Bruins must counteract Waves’ one-man show

Wednesday, January 27, 1999

Bruins must counteract Waves’ one-man show

PREVIEW: Pepperdine hopes Roumain’s powerful hitting enough to
beat UCLA again

By Pauline Vu

Daily Bruin Contributor

Don’t trust the schedule, which bills tonight’s match as "UCLA
vs. Pepperdine."

A more apt title would be "UCLA vs. George Roumain."

Because it will be Roumain – who at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds
looks more like a tight end than a volleyball opposite – who’s
going to pound some hail on the men’s volleyball team tonight.

"This will definitely be the George Roumain show," said UCLA
head coach Al Scates.

"(Pepperdine coach) Marv Dunphy sometimes says that he coaches
George and the assistant coaches coach the rest of the team."

Dunphy agrees with Scates on this point.

"I wish we had more George Roumains," he said of last year’s
undisputed Player of the Year selection and a key contender for the
same title this year.

After losing the Lewis game to the smart and slick play of
opposite hitter Victor Rivera, another Player of the Year
contender, No. 1 UCLA (2-1 overall, 1-0 MPSF) will have to face an
entirely different attack style from No. 4 Pepperdine (1-0, 5-0)
tonight in Pauley Pavilion at 7 p.m.

For instead of Rivera’s agile tips, dinks and cuts, the Bruins
will find in Roumain’s spikes just one thing – pure power.

"He hits the ball faster and heavier than anyone in the country,
including the National team players," Scates said.

Roumain also has an incredible jumping ability that is the force
behind his overpowering spikes.

"Our problem will be to jump high enough to face him. He takes
four or five steps first," Scates said.

To combat Roumain, who gets twice as many sets as any other
player and leads his team in kills with 127, the Bruins will have
to anticipate where he is and where he plans to hit the ball so
that they can place their best diggers there.

These diggers will be setter Brandon Taliaferro and outside
hitters Mark Williams and Fred Robins. They have 25, 34 and 24 digs
each, respectively.

But this presents another problem for the Bruins. Despite these
numbers, defensive digs is the only non-error category besides solo
blocks in which the Bruins significantly trail their opponents.

So far this season, opponents have out-dug the Bruins 166 to
139.

That is the Bruins’ only key weakness. Offensively the Bruins
stand firmly behind opposite Evan Thatcher and quick hitter Adam
Naeve, with 54 and 50 kills each. Robins, Williams and quick hitter
Danny Farmer follow with 47, 38 and 38 kills, respectively.

"UCLA has a good balance of talent offensively. That’s a
strength of its team and a weakness of ours," Dunphy said.

Although Roumain figures to be the centerpiece of Pepperdine’s
attack, he is not its only weapon.

Sophomore outside hitter Scott Wong, who last year won Freshman
of the Year honors from volleyball and the MPSF, is the team’s
second leader in kills with 88.

They also have a strong hitter in Keith Barnett, who not only
transferred from Los Angeles Pierce Community College to
Pepperdine, but from the setter position to outside hitter.

As the team’s third leader in kills with 46 so far this season,
and after hitting seven kills against UCSD, Barnett’s move has been
a smooth one.

Pepperdine’s major weakness will be the loss of three starters,
especially middle blockers Chris Jacobson and Rick Tune, who
combined for 600 kills and over 300 total blocks last year.

Currently Don Killian and Chris Van Reusen fill these positions.
Both are new to the Pepperdine lineup.

"They lost both of their middle blockers," Scates said, "but
they didn’t lose anyone in attacking. The key to beating Pepperdine
is to slow George Roumain and Scott Wong."

The Bruins also hope that Roumain will slowly tire throughout
the course of the match, eventually losing some of that
strength.

"We plan on (UCLA) doing well. They have good players," Dunphy
said of tonight’s match. But, he added,

"I hope we do well, too."

Despite Pepperdine’s defensive weaknesses and lower ranking,
with Roumain on the team UCLA will not underestimate the power nor
possibilities of one of just four teams that actually beat them
last year.

"Nothing will surprise us about Pepperdine. They can beat you
any time," Scates said.BAHMAN FARAHDEL/Daily Bruin

Junior Evan Thatcher blocks against UCSB.

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