While the UCLA men’s volleyball team leaves for a foreign
land in Provo, Utah today, its starting lineup for the Mountain
Pacific Sports Federation semifinal against Long Beach State on
Thursday will be in a familiar state ““ unsettled. The starter
at opposite hitter will be determined by practices in the coming
days. “As usual, as usual,” coach Al Scates said
Monday. At opposite, freshman Steve Klosterman might have the edge
after coming off the bench to tie a team-high with 11 kills in
Saturday’s sweep of Hawai’i. He had missed the previous
match against UC Santa Barbara due to shoulder tendinitis. Senior
Marcin Jagoda started, but was replaced after a Game 1 in which he
failed to record a kill and had two hitting errors. “It was
an easy gamble for me to start (Jagoda),” Scates said.
“If he wasn’t playing well, I could have just yanked
him and played Steve.” Regardless of who starts, the depth is
sure to come in handy during UCLA’s championship run.
“Me and (Jagoda) have been going back and forth all
season,” Klosterman said. “We try to pick up where the
other leaves off. We are both pretty used to that. “Our team
is a special case because we are the only team in the nation that
has two starting teams. Even in practice no one knows who is
starting. Everyone has to be ready to go all the time.”
HONOR ROLL: Libero Adam Shrader earned
first-team All-MPSF honors as the results of a vote by conference
coaches were announced Friday. It was his second first-team
selection and his fourth career conference award. Middle blocker
Chris Peña and Paul Johnson won second-team and third-team
honors, respectively, and Klosterman, setter Dennis Gonzalez and
outside hitter Kris Kraushaar won honorable mentions.
“It’s nice, but it’s a team sport,”
Kraushaar said. “To win the national championship ““
that’s our goal.” LIFE’S A
BEACH: Volunteer assistant coach Jeff Nygaard and partner
Dain Blanton, the No. 8-seeded team in the AVP Tempe Open, were
eliminated from the tournament on Saturday. The No. 6-seeded team
of former UCLA great Karch Kiraly and Mike Lambert, the eventual
runners-up, beat them 21-13, 20-22, 23-21.
With reports from Daniel Miller, Bruin sports senior
staff.