This week's matches can help us build up momentum in the MPSF because these next few are important."