On paper, the contest looked like a mismatch, pitting the
vaunted No. 1 Bruins against USC, the MPSF cellar-dweller.
But on the volleyball court, Thursday night’s match
between the crosstown rivals was much closer than UCLA
expected.
In a hard-fought battle in which players from both teams were
thoroughly exhausted and suffering cramps by the match’s end,
the Bruins outlasted the Trojans 3-1 (29-31, 30-25, 30-28, 30-27)
in front of a hostile crowd at USC’s North Gym.
“It seems like every year, no matter what their record is,
USC comes out and plays tough against us,” senior Jonathan
Acosta said. “We really showed a lot of perseverance
tonight.”
And the Bruins needed to, not only to combat a feisty USC (5-17,
1-13 MPSF) squad, but to stay focused in the intense
atmosphere.
While the arena only held 500 people, its short 20-foot ceiling,
coupled with the USC band playing on a terrace overhanging the
court, created a very difficult set of circumstances for the Bruins
to play through.
“I think you could say the crowd was overwhelmingly
pro-Trojan tonight,” UCLA coach Al Scates said. “It was
a really different atmosphere than what we’re used to.
“I’m glad we kept ourselves in the match despite all
the extra distractions.”
On the night, the Bruins (18-2, 13-2) featured a balanced attack
of four players registering double-digit kills, while as a team
UCLA compiled a season-high 15.5 blocks. But for a while the Bruins
did not look to be in control of the match.
In the first game, UCLA committed 12 hitting errors and finished
with a .114 hitting percentage. Though the Bruins led 29-28 with a
chance to win the game, they lost the last three points,
culminating in consecutive hitting errors by senior Allan Vince and
sophomore Steve Klosterman.
“I thought we came out a little too emotional
tonight,” Scates said. “Our outside hitters were not
having any success in the first game, and we may have got a little
frustrated.”
The Bruins’ emotions boiled over at the end of the second
game when UCLA setter Dennis Gonzalez exchanged words with Trojan
outside hitter Fernando Barron, but the Bruins settled down and
were able to claim the last three games.
“I can’t afford my setter to get emotional like
that,” Scates said. “But I understand the importance of
the rivalry.”
Gonzalez finished the match with a game-high 51 assists and
provided all the emotional uplift the Bruins would need on the
night.
“For me personally, I get very emotional on the court, and
I think you definitely need that in a rivalry game like USC,”
Gonzalez said. “At the same time, you can’t lose
control, and I was glad my teammates were able to calm me
down.”
While UCLA was able to outlast USC, the schedule does not get
any easier for the Bruins, who must quickly prepare for their
biggest game of the season when they face No. 2 Pepperdine on
Saturday.