The UCLA men’s volleyball match on Saturday night will be
a special occasion, and it’s not just because bottom-dwelling
USC is coming to Pauley Pavilion.
For the first time in the 26-year history of the annual Kirk
Kilgour Cup, the man of the match won’t be around to hear the
final score. Kilgour, a former three-time All-American for UCLA,
died last July at age 54.
“It’s important that we play well in his
honor,” UCLA head coach Al Scates said. “It will be an
emotional night for those of us who knew him.”
Kilgour was a quadriplegic who never let his disability stop
him. He was confined to a wheelchair since bruising his spinal cord
in a 1976 training accident while coaching the Italian National
Team.
The 6-foot-5 outside/quick hitter was dominant for UCLA from
1969-71, leading the Bruins to their first two NCAA titles in his
final two seasons. He then made the U.S. Olympic team in 1972 and
became the first American to play professionally in Italy, where he
suffered the spinal injury.
After the accident, Kilgour became a sports broadcaster and an
advocate for disabled persons, filing a lawsuit in 1992 against the
Rose Bowl that led to accessible press boxes for the disabled. He
also went on to become an actor, writer, producer and motivational
speaker.
“He was one of the most inspirational men I’ve ever
met,” Scates said. “He seemed to never have a bad day.
He lived all that time in that chair and was just so
positive.”
In the past, the Kilgour Cup was played to raise funds for
Kilgour. UCLA is now working on using the proceeds to create a
scholarship fund for a disabled UCLA student.
The Bruins have been wearing Kilgour’s No. 13 on their
left sleeves all season. On Saturday, they will need to wear their
hearts on their sleeves as well.
“It’s a huge match,” Scates said. “We
can’t lose to ‘SC. We have to beat people who are below
us.
“Besides, we love to beat ‘SC all the time. I
don’t care what their record is.”
UCLA (5-7, 2-6 MPSF) is coming off of a 3-1 loss to Pepperdine
on Wednesday. But the No. 12 Bruins have already beaten the
unranked Trojans (3-9, 1-7) in January’s UC Santa Barbara
tournament 3-1.
“We’ll have the confidence to take it to
them,” sophomore opposite hitter Allan Vince said.