This week, to the Bruins’ dismay, has been full of
surprises.
Wednesday’s unexpected loss against Lewis, coupled with
the possibility of sophomore setter Jimmy Sepulveda quitting the
team mid-season, signified a halt to UCLA’s improvement in
conference play.
And to continue the trend of facing the unexpected, the No. 9
Bruins (11-9, 7-7 MPSF) will be matched against No. 4 UCI (15-5,
8-5 MPSF), which has been a surprise in the MPSF conference with
its school-record 15 wins this season under first-year head coach
John Speraw.
“We just want to get our respect back,” UCLA
redshirt freshman setter Dennis Gonzalez said.
The Bruins will travel to Crawford Hall on the UCI campus to
compete against the Anteaters. Having dropped a five-game loss to
UCI on Jan. 17, UCLA aims at reclaiming a win.
“We’re now playing to win (against UCI), and not
playing for experience as we had in the last game,” head
coach Al Scates said.
With this resolution, the Bruin starting roster may undergo some
changes.
Gonzalez and senior captain Rich Nelson saw equal playing time
in the Lewis match. Who will fill the starting setter position
tonight remains a mystery.
“Both of them could play in the setter position,”
Scates said. “We’ll just have to see.”
At outside hitter, redshirt junior Jesse Debbon and redshirt
freshman Brennan Prahler excelled against Lewis, and may both see
more playing time tonight.
The Bruins also anticipate working on blocking and defensive
play, which has been a consistent weakness for the team.
The changes made within the team haven’t settled so easily
for the Bruins. While Gonzalez’s role may challenge
Nelson’s position on Friday, team members also feel slightly
shaken.
“It’s definitely a change,” senior quick
hitter Scott Morrow said. “We need time to get used to
it.”
At least a few things have remained consistent.
“Looking at the statistics of the games, everything
(between UCLA and UCI) is very similar,” Scates said.
“They’ll have a slight advantage of playing at home,
but we’ve had some wins in their gym.”
Outside hitter Gray Garrett shares the sentiment.
“We’re all looking forward to this match.
We’re confident. We want to win,” he said.