Spikers cleared for take-off against Lewis

Thursday, May 2, 1996

Flyers boast wealth of firepower led by strong middle blocker
RiveraBy Mark Shapiro

Daily Bruin Staff

It’s been 12 years since the UCLA men’s volleyball team repeated
as national champions.

But the Bruins find themselves only two matches away from a
second consecutive NCAA title as the national semifinals kick off
tonight in Pauley Pavilion.

No. 1 seed UCLA (25-4) faces Lewis University, the fourth seed
at 7:30 p.m. in the second semifinal, with second-seeded Hawaii
taking on No. 3 Penn State at 5:30 p.m.

Lewis University (31-4) comes into the match ranked No. 4
nationally, in only its third season of NCAA play. Even though they
are relatively new to the scene and are only a Division II school,
the Flyers have shown little respect for their elders, as they have
built one of the most potent offensive teams in the nation.

This season, Lewis ranks second in team hitting percentage at
.354 and leads the nation in kills with 2219. It was this firepower
at the net that carried the Flyers to a come-from-behind upset of
Ball State in the finals of the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball
Association tournament to give them a berth in the Final Four.

The Flyers’ attack is anchored by Puerto Rican National Team
member Victor Rivera. The freshman middle blocker broke into a
lineup that had played together for some years and has cemented
himself with the squad. He ranks in the top ten nationally in both
blocking average, with 1.62 blocks per game, and service ace
average, with .450. More than that, he has lent a competitive edge
to the team.

"He has been the one addition to the team in a starting role and
there is not one weak point in his game," Lewis head coach David
Deuser said. "He’s very emotional, he’s a leader, he can pass even
as a middle blocker, and he’s a shot blocker. He just brings
everything together."

Joining Rivera amongst the nation’s elite are outside hitter
Chris Borden, who is fourth in the nation in hitting percentage at
.462, and Mike Prosek, who is 15th in the nation in service ace
percentage. This collection of attackers has provided grist for the
UCLA coaching staff to mull over.

"As a matter of fact, I am (nervous)," UCLA head coach Al Scates
said. "I’ve been looking at them lately and they’re all good. They
have a great offense as a team. We know that they are good."

The only time the two teams met this season, there was little
time for the Bruins to get nervous, they were too busy sweeping the
Flyers by a 15-9, 15-4, 16-14 score at the Wooden Center. The only
time there was a peep from the Lewis side of the net was in the
final game, when the Flyers served for the game four times before
finally succumbing.

For the Flyer braintrust, the beating earlier this season gave
the team a chance to gain valuable experience and insight into the
Bruin style of play as well as a feel for a championship
environment. When they were in Westwood for the matchup earlier
this season, the Flyers toured Pauley Pavilion to get a taste for
where they wanted their season to end up.

"The newness has kind of worn off," Deuser said. "We have a
decent scouting report on them and it gives us a good idea that
they are human. I think now our confidence level is at an all-time
high after we played really well in the conference tournament, and
we’re just going to prepare the best we can, the way that we have
for every other big match."