Stein Metzger

Sunday, April 7, 1996

By Mark Shapiro

Daily Bruin Staff

It was the perfect way for the seniors on the UCLA men’s
volleyball team to close out the final of the UCLA Collegiate
Classic. In the last time that they would face USC, a victory would
render the seniors undefeated lifetime against the Trojans.

The seniors were the story as the Bruins successfully defended
the tournament championship by virtue of their 15-10, 15-11, 15-11
conquest of the Trojans in the final on Saturday and 15-12, 15-13,
15-6 semifinal stomping of Cal State Northridge the day before.

The tale of the tape plays mute testimony to the show that
senior setter Stein Metzger put on in his final battle against the
Trojans: six kills to only two errors, 64 assists, a team-leading
three aces, eight digs and a number of thunderous blocks.

"It was good because it was really well rounded," Metzger said.
"My digging I’ve been working on for the past five or six matches
because that’s something that I take pride in. My serve was a
little off in the beginning and then it came around. It just seemed
like my whole game was there ­ the complete package."

Not only did Metzger chalk up the stats, the tournament MVP made
sure the numbers came at the key moments. When the Bruins were down
10-6 in the third game, he came up with a block and then a jump
serve ace to key the comeback. He also provided the play of the
match, as he hunted down a ball a foot away from the UCLA bench and
lofted a perfect pass to fellow senior Brian Wells, who tallied 10
kills and two aces, for the put away.

"Wells and I are the guys that have to step it up because we’re
the seniors, we have the experience and we know what we’re doing,"
Metzger said. "The other guys are young and they might not make the
big play at the right moment. That’s what I expect of myself and
Brian."

Metzger came into the match having never dropped a single game
to the Trojans, let alone a match, so when UCLA began to falter in
the third game, Metzger rallied his teammates.

"In that third game I told them that I’d never lost a game to
these guys and we had to go out there and take it and they came
through for me," Metzger said.

"It was important to Stein particularly, he’s never lost to USC,
and that’s the way that it should be," added UCLA head coach Al
Scates. "No player should ever lose to USC."

Not only did the tournament provide a pedestal for the seniors
to mount, it also seasoned UCLA’s backups. In the second game of
the final match, sophomore swing hitter Ben Moselle replaced
starter Paul Nihipali and proceeded to notch a team-leading 17
kills on the evening to lead a rush of excellent play from the
bench crew.

"I was impressed with the substitutes," Scates said. "I wanted
to see Moselle in there as much as possible and it looks like he’s
the backup. Now I have Moselle ready, Dan Taylor ready, so we feel
like we have a good substitute. Eric Vallely is starting to get his
jumpers in and score, so that’s important too."

FRED HE/Daily Bruin

Stein Metzger never lost to USC during his UCLA career.

Not only did (Stein) Metzger chalk up the stats, the tournament
MVP made sure the numbers came at the key moments.