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UCLA sophomore libero Tony Ker (right) went to Valencia High School with MIT volleyball player Ry

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The UCLA men’s volleyball team’s remarkable road to the NCAA Finals was impressive enough to persuade several MIT students to make the trip to Penn State. Five members of the MIT volleyball team journeyed eight hours to witness UCLA defeat Penn State for the Bruins’ record 19th NCAA Championship. “UCLA volleyball transcends schools,” MIT sophomore Ryan Dean said. “We came here just for the chance to see UCLA play, and it’s awesome to see them win the national championship.” With only about 50 Bruin supporters in a sold-out crowd of 5,453 at Penn State’s Rec Hall, the MIT players made their presence known. They were on their feet cheering in the UCLA section the entire match, and MIT men’s volleyball team captain Praveen Pamidimukkala had his face painted blue. For the MIT players, watching UCLA compete in the NCAA Finals inspired them to try to be more like the Bruins. “Steve Klosterman is actually my role model in life, and I wish I was him,” Pamidimukkala said. “He’s so incredible. If there was a vote for God, I would vote for him.” Klosterman was voted the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. He led the Bruins with identical lines of 14 kills and three errors in 29 swings (.379) in both of UCLA’s NCAA Tournament matches. He also chipped in seven digs each match. The MIT students also made the trip to support sophomore libero Tony Ker, who played at Valencia High School with Dean. “I came to watch Tony, but I just love UCLA volleyball in general,” Dean said. “I’m so happy they won the national championship after going so long without winning.” The dominance the Bruins showed in defeating their opponents also showed the high caliber of UCLA. Not only did they defeat Indiana Purdue-Fort Wayne and Penn State, they swept both teams in three straight games. “It only took them six games to win the national championship, which is amazing considering how good the teams at the NCAA Tournament are,” Pamidimukkala said. “But that’s how they roll at UCLA.”

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Three Bruins received All-Tournament recognition for their efforts in the NCAA Championships. In addition to junior Klosterman, redshirt seniors Damien Scott and Dennis Gonzalez were honored as All-Tournament selections. Scott tallied 22 kills during the tournament, while Gonzalez contributed 77 set assists to lead the Bruins to a .291 hitting percentage. Considering the shoulder surgery Klosterman underwent last summer, his selection as the Most Outstanding Player is a testament to the effort he has put forth this season. “Steve went through major shoulder reconstruction last summer, which takes a lot of work to rehab, and it has been good to see him grow and improve so much this year,” UCLA coach Al Scates said. “Steve is a much better player than he’s ever been. He deserved the MVP award.” Other members of the All-Tournament team included UC Irvine’s Jayson Jablonsky, who was the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Player of the Year, and Penn State’s Dan O’Dell, Matt Proper and Nate Meerstein.

QUICK SETS: The No. 2 Bruins and No. 4 Penn State met for the fourth time in the NCAA Championship match, with UCLA owning a 3-1 advantage. ... Penn State is the only school east of the Mississippi River to have won a national volleyball championship. ... UCLA won the NCAA title on its opponent’s home floor for the third time. ... The Bruins’ victory gives UCLA a record of 52-7 in NCAA Tournament matches. ... This, UCLA’s first NCAA title of 2005-2006, is its 98th overall team championship.