Spikers ready for Ball State
No. 1 UCLA takes
on No. 5 Cardinals
in NCAA semifinal
By Eric Branch
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
SPRINGFIELD, Mass — The Ball State men’s volleyball team knows
exactly how it feels to beat up the town bully. However, they also
realize that the bully will get back up swinging.
The No. 1 UCLA Bruins (29-1), with their 14 national titles and
confident swagger, have long been regarded the bully of college
volleyball. However, their trademark strut was rudely interrupted
this season by Ball State, blemishing an otherwise perfect
season.
Tonight at 5:30 p.m. PST in the semifinals of the NCAA Final
Four, the Bruins look to exact a measure of revenge as they face
No. 5 Ball State (24-8) for the right to play for the national
championship.
"I’m more concerned with getting another title than avenging a
loss, but it would be nice to get some payback," senior quick
hitter Jeff Nygaard said. "The last time we faced them it was
pretty forgettable."
The travesty Nygaard speaks of is the Bruins March 3 meeting
with the Cardinals in the first round of the Hall of Fame Classic
in Springfield.
UCLA head coach Al Scates trekked his team across the country in
the middle of the season for the chance to play Penn State in the
tournament final. However, the Bruins never saw the team that upset
them in last year’s NCAA final. Instead, then No. 15 Ball State
bounced them in a first-round stunner, 15-5, 15-12, 15-11.
Since the setback, UCLA’s second in 56 matches, the Bruins have
reeled off 17 straight wins and taken 51 of 56 games during the
streak.
Ball State head coach Don Shondell realizes he may have provided
UCLA with the wake-up call they needed.
"I’m sure the loss to us woke them up," Shondell said. "They
came out flat and unfocused and we jumped on them.
"But I know they’ll be ready this time."
While in an eerie coincidence Penn State again awaits in the
other semifinal against Hawaii, Scates is fighting off the urge to
destroy his enemies.
"At this stage, revenging the losses to Ball State and Penn
State isn’t important," Scates said. "Winning the next two matches
is what’s important."
The Cardinals are led by 6-foot- 6-inch senior opposite Todd
Reimer. The 1995 second team All-American finished 13th in the
nation with 5.72 kills per game. Reimer also ranks sixth on the
all-time NCAA kills list with 1,997.
This year, Reimer is not looking for a repeat of Ball State’s
1994 semifinal exit to Penn State.
"I think last year we were just happy to get here," Reimer said.
"But this season we’re a little more experienced and confident.
Beating UCLA really showed us what we can do."
* * *
The winner of the UCLA-Ball State match will face the winner of
tonight’s 2:30 p.m. PST match between No. 2 Hawaii (18-5) and No. 3
Penn State (25-3) on Saturday night at 4:30 p.m. PST for the
national championship.
* * *
The American Volleyball Coaches Association announced their
All-American teams Thursday. For the second consecutive year, Jeff
Nygaard was named AVCA Player of the Year. Nygaard ranked third
nationally in blocking (2.0 per game), 11th in hitting percentage
(.470) and 20th in kills (5.1 per game).
Junior setter Stein Metzger joined Nygaard as a first-team
All-American after dishing out 17.3 assists per game  ranking
him third in the nation.
Senior swing hitter Erik Sullivan and sophomore opposite Paul
Nihipali were named second-team All-Americans.