#8 Pepperdine Wins Seventh MPSF Championship, Earns NCAA Auto-Bid

MALIBU, Calif. – The #8 Pepperdine men’s volleyball team captured the MPSF Tournament title for a seventh time with a 3-1 win over #5 USC Saturday night at Firestone Fieldhouse. The Waves secured the championship by scores of 26-24, 25-20, 21-25, 25-21, in front of a roaring crowd of 1,005.
 
“The energy was just huge,” head coach Jonathan Winder said after the win. “Our guys were grateful (to host the tournament), I think we played at a level that we haven’t all season and the amount of effort that they gave was incredible to watch.”
 
With the win, the Waves claim an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in Columbus, Ohio set to play out May 10-12. The selection show for the tournament airs Sunday at 1 p.m. on the NCAA website.
 
Ryan Barnett was named the tournament MVP while teammates Jacob Reilly and Cole Hartke were awarded All-Tournament Team honors.
 
Barnett paced the Waves with 23 kills on .333 hitting %, while Ilay Haver delivered 11 kills and 19 receptions with only a single error, leading the Waves’ defense with 18 digs. After trading blows through the first three sets, Pepperdine pulled away late in the fourth, capped by a block from Cole Hartke and William Whidden with a USC attack error to follow for the title.
 
“I just want to credit the institution and our guys and certainly to the Lord,” Winder said. “So much of our season has been about our faith while trusting in the path that the Lord has for us.”
 
BIG WAVES
Ryan Barnett (R-Jr./Westhampton Beach, N.Y./St. Edward’s): 23 kills, .333 hitting %, 11 digs, 22 service receptions with no errors
Ilay Haver (Jr./Tel Aviv, Israel): 11 kills, 18 service receptions with only 1 error, 18 digs, 2 blocks
Jacob Reilly (Jr./Cyprus, Texas/CUI): 12 digs, 26 service receptions with only 1 error
Cole Hartke (Fr./Barrington, Ill./Barrington HS): 8 kills, 3 aces, 4 blocks
Gabriel Dyer (Gr./San Clemente, Calif./UCSD): 44 assists, 2 aces, 4 digs
 
WAVES VS. TROJANS
PEPPERDINE ATTACK BY SET
Set      K          E          TA        Pct
1          14        7          34        0.206  
2          12        3          32        0.281  
3          11        10        36        0.028  
4          14        4          38        0.263  
 
USC ATTACK BY SET
Set      K          E          TA        Pct
1          12        5          39        0.179  
2          13        4          36        0.250  
3          11        3          27        0.296  
4          12        5          32        0.219  
 
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Pepperdine seized early momentum in set one, riding kills from Barnett and Haver to a slim 13-11 lead. USC fought back, tying the set at 24-24, but a critical block from Hartke and Whidden lifted the Waves to a 26-24 win.
 
In set two, Pepperdine’s offense clicked. Barnett dominated from the left pin and Hartke delivered a pair of timely aces, helping the Waves dominate the frame and cruise to a 25-20 win.
 
The Trojans responded in set three, taking advantage of Pepperdine’s .028 hitting percentage to pull away late. Despite a late service run by Hartke, USC held on 25-21 to extend the match.
 
The fourth set saw the Waves regain composure. Haver and Barnett combined for clutch kills, while Reilly anchored the back row. Leading 23-21, Pepperdine shut the door with back-to-back points — including a block from Hartke and Whidden — to seal the 25-21 set win and the program’s first MPSF Tournament title since 2022.
 
UP NEXT
Pepperdine awaits its placement in the NCAA Tournament, set to be revealed Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
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