Letters to the sports desk

Pepperdine a deserving champion

Hey, David. I have been following the UCLA volleyball team all
season and was disappointed with the results on Saturday. Your
article, “Don’t hate waves because they won,”
(May 9) was terrific. We had our chance to win but did not get the
job done. Those blocks by Pepperdine in the fifth game and our
unforced errors showed who was the 2005 champion. I volunteer with
youth sports and your article expresses my thoughts precisely as I
watch my own young football players compete. Thanks again for a
mature spin on an exciting contest!

Hank Lopez

UCLA volleyball team denied school spirit

Sitting amid nearly 7,000 people, I thought that the men’s
volleyball team was destined for a ring. However, on Saturday
night, something went terribly wrong in Pauley Pavilion.

As the game went on into its fifth and final game, UCLA fans saw
Pepperdine surge ahead 8-1. At a time like this, it was only
Pepperdine’s momentum that was keeping the Bruins from making
that crucial comeback we all hoped for. That’s where the fans
should have risen to the occasion.

The school spirit has been on a downward spiral since I got here
in 2002. And the Daily Bruin does nothing but encourage this
negative sentiment. Distraught after their loss on Saturday, the
Bruins needed anything but a big, bold headline on the back of
their school paper saying “DENIED.”

The only thing denied our volleyball team on Saturday night was
school spirit. That headline is typical of the attitude the Daily
Bruin has displayed towards UCLA sports and athletes over the last
few years. Instead of highlighting the incredible season the
men’s team had, they chose to honor Pepperdine’s
victory with a love letter to Sean Rooney.

Still confused if this is the Daily Wave or not? David Regan,
author of “Don’t hate waves because they won,”
tells UCLA fans “forget about UCLA for a second and consider
Pepperdine.” Only at UCLA would a writer for the
school’s newspaper decide to use this agonizing loss as a
chance to praise our opponent. While I understand journalistic
objectivity, David’s desire for us to “forget”
where we go to school for “a second” echoes the
non-existence of fan support this weekend. We should never forget
where we go to school. We should never forget about the outstanding
performances of our six seniors this season. As for David, you
should start a Facebook group called “The I Love Sean Rooney
Fan Club.”

Miriam Denard Third-year, African
Americanstudies

Acosta deserves MOP Award

I agree wholeheartedly with your last article “
Don’t hate waves because they won.” I believe people
should not confuse MVP with MOP. The Most Outstanding Player of the
Final Four Tournament was clearly Jonathan Acosta. I watched all
the games and whether you go off statistics or watching the games,
he was clearly the best player in the series. UCLA should be very
proud of his performance. The NCAA should be more creative and
award Co-MVPs or recognize the MOP. My comments are not meant to
take anything away from Sean Rooney.

Virginia Genovese