Following the departure of important players from last year’s team, Bruin fans showed up to not only see new faces but also to see the players who were expected to fill big shoes, such as Cooper Robinson, who now plays for the Hiroshima Thunders in Japan. Despite this, it was very clear at the first serve that the Bruins were going to win.
With well-placed kills and strong defense at the net, the first set was practically a shoo-in for the Bruins. McKendree struggled to keep up, only able to earn one point for every two points the Bruins won. Within minutes of watching the game, fans did not doubt that the new players were just as capable of making it to the NCAA finals this year. Senior middle block Cameron Thorne had an amazing performance, seamlessly taking fast sets from senior setter Andrew Rowan. Having both played for the U.S National Team over the summer, their connection was simply unmatched. The Bruins stayed disciplined against McKendree, allowing their opponents to make their own mistakes by hitting into the net or out of bounds, while refusing to make any mistakes of their own. The Bruins easily slipped the set win, 25-16.
The first point in the second set had the crowd mesmerized, as the Bruins pulled out a new tricky play when senior outside hitter Zach Rama faked an attack on the second touch, but instead set redshirt junior opposite hitter David Decker. McKendree tried to rise to the challenging plays brought forth by the Bruins, with quick tips and tooled blocks, but it simply wasn’t enough. The Bruins had returned from a time-out with high energy and new angles. Rama dominated all around the court, keeping his pushes around the block straight down the line and opening himself up as an option to Rowan in the back row. Junior middle blocker Micah Wong Diallo was one of the new faces tonight, receiving sets from Rowan from all over the court, making himself an asset on the court. The Bruins once again take the set, 25-18.
McKendree took the first two points at the start of what would later become the last set of the match after learning how to play against the Bruins. But that didn’t slow down the kill leader, Rama, as he took the first kill for the Bruins. Tied 5-5, the Bruins finally picked up the pace and created a gap with fake sets and successful blocks led by Thorne. With quick looks to peep McKendree’s blockers, Rowan set up his hitters for success, nearly every time. After constant heckling from McKendree’s sideline players, Wong Diallo aced his serve, silencing them. Sure enough, McKendree lost their steam and fell after three big kills by Thorne. As everyone in the audience stood on their feet, with one finger in the air at match point, the Bruins took the match win with a tooled block.
Up next, the Bruins take on Concordia University this Sunday, Jan. 11, at Pauley Pavilion at 5 p.m.
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Featured Image via BruinLife Archives
