This would be huge.
I'm not sure that UCLA is favored, either.
Not that it means anything, but the estimating tool called Pablo, per the volleytalk blogs, have the Buffs as VERY slight favorites both tonight and Sunday vs. USC, but they're both effectively considered "pick-um" matches. (One poster said both LA teams would be favored, also slightly, at a neutral site, but the Buff's being home moved the Buffs to, technically SLIGHT favorites.)
To win tonight, hopefully the Buffs can somewhat control maybe the best pure offensive hitter in the country (right side hitter Karsta Lowe), and/ or control the rest of the Bruin team. (The Buffs "held" her to a little over 5K/set in LA, and Taylor Simpson had the same # of kills while hitting ~.100 higher %. This was one of the few times this year
any outside hitter has been close to equaling Ms. Lowe statistically. Of course, this also had to do with the Buff's total defensive effort that day, the great sets T. Simpson received, Buff's serving creating problems, etc.) The Bruins also do have some talented middles, but often don't typically use them that much on offense. They also have a talented left side hitter in freshman Reily Buechler who, when UCLA has typically won lately, has been able to give Ms. Lowe a lot of support. In some other matches, however, the Bruins have still lost, even with Ms. Lowe averaging a ridiculous 6 kills a set or more with a high hitting %, including averaging 6.5 kills/ set in losses to both of the best defensive teams in the Pac, Stanford and Washington.
Another huge if not THE main factor will be the Buff's serve, which had one of it's very best Pac 12 serve matches against UCLA earlier in the year. In that match, they had 8 aces (against only 10 service errors), and created MANY other easy points on serve, leading to a VERY low sideout % (53%) for the Bruins which was the key to the Buff's victory.
Go Buffs- and hope some folks can make it out to the match!
