Friday, 5/2/97 Lions hear Bruins roar UCLA wins five-game
catfight with Penn State behind strong play of freshmen
By Vytas Mazeika Daily Bruin Contributor COLUMBUS, Ohio —
Nobody seems to have told Adam Naeve and Brandon Taliaferro that
they are supposed to play like freshmen – not seasoned veterans.
And if Bruin Coach Al Scates has his way, no one will. With the
help of the two freshmen, the UCLA men’s volleyball team avenged
its season-opening loss to Penn State by prevailing in a
heart-pounding five-game thriller, 15-13, 13-15, 15-4, 10-15,
15-10, handing the Nittany Lions (29-2) their first loss in 28
matches. Naeve, a quick hitter, compiled a team-leading 28 kills
and a mind-boggling .595 hitting percentage to lead all starters.
His influence, though, was most felt in the crucial rally-scoring
fifth game. With UCLA (24-4) down 2-1, Naeve blocked the Lions’
best attacker, Ivan Contreras, to tie the game at two and followed
with an ace to give the Bruins a lead they would never relinquish.
And although Penn State would tie the score three more times, Naeve
would come up big time and time again. His next kill would give the
Bruins a 4-3 lead. Then, at 6-5, Naeve blocked a ball, leading to a
ball-handling error by Penn State, and then made a kill off the
block to extend the UCLA advantage to 8-5. He then forced a bad
pass with his serve that allowed fellow quick hitter Tom Stillwell
to make the game 12-8. Naeve would get one more kill to make the
score 13-9, and junior swing hitter Ben Moselle closed out the
match with a kill to give UCLA the victory. In all, Naeve
contributed to eight of the 15 points in the fifth game, and with
the crisp passing of an always-reliable Taliaferro, the Bruins
advanced to the finals for the fifth consecutive year. Although the
2 1/2 hour match featured many shifts in momentum, UCLA’s composure
allowed the Bruins to prevail. "I think we have been pretty steady
(emotionally this season)," Scates said. "We were a little flat
against Stanford (in our loss last Saturday) … Today we were more
business-like." For Penn State, two seniors played for the last
time. Swing hitter Jason Kepner struggled most of the match due to
his broken hand, while Ivan Contreras had a game-high 38 kills. "I
know this is not going to be the best way to end my career here and
(Kepner’s) career here," Contreras said. "But it had to end
someway. This has been the best team I have played with until now.
It plays with heart, so I’m not disappointed at all." Although
UCLA’s main offensive weapon, Paul Nihipali, did not enjoy as much
success as the freshmen, he had 27 kills in his penultimate game as
a Bruin. UCLA also received strong performances from swing hitter
Fred Robins (a game-high 16 digs), and from senior Trong Nguyen.
Nguyen served three quick points in the lopsided third game and
served two backbreaking serves in the fifth game that gave UCLA a
commanding 8-5 lead. With the victory, the Bruins advance to
Saturday’s NCAA title game, where they will meet Stanford (26-3)
for the third time this season. The teams split the first two
matches, with Stanford coming out on top most recently in the
Mountain Pacific Sports Federation final April 26. "I think the key
(to the final between UCLA and Stanford) will be which team blocks
the best," Penn State Coach Mark Pavlik said. "I am looking for a
close four- or five-game match (on Saturday)." UCLA def. Penn State
15-13, 13-15, 15-4, 10-15, 15-10 GENEVIEVE LIANG/Daily Bruin
Freshman Adam Naeve tamed the Penn State Nittany Lions with his
team-high 28 kills and .595 hitting percentage. GENEVIEVE
LIANG/Daily Bruin A small group of UCLA fans helps cheer the Bruins
on to a win.