[Who will be the next champ?]: Men's volleyball

Why They’ll Win: Hands down, the Bruins
are playing their best volleyball at the most important time of the
year. UCLA has won 10 straight matches, and it’s hard to
count coach Al Scates out when he has 18 national titles. The
Bruins have already played in the most hostile atmosphere they will
face in the playoffs, defeating Hawai’i on the road in front
of 6,000 people. The Bruins’ top hitter, Steve Klosterman, is
playing at a phenomenal level, and seniors Dennis Gonzalez and Nick
Scheftic have carried the Bruins with their energy. The reality is
that UCLA is only four wins away from a national title, and no one
in their conference has proven to be the team to beat. For a team
that was once 12-12, the Bruins would be the least likely of
national champions.

Why They’ll Lose: The Bruins finished
seventh in their conference for a reason. They were riddled with
inconsistency throughout the season and sustained injuries to their
top players. The Bruins have yet to defeat either of their next two
likely opponents (UC Irvine and Pepperdine) this season, and they
have struggled immensely at the beginning of matches. It will be
interesting to see whether Scates will continue to start struggling
freshman setter Matt Wade or go with Gonzalez. The Bruins have not
been able to come through in the postseason in the last five years,
as they have lost twice in the national title match. It will be
curious to see whether the Bruins can reverse that trend.

Outlook: 4, on a scale of 1 to 10.

The Bruins’ streak has to end some time, and there is just
too much pressure on them. The team could afford to lose last
season in the MPSF Tournament, but with another loss this year,
they’re eliminated. UCLA will most likely put up a valiant
effort in the MPSF Tournament, but come up short.