License to Kill

Thursday, January 23, 1997

NIHIPALI:

Experience, skill make him a role model for the teamBy Jennifer
Kollenborn

Daily Bruin Contributor

Despite the chatter and buzz of the other students, senior Paul
Nihipali sat inside Viewpoint Cafe with his foot on his knee and
gazed out the window.

The students studying at the other tables peered over to get a
glimpse of their fellow Bruin dressed in blue and white. However,
Nihipali was oblivious to their attention as he contemplated his
first intentions for pursuing volleyball.

When Paul Nihipali first played volleyball in junior high at
Bernardo Yorba, he never knew he would play volleyball in
college.

"The weird thing was, I think early in high school I knew that I
wanted to play volleyball in college, but I never focused on
volleyball until I was a senior in high school," Nihipali said.

"I was more interested in football. My friends played football
so I played football, and I also grew up playing basketball. Then I
got into high jumping.

"Then, my senior year I said, ‘OK. I’m going to go for
volleyball. I’m going to do it,’" Nihipali said.

Nihipali zeroed in on volleyball when he first began to play
club volleyball for Balboa Bay.

"(I) liked the fast-paced tempo of volleyball," Nihipali said.
"It’s really a quick game and takes a lot of athletic ability to be
good at volleyball. It caters to the things I do like jumping high
and being quick. You go with what you’re best at, and I was best at
volleyball.

"I went to Junior Olympics like all the other kids; that’s how
you get a scholarship."

Nihipali’s success in volleyball at UCLA surpasses the average
Bruin.

"He’s an All-American," former teammate John Speraw said.

As a freshman, Nihipali earned 1994 NCAA All-Tournament honors
and third-team All-MPSF All-Freshman of the year. He also finished
second in balloting as AVCA Freshman of the Year.

In his sophomore year (1995), Nihipali earned second-team AVCA
All-American honors and first team All-MPSF while leading UCLA in
kills with 525.

Despite the shoulder injury he suffered his junior year,
Nihipali earned 1996 first-team AVCA All-American and All-MPSF
honors. In the league championship semifinals against UC Santa
Barbara, Nihipali spiked 52 kills to take the school record.

"In 1996, in the playoffs against Santa Barbara, I don’t know
why, but his arm didn’t hurt him. He had 52 kills and 88 swings and
we beat Santa Barbara 15-13 in the fifth. In my opinion, Santa
Barbara was the best team in the country," head coach Al Scates
said.

Nihipali enters the 1997 season as a candidate for player of the
year. He is on pace to break Jeff Nygaard’s UCLA record of 1,800
career kills and season mark of 650 kills.

"I’ve played with Paul for a year and I know when (the ball)
gets set, Paul will put it away," teammate Tom Stillwell said. "I
think he deserves (player of the year). He’s been here three years,
and he’s been in the finals each year leading our team as an
opposite."

As a senior captain, Nihipali will focus on leading his team to
the NCAA finals with his experience.

"I definitely think that I just have to step up with my
experience," Nihipali said. "I’ve been there and many of the guys
in our program haven’t. We’re a really young program with an
enormous amount of talent.

"I’ve had three years under mine and Al’s belt, and I know
exactly what it is that they’re looking for on the court."

"(This year) Paul has become more of a leader," Stein Metzger, a
former teammate of Nihipali, said. "The other players look up to
him; he has matured."