It’s a Natural ending as volleyball tops UCI
Top-ranked Bruins finish off regular
season with win
By Eric Branch
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
IRVINE — On paper last night’s regular season finale between
the No. 1 ranked UCLA men’s volleyball team and unranked UC Irvine
figured to be about as riveting as Dustin Hoffman’s infamous
box-office bust, Ishtar. However, after battling the fired-up
Anteaters for two hours the Bruins needed an ending reminiscent of
The Natural to finish off pesky UCI, 15-11, 15-5, 17-15.
After enduring an early first game defecit and fighting off two
game points in the final frame, the Bruins used swing hitter Kevin
Wong’s blazing jump serve to gain a tenuous 16-15 third-game
advantage. On game point, UCI overpassed another Wong laser which
swing hitter Erik Sullivan (nine kills, nine digs) blasted straight
down to seal the match.
Sullivan’s emphatic kill evoked memories of Roy Hobbs, as it
ricocheted off the Crawford Hall floor and caromed into the
scoreboard, ripping off a large section on impact.
"It was a great way to finish the regular season," Sullivan
said. "I knew I got all of the last (kill) after I saw it tear up
their scoreboard."
Despite the climactic ending, UCLA (26-1 overall, 19-0 in
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation), who would be the top-seed in
the MPSF playoffs regardless of the outcome, began the match as if
they were not quite ready for prime time. On its senior night, UCI
(9-14, 6-13) jumped on the Bruins for a 6-1 first-game lead.
"We were sitting around forever while they gave their seniors
roses and read their lifetime biographies," UCLA head coach Al
Scates said. "We should have insisted on another warmup. We came
out flatter than pancakes."
UCLA eventually loosened up enough to come back and seal the
first game as Sullivan and quick hitter Jeff Nygaard (20 kills, 10
digs) roofed Irvine go-to hitter Leland Quinn (match-high 25
kills).
The first game comeback triggered the 15 minute second-game
rout. The beating was highlighted by six kills from opposite Paul
Nihipali (18 kills) and an entertaining war of words between
Sullivan and Quinn.
"It all started when I told him he was too small to play
(volleyball) after college," Quinn said. "He was just telling me
that I was uncoordinated and my ballhandling was horrible. It was
fun."
UCLA escaped its third game defecit by relying not on Sullivan’s
tongue, but Wong’s jumper, which accounted for six of the Bruins’
last eight points and helped to silence the small but raucous
Irvine faithful.