New Kids on the Block: Eric Matheis sets himself up as promising setter
Freshman setter Eric Matheis initially started off his UCLA career on the bench of the men’s volleyball team. The rookie has since seen a more active role in the team since his appearance in a 3-0 sweep over Stanford. (Daniel Alcazar/Daily Bruin)
By Tanner Walters
Feb. 5, 2015 1:04 a.m.
All he could do was watch and wait.
For three weeks, freshman setter Eric Matheis sat on the bench as each of his teammates made their opening appearances of the 2015 season. It wasn’t until Jan. 25, with the team fresh off a sweep at the hands of Brigham Young University and winless in conference play, that the freshman took to the court for his first college match.
Matheis has emerged as a weapon for a young UCLA volleyball team since that start.
“What he really brings to us right now is that he is locating the ball better than the other guys right now,” said coach John Speraw. “He may not be as experienced as some of the others or maybe as strong because he’s a little bit younger, but I think right now what he’s doing is putting up a more hittable ball on a more consistent basis.”
Matheis, who started playing competitively in sixth grade, most recently competed for Dana Hills High School and the Balboa Bay Volleyball Club.
Volleyball, however, was not his first sport. It took his dad’s persuasion for Matheis to branch out from basketball. His older brother had played volleyball and the new sport quickly grew on Matheis.
“For me, it kind of became a reality that I could play college volleyball probably around the end of my sophomore year in high school,” Matheis said. “Junior year the possibility became evident that I could really do this and I set my mind to it.”
He narrowed down his options to UCLA and UC Irvine as he went through the recruiting process, catching the eyes of the UCLA coaching staff in particular. In the end, he said that UCLA was just where he wanted to be.
“He was tough – that’s the thing that I liked about him – he put up a very consistent ball, he was steady, had a good jump serve, great court presence, his teammates loved him,” said assistant coach Brad Keller. “I thought that was a great quality of a high character guy who can play volleyball, too.”
While Matheis may have been the final Bruin to see playing time this year, he has moved up the depth chart in just a few short weeks. When the team needed help midway through last Thursday’s match against Stanford, he was the one to get the call.
Matheis and the Bruins swept the Cardinal for his second straight win in as many appearances. His 63 total assists are third on the team behind junior setter Steve O’Dell’s 130 and sophomore setter Hagen Smith’s 87. Matheis also holds the best single game assist percentage for a UCLA primary setter this season with his .561 mark against Princeton.
It’s not easy for freshmen to transition to college volleyball, but Matheis has kept up, Keller said.
“You come into practice one day and you can’t dog it because if you dog it your teammates will let you know and it’s just not okay,” Matheis said. “The level of intensity and the level of play is just on a whole nother level from what I’ve been used to in club and high school, but I feel like I was ready for the change, I wanted something more and I think I’ve done well.”
Matheis said that he has quickly adjusted to UCLA life on and off the court. Whether it’s stepping into a tightly contested conference match or laughing off playful jabs about his frosted-tipped hairstyle, he has found his place in a premier college program.
As one of three setters on the team, though, playing time is no sure thing at this point in the season for Matheis.
Speraw said that the coaching staff has confidence in him to either start or come off the bench to help the team, but no matter what his role ends up being, Matheis said he’ll be ready.
“It’s been awesome,” Matheis said. “I’ve been staying patient, hoping they call my number.”
