BYU’s Teon Taylor goes for a spike throughout match towards Mount Olive Jan. 29, 2022, on the Smith Fieldhouse. The Cougars will host No. 1-ranked UCLA Friday and Saturday. Ryan Campbell, BYU Photograph
Since Shawn Olmstead took over as coach of the BYU males’s volleyball program, the Cougars have confronted a No. 1-ranked group yearly however one. The Cougars will once more get that chance Friday and Saturday after they welcome UCLA to the Smith Fieldhouse for a pair of matches towards the top-ranked Bruins.
“I believe it’ll be a tremendous expertise,” BYU sophomore center blocker Gavin Julien stated about taking part in UCLA in Provo this weekend after a month of matches away from dwelling. “I can’t wait. I like taking part in within the Smith Fieldhouse, irrespective of who we play. I’m simply actually, actually excited to be on the market once more.”
The Cougars can have their work minimize out for them, taking part in towards a UCLA squad that has held the highest spot within the nationwide rankings for eight straight weeks and has solely misplaced three units in its final seven matches.
“I believe it’ll take all the things on our facet of the courtroom,” Julien stated about what it is going to take to topple the Bruins. “If we play nicely collectively and we do what must be achieved we are able to beat anyone within the nation. That’s what it’s going to take. We’re simply going to need to play nicely collectively.”
UCLA coach John Speraw holds the Cougars in excessive regard and is aware of that a hostile surroundings awaits his squad in Provo.
“I've many mates which are there and an unimaginable quantity of respect for what BYU has constructed with their males’s volleyball program,” he stated. “(Enjoying within the Smith Fieldhouse) is one thing that I believe we are able to all look to as a particular expertise for our student-athletes and a problem for our group to go get wins in a extremely tough place to compete.”
9 of BYU’s 11 opponents this season are at present ranked. Towards these groups, the Cougars have posted a 4-14 document.
BYU received two straight matches at dwelling over now-No. 14 UC Irvine. The Cougars wanted 5 units to take down the Anteaters the primary evening, however made fast work of their guests in a sweep the following night.
After dramatically reverse sweeping present No. 7-ranked Ball State on Feb. 4, BYU fell right into a droop, dropping 9 straight matches — all to ranked opponents.
On the finish of March, the Cougars received their fourth match towards a ranked foe, splitting two matches with Pepperdine in Malibu. The Waves entered these contests ranked No. 7 however have since fallen to No. 8.
These matches have ready the Cougars for Goliath this weekend.
In previous years, BYU has been spectacular towards top-ranked groups, posting a 26-24 all-time document in these matches. Underneath Olmstead, that document stands at 6-3. Olmstead’s first two wins over top-ranked squads came to visit UCLA in 2016.
The Smith Fieldhouse has confirmed to be kryptonite for the nation’s finest for the reason that flip of the century. The Cougars’ 12-5 dwelling document towards No. 1 groups since 2000 reveals simply how vital BYU’s dwelling courtroom may very well be towards UCLA Friday and Saturday.
“It’s actually arduous to do,” Speraw stated when requested about making ready his gamers for a match in Provo. “It’s a tricky place to get a win and while you do it’s well-earned.”
A few of BYU’s best-attended matches have been towards UCLA. In 2001, the Cougars defeated the top-ranked Bruins in entrance of a Smith Fieldhouse document crowd of 6,119. BYU can once more anticipate large crowds when No. 1 UCLA involves city this weekend.
“Anytime we play a bigger-name college the place individuals know who they're or somebody who we’ve traditionally performed loads, the Smith Fieldhouse is at all times packed, it at all times fills up, and it’s at all times energetic,” Julien stated. “Though it’s like that each time, perhaps it’s just a bit bit extra in terms of groups like that. However it’s at all times a tremendous surroundings.”
Friday would be the first time since 2017 that the nation’s finest will go to Provo. BYU break up two matches at dwelling with No. 1 Lengthy Seaside State that yr.
Final yr marked simply the second season that an Olmstead-ed Cougars squad didn't take down the nation’s No. 1 — the one different time coming in 2019, when BYU didn't get a shot at a top-ranked group.
The Cougars might be trying to buck that development this weekend.