The UCLA men’s volleyball team will go into its preseason
match against the Team Canada Masters tonight at the Wooden Center
banged up.
Senior middle blocker Scott Morrow had surgery on his torn knee
tendon Thursday and will be out of the match. He suffered the
injury last season in March.
“It hasn’t healed like we thought it would,”
head coach Al Scates said.
The earliest Morrow will be able to return to play is when the
regular season begins in January. Even then, the all-conference
player will not be at full strength until May.
Sophomore Paul Johnson will start for Morrow. Highly touted
freshman Patrick Nihipali starred as a middle blocker in high
school and Scates calls him the best blocker on the team, but he
will move to an outside hitter position at UCLA.
Senior setter Rich Nelson is also out for the match with a
jammed thumb. Either freshman Dennis Gonzalez or sophomore Jimmy
Sepulveda will start.
Against the Team Canada Masters, a squad of 30-and-overs, the
Bruins will get a chance to compete amongst themselves for starting
positions.
Sophomore J.T. Wenger and junior Allan Vince are competing for
Cameron Mount’s opposite hitter spot. Mount was ruled
ineligible for the season last month.
Junior Jesse Debban and sophomore Kris Kraushaar are up for the
outside hitter spot that Matt Komer left behind.
Junior Parker Smith played outside hitter last season, but
according to Scates, he has not played well enough to merit a spot
on the first practice court.
The match against Team Canada will feature four 35-point
quarters, played to 140 points, the format that was used in an
exhibition match against UCLA alumni Oct. 25.
UCLA took three out of four games from Team Canada in last
year’s match.
“They’ll be good,” Scates said.
“We’re expecting a tough match.”