You’d think that the sun, sand and waves might distract
the UCLA men’s volleyball team when it travels to Oahu for a
pair of matches against Hawai’i tonight and Saturday.
But the only thing distracting the No. 2 Bruins is
Hawai’i’s No. 1 ranking ““ the Bruins want it.
“I think guys will stay out of the sun,” senior
opposite hitter Marcin Jagoda said. “Playing there is like
playing nowhere else. They are going to be a great
matches.”
While UCLA coach Al Scates does not question his team’s
resolve to knock off the Warriors (10-2, 7-1 MPSF), he has a policy
in place to make sure the players focus.
“Anyone who shows up with a sunburn doesn’t
play,” he said.
For UCLA, the task at hand merits all the attention the Bruins
(12-2, 7-2 MPSF) can muster. The Warriors are led by Delano Thomas
and Pedro Azenha ““ both high-powered outside hitters who
average over four kills a game.
“Thomas hits it hard and high and he has a terrific jump
serve,” Scates said. “All their hitters are good but he
is the most difficult to stop.”
Scates has said that the Warriors have no obvious weakness, but
the Bruins know a formula for their own success against
Hawai’i.
“In our two losses this season we have come out
timid,” Jagoda said. “We can’t come out timid. We
have to dominate.”
If the Bruins come out timid, the spirited Hawai’i fans
will let loose on UCLA. Hawai’i plays its matches at the Stan
Sheriff Center, a large arena similar in size to Pauley Pavilion.
The difference is, the Warriors fill the Stan Sheriff Center with
animated fans, while Pauley is very rarely anywhere near capacity
for men’s volleyball matches.
“It’s awesome to play there,” senior libero
Adam Shrader said. “There is no one there yelling out
specific taunts, everyone there is just pro-Hawai’i, and they
make a lot of noise for Hawai’i. Most of the fans are
families and older adults, because (volleyball) is like the only
sport out there. In Hawai’i there are no pro teams, so the
games are huge. It’s like going to an NBA game.”
Last season, the Bruins were swept by the Warriors and, while
UCLA leads the all-time series 41-14, it has won just seven of the
last 12 matches against Hawai’i.
While last year’s UCLA team was the worst in school
history, Scates knows that the Warriors’ success against the
Bruins in 2003 was not an anomaly.
So, he too will keep from getting distracted while in
Hawaii.
“I used to play golf the day of the match when we were
hammering them,” Scates said. “But those days are gone
““ they are too competitive.”