It’s been a time-honored tradition for the storied UCLA
men’s volleyball program for over 30 years.
If you ask coach Al Scates about it, he’ll say that he
uses it for safety precautions.
But if you ask the players, they’ll tell you that the blue
curtain that separates the first two teams from the third and
fourth-string teams at practice is the main reason the top-ranked
Bruins have stayed on top for so many years.
“It is completely a motivational force,” said senior
Allan Vince, who spent much of his earlier career behind the
curtain. “The competition is intense every day because no one
wants to be sent down to the second court.”
Draped from the rafters of the Student Activities Center, the
curtain serves as a boundary between the team’s two practice
courts. The way it’s positioned, the curtain entirely shields
the players on the lower court from the view of Scates or the other
coaching staff.
“It is really difficult playing on that second
court,” redshirt sophomore Paul George said. “You just
practice for that slight moment when the coach may come over and
see you.”
Many of the best players in Bruins’ history and current
seniors Brennan Prahler, Paul Johnson and Jonathan Acosta, have all
spent time on the second court before moving into the starting
lineup.
“It’s a difficult process for most players,”
Scates said. “Some respond differently than others, but the
best players eventually find their way to the top.”
One player who stands out in Scates’ mind in particular is
former All-American John Speraw, who played for four seasons behind
the blue curtain before finally moving to the first team.
“There have been a lot of players who come off the second
court their fifth year, but he was a real factor on our
championship team,” Scates said.
Throughout his tenure at UCLA, Scates has been able to use the
curtain because of the Bruins’ tremendous depth and his
willingness to interchange players at any time. Consequently, all
players, whether scholarship athletes or walk-ons, know they might
have to practice in an environment where their coach doesn’t
even watch them.
“It’s a tough thing to do,” Scates said.
“I don’t like to do it, but when you bring someone up,
you have to send someone down.”
Already this year, three players, Gaby Acevedo, Steve Klosterman
and Tony Ker, have been replaced in the starting lineup at
different points in the season.
And though none of them have been moved to the other side of the
curtain, the barrier stands as a looming threat that increases the
intensity of practices.
The competition is fueled by the fact that the first and second
teams scrimmage against each other every day in practice, with
personnel changes often made right on the spot.
“The competition at practice is amazing,” Vince
said. “Coach doesn’t play any favorites, and if you
have a day off, it could lead you to the second team.”
And once on the second team, players are menacingly near to
falling into a position where they will find it difficult to
impress their coach in practice.
There have many been players, in fact, who have started for the
Bruins in their freshman seasons but never saw the first court
again after being sent down to the lower court.
Sophomore Beau Peters started eight matches for the Bruins last
year, but decided to redshirt this season after getting moved
behind the curtain.
“It’s a very difficult thing to play on the second
court knowing you can play with the starters,” Peters
said.
The only comfort that players like Peters have is the fact that
the third team scrimmages the second team before the day of a
game.
“It’s the only time the third team has a chance to
prove themselves,” George said .
“The scrimmage is intense, and the players have nothing to
lose.”
One player who has benefited from that scrimmage is fifth-year
senior Prahler, who moved from the third team to the starting
lineup just last week.
And after spending the greater part of his career behind the
curtain, Prahler responded with 10 kills and 4 blocks in his first
start of the season.
“Brennan just came out of nowhere and played really well
in Friday’s match,” Scates said. “It just goes to
show you how much depth we have.”
That depth will be on display tonight as the Bruins (12-1, 8-1
MPSF) host ninth-ranked Stanford (4-8, 3-6) in a match that could
feature a different Bruin starting lineup from the last match. And
though UCLA is heavily favored, it’s safe to say the Bruins
won’t take it easy against the Cardinal.
Scates’ watchful eye on his players’ performances
tends to have that effect.
Because they know that if they slip up, it could be a while
before their coach watches them again.