Man on a mission

Thursday, April 9, 1998

Man on a mission

STILLWELL: Several factors motivate senior volleyball captain
Tom Stillwell to achieve his goals

By Grace Wen

Daily Bruin Staff

If there is anything missing from Tom Stillwell’s life, it
certainly isn’t motivation.

The senior captain of the UCLA men’s volleyball team has always
possessed a desire to win, but perhaps he has added incentives this
year.

*He plays for UCLA, a program whose only goal each year is to
win the national championship.

*The men’s volleyball team lost the title match for the national
championship in 1997.

*It is his senior season.

*He has yet to win a national championship with Brandon
Taliaferro or Adam Naeve.

*His mother is fighting cancer.

For four years, Stillwell has been a mainstay on the UCLA men’s
volleyball team. He has won two national championships, and UCLA
has played in the finals each year during his career.

Motivation No. 1 – UCLA’s one and only goal, every year, is to
win a national championship.

UCLA has won 16 national championships since 1970 and has played
in five consecutive finals since 1993.

The 6-foot-8-inch blocker has set his sights on a national
championship, and anything less will not suffice.

As UCLA prepares itself for a championship run, Stillwell finds
himself in a familiar position of leading the charge.

However, it wasn’t always that way. Stillwell redshirted his
first year in the program and spent most of the time working on the
fundamentals and trying to increase his strength.

"I really liked his jumping ability," UCLA head coach Al Scates
said. "He had tremendous vertical jump, but he was very raw. I was
just impressed with his vertical jump and his quickness.

"He was the kind of athlete you could train, spend a year
redshirting and teach him the game, and then he’d produce. He
certainly did that for us."

In the following year, as a redshirt freshman, Stillwell played
in only 10 matches. Though he played the most of any freshman that
year, Stillwell realized that he had to wait his turn for the
chance to compete.

"The second year, I sat behind (Jeff) Nygaard and (John)
Speraw," Stillwell said. "That was one of the greatest teams. Those
guys were both seniors, and they were both really experienced.
There were times I came in and played a lot, but I wasn’t good
enough to start at that point."

His sophomore year was a completely different story. Stillwell
played in 29 matches and set school records for blocking average
(2.09) and single season block assists (196). He led both the
nation and the conference in blocking.

In the championship match, Stillwell hit .500 with 22 kills and
blocked 12 balls en route to being named to the All-Tournament
team. He finished the year averaging 2.1 blocks per game and
hitting .435.

For Stillwell, winning the championship in 1996 at home was the
happiest moment of his career. He has said that nothing will beat
that experience with the exception of winning a championship this
year which leads to:

Motivations No. 2 and No. 3 – UCLA lost the championship match
in 1997, and this is his senior year.

1997 looked like a questionable year for the Bruins. Despite
winning the national championship the previous year, the Bruins
suffered the loss of two integral members of that squad. AVCA
co-Player of the Year Stein Metzger and outside hitter Brian Wells
both graduated, leaving UCLA with a few holes to fill.

However, it didn’t matter since UCLA is a program that never has
to rebuild. The Bruins added two top-notch freshmen, Brandon
Taliaferro and Adam Naeve, and came within two points of winning
the title match.

Unlike 1996, Stillwell did not have a hand in the championship.
In fact, he hindered the cause. Throughout the night Stillwell
struggled with his blocking and hitting. Eventually he was replaced
by Danny Farmer.

"When we lost last year, it was by far the worst moment (of my
career), Stillwell said. "It was upsetting because I had had one of
my best games in ’96 when we won the title, and then I came back
and had pretty much my worst game given the (same) situation in the
next year. And then we won in one and lost in the other so
obviously it made me feel responsible. I don’t intend on that
happening again this year."

Losing the championship one year would give anyone added
motivation, but Stillwell has said that regardless of the loss, he
is still self-motivated to win.

That mentality has shown as the Bruins have amassed over 20
victories this year under his captainship.

"He’s stepping up like a fifth-year senior captain should,"
setter Brandon Taliaferro said. "His blocking is fantastic. He’s
consistently putting balls away. He does the little things. He’s a
great leader; that’s what we expect of him."

A quiet player by his own admittance, the role of captain has
forced Stillwell to assume a more vocal role.

"From last year to this year, it’s a big difference being the
captain sometimes," he said. "I was quiet last year. I didn’t have
to say anything, just worry about my own game and focus in on
myself. If I’m playing bad, I still need to worry about other guys,
keep them, up, tell them it’s okay."

Motivation No. 4 – winning a national championship with Brandon
Taliaferro and Adam Naeve.

As the owner of two championship rings, Stillwell has little
left to accomplish.

Although the win in 1996 stands as his greatest moment, he still
feels his volleyball career would be incomplete if he does not win
a title with the two super sophomores.

"You know, I’ve won one before, but it was a totally different
team," Stillwell said. "There’s only two guys back from that team.
It’s like I’m on a different team.

"I really want to win one with those guys. I feel that those
guys are top-quality players, and there’s no reason we shouldn’t so
with us losing last year; I kind of owe it to them. We kind of owe
it to each other. I want to be celebrating with them."

Motivation No. 5 – His mother is battling cancer.

During every volleyball match, Stillwell wears a kneepad that
says "Get Well Mom." His motivation to win this year has been
increased by his mother’s illness.

"I always try to do stuff for her when it comes to winning,"
Stillwell said quietly. "I know she’s happier when I win. It’s just
a little thing for me to show her that I’m thinking about her all
the time.

"And I hope that when she’s not there, a lot of the games she
hasn’t been able to be there, that I’m still thinking about her,
that I still am trying to pull them out for her."

As his final season winds down, Stillwell knows that his
volleyball career will not end in May. He hopes to train with the
national team and play overseas should the opportunities arise.

Winning a national championship may increase his chances to do
both. But Tom Stillwell has enough motivating factors in his life
already.PATRICK LAM/Daily Bruin

Volleyball captain Tom Stillwell looks for his third
championship ring.