M. volleyball optimistic despite losses

M. volleyball optimistic despite losses

Spikers stay focused for weekend’s SDSU, UCSD match-ups

By Ruben Gutierrez

Daily Bruin Staff

Only six games into the season, the UCLA men’s volleyball team
has dropped more matches than it did in an entire season last year.
But last season’s once-defeated NCAA champion team is a tough act
to follow, and UCLA head coach Al Scates knows it.

Going into this weekend’s matches with UC San Diego and San
Diego State, Scates has been more than happy with the team’s
performance, despite losses to No. 2 Santa Barbara and No. 1
Hawaii.

"We’re playing pretty well, to tell you the truth," Scates said.
"I think Santa Barbara has the best personnel in the league that
we’ve seen so far, maybe the best in the country. I thought they
were actually better than Hawaii’s personnel. So we went 15-13,
15-13 with them in the last two games and lost, but we’re at their
place and we’re damn close, and I think if we played that match
here, we probably would’ve won."

* * *

As the season progresses, look for the already tough Bruins to
improve. UCLA plays five new starters this season and actually
starts two regular reserve players due to injuries. Regardless,
UCLA is still invincible at the net, averaging an astounding 10
blocks per game.

A large part of the successful Bruin block has been the play of
sophomore quick-hitter Tom Stillwell. With nearly two blocks per
game, Stillwell ranks fifth nationally.

"He’ll be among the leaders in the league at the end of the
season," Scates said. "He’s got tremendous vertical jump and
penetrates better than probably anyone in the conference. He’s been
looking at his technique and watching video. He’s so much better
than he was in the fall that it’s not even close, and there’s still
room for improvement. He has so much potential."

One face that won’t be seen at the quick hitter position any
time soon is that of junior Paul Nihipali. While recovering from a
cartilage tear in his shoulder, Nihipali will most likely stay at
opposite hitter, where he earned All-American honors a year
ago.

"Right now, it’s very painful for Paul to take a short, quick
arm swing, which is what we need in the middle," Scates said. "So
to save his shoulder, we have him playing outside, which requires a
longer, more fluid arm swing. We love his blocking and we’re going
to give him the freedom to block wherever he wants when he is
outside, but we need the hitting to start on the outside."

* * *

The 9 p.m. match Friday against San Diego State marks UCLA’s
first regular-season home match and the beginning of a four-match
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation homestand. Prior to this
weekend, the Bruins have played on the road for a month.

FRED HE/Daily Bruin

Quick-hitter Tom Stillwell ranks fifth in the nation in blocks,
averaging nearly two per game.

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