Sullivan not looking for repeat performance
Captain motivated for new season after 1994 upset
By Eric Branch
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
For most collegiate athletic programs second-place trophies are
given their due respect. They are given a proper place in the
athletic department’s display case as a sign of a gutty squad who
just missed a title.
However, for the UCLA men’s volleyball program, winners of 14
NCAA titles in the past 25 years, runner-up trophies serve a
slightly different purpose, kindling. Or in the case of Bruin
senior swing hitter Erik Sullivan they can be transformed into
flying projectiles. You see dynasties take to the bridesmaid role
about as well as a snail to pretzels.
Last year, after the Bruins were victims of the biggest upset in
volleyball history, a five-game loss to Penn State in the national
championship match, Sullivan sent his replica of the second-place
trophy skidding across the floor of Allen County Memorial Stadium
in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Perhaps it was fitting for Sullivan to give the hardware the
inevitable toss. Entering his second year as the Bruin’s captain,
Sullivan is the floor general of a loaded Bruin squad.
"It was a case of pure frustration last year," Sullivan said.
"Some people made a big deal of (the toss) but it wasn’t that big
of a deal. I guess something had to be done after a loss that
painful."
While the memory of Fort Wayne should be sufficient motivation
to carry the Bruins throughout the year, Sullivan serves as an
insurance policy should anyone waver.
"The seniors are coming into this season extremely focused,"
UCLA head coach Al Scates said. "If that changes throughout the
year I know Sullivan will be there to take care of things. The team
voted him captain this year and it was a popular election."
Although Sullivan might be the emotional pulse of the Bruins, he
is substantially more than a cheerleader in a volleyball uniform. A
1994 American Volleyball Coaches Association second-team
All-American, Sullivan has lead UCLA in digs for the past two
seasons. Considered one of the best passers in the country,
Sullivan orchestrates a Bruin offense in which five hitters could
swing at the ball on any play.
"He has to be on his game every night," Scates said. "Opponents
often try to serve him every ball during a match so he can’t afford
to be off. We can’t run our offense without a good pass so he has
to be prepared for every match we play. Obviously we have someone
backing him up in case he isn’t, but he hasn’t let that person off
the bench in three years."
It is rather unlikely that trend will be broken in ’95. As the
season kicks off in Santa Barbara this weekend the memory of the
Penn State match is still fresh in Sullivan’s mind.
"Last year there were several times when we let down a little,"
Sullivan said. "But I don’t see that as being a problem this year.
As strange as it sounds, that loss might have been the best thing
to happen to us. You don’t forget matches like that very
easily."