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UNIVERSITY PARK , Pa. –- It’s been 24 years, but UCLA men’s volleyball coach Al Scates can vividly remember the only other time the Bruins traveled to Penn State to face the Nittany Lions in the NCAA Tournament. In 1982, an undefeated UCLA squad swept Penn State to claim the national championship in front of a crowd of 5,641. Scates hopes the outcome is the same in his second postseason matchup with Penn State at its Rec Hall tonight. "We were having a great year in 1982 and were the favorites to win, and even though we have 12 losses this year, I know we can beat Penn State on their home court again even though they are going to have 6,000 people yelling for them," Scates said. "I have fond memories of playing (at Penn State) in 1982, and it’s great to be back here again." While the Bruin team of 1982 boasted legendary players such as Karch Kiraly and came into the final match with a 28-0 record, the current UCLA team is 25-12 and has no All-American players or even all-conference players on the roster. Instead of relying on a few standout players, the Bruins feel they can win the NCAA title by receiving contributions from every player on the floor, which they have been doing while building their current 13-match winning streak. "If you look at the stats, we don’t have anybody standing out because our team shares the ball and doesn’t care about individual awards," Scates said. "All we want to do is have the best team in the country." Although neither team has a first team All-American, tonight’s match will still be a clash of titans. UCLA and Penn State have been to the NCAA Tournament more than any other schools, with UCLA making the trip 25 times and Penn State close behind with 21 tournament appearances. The Nittany Lions have advanced to the tournament in each of the last eight years, and in 14 of the last 15 years. A more significant achievement, however, is the record 18 NCAA titles the Bruins have won compared to the one title Penn State has claimed. Penn State’s lone NCAA Championship came in a 1994 finals win over UCLA. UCLA retaliated in 1995 by defeating the Nittany Lions in the NCAA finals, adding fuel to the rivalry between two of the top programs in the nation. Overall, in fact, the Bruins have a 6-1 advantage over Penn State in the NCAA Tournament, starting with UCLA’s victory over Penn State on its home court in 1982. And as the Bruins prepare for a tough match tonight against a team with vast fan support behind them, they might receive a small comfort from knowing they have been in this exact situation before. Even Penn State coach Mark Pavlik recognized the similarities between this year and 1982. "This is almost a mirror image to 1982, where we were slugging it out in the semis and won the semifinal match on an ace," Pavlik said. "Even the weather was similar." Without realizing it, by comparing this year’s tournament to the one in 1982, he was predicting a UCLA win. The Bruins hope his prediction turns out to be right on.