Men’s volleyball heads to Hawaii for Outrigger Hotels Invitational

After staying close to home, the UCLA men’s volleyball team will now get a glimpse of the rest of the nation’s talent.

The Bruins haven’t ventured farther than Santa Barbara so far this year, but this weekend they will travel to the Outrigger Hotels Invitational in Hawaii.

First on the list for No. 8 UCLA (2-1) is No. 10 Penn State on Thursday, then No. 14 Ball State on Friday followed by Saturday’s finale against No. 5 Hawai’i, who is hosting the tournament.

“It’s a really great experience to go over there and play teams that you usually don’t see,” junior setter Alex Scattareggia said. “Teams from the East, teams that you could possibly see in the Final Four or in the playoffs, it’s good to see them now.”

Most of the Bruins’ preparation for the weekend matches will happen after they reach the island. Penn State is opening its season with the UCLA match, so the Bruins can only study tape of the 2010 Nittany Lions. UCLA will study Ball State (1-0) and Hawai’i (0-0) during tournament play.

While on the mainland, the Bruins have been working primarily on two key aspects of the game: serving and blocking. Their serving has been solid so far, but the blocking could still use some work.

“We’re serving better than we ever have since I’ve been here,” Scattareggia said. “I personally feel that a lot of people are going to be doing a lot of blocking, working on blocking, because that’s been definitely our weak point this year.”

Though it’s an issue now, junior quick hitter Weston Dunlap, who coach Al Scates singled out as a key contributor in last week’s UCSB Invitational, is confident that the blocking numbers will increase.

“We’re definitely focusing on it, so I think there will be an improvement, definitely in a couple of weeks,” Dunlap said of the Bruins’ block.

While the Bruins work on early-season problems, three of the team’s injured players are on their way to full strength. Quick hitter Thomas Amberg and setter Kyle Caldwell, both juniors who suffered hand injuries, are looking good in practice.

“Thomas Amberg looks like he hasn’t missed a day of practice,” Scates said. “He practiced full-bore yesterday and today. He’s got a big splint on his hand, and it’s wrapped up like a mummy so even if it starts bleeding I don’t think we’ll see it.”

Amberg traveled with the team this weekend, and even though Scates also said that Caldwell had been playing well in practice this week, he played it safe with the setter, who did not travel to Hawaii.

Oft-praised freshman outside hitter Gonzalo Quiroga strained his left abdomen and was held out of UCLA’s final match of the UCSB Invitational on Friday, but made this weekend’s trip.

Scates said that Quiroga had initially suffered the injury in his native Argentina before joining UCLA, and that he would decide on whether to play Quiroga based on how much pain he felt while practicing.