It was an unfamiliar sight to Bruin volleyball fans.
Instead of soaring above the volleyball net and slamming down
kills in his No. 18 jersey, the four-time All-American was
comfortably sitting in the stands of Pauley Pavilion watching the
UCLA alumni match in jeans and a pullover sweatshirt, with slippers
hanging off his feet and his long legs stretched out into the
aisle.
Four years older and four years wiser since he left UCLA in
2001, former Bruin middle blocker Adam Naeve has returned to
Westwood and is a Bruin once again.
This time, however, he won’t be suiting up in a blue and
gold uniform. For the first time since he began playing at the age
of 14 for the Santa Monica Beach Club, volleyball will not be on
Naeve’s agenda.
This fall quarter, Naeve has returned to campus to pursue his
undergraduate degree in history. After already completing his
general education requirements while at UCLA from 1997 until 2001,
he is enrolled exclusively in history courses.
Like many other college students, Naeve is still not quite sure
what he will do once he graduates.
“I hear they have a pretty good career counseling center
here on campus, so I might stop by there,” Naeve laughingly
said.
Naeve’s list of accomplishments as a volleyball player at
UCLA are very difficult to rival.
Naeve is among the select few to have been chosen as an American
Volleyball Coaches Association’s four-time All-American;
three of his nominations were first-team selections. On this
exclusive list, he joins only five other men’s volleyball
players, one of whom was a fellow Bruin teammate and former setter
Brandon Taliaferro.
Naeve’s illustrious college career was highlighted by
three trips in four years to the Final Four, one in which the
Bruins were able to capture the national championship title. During
that season in 1998, the 6-foot-10-inch quick hitter was named the
MVP of the Final Four.
Though Naeve has had some of his greatest times in Pauley
Pavilion, he will never forget the night he and the 1998 Bruin
squad swept the Pepperdine Waves in the NCAA championship match
held in the Stan Sheriff Center at the University of Hawai’i
campus.
“All of the sudden the blood in your arteries is replaced
by pure joy, pumping and filling your body with emotions beyond
human explanation,” Naeve said about winning the NCAA
championship. “Then for at least the next 72 hours you are in
a state of bliss; a natural high that stays with you in some shape
or form for the rest of your life. Very few people will have that
opportunity and I just felt extremely fortunate to be able to win
in ’98.”
The long hiatus in Naeve’s studies can be accredited to
his remarkable volleyball talent and success while at UCLA.
He joined the U.S. men’s volleyball national team in the
summer of 2001 right after the Bruins had lost a disheartening
championship match to the BYU Cougars and after he had completed
his eligibility for the Bruins.
“I figured I’d go play volleyball while my body
still let me and when my body stopped working the way I wanted (it)
to, I would come back and finish up (my degree),” Naeve
said.
For four years, Naeve trained and played with the
country’s best volleyball players as a member of the U.S.
national team and competed against some of the best in the world.
While on his voyage around the globe, he made a lot of friendships
and experienced fanatical behavior he had never witnessed
before.
“Everywhere we went, either nobody cheered for us or they
booed, so that wasn’t too fun,” Naeve recalled.
“In Brazil, you know, they’re fanatical about
volleyball. When you play down there, you’re playing in front
of 15,000 screaming Brazilians and they all hate you. It’s
great.”
“Traveling the world and seeing the different cultures …
that’s changed my perspective a lot. I feel fortunate for
that experience.”
However, in August of 2004, Naeve’s volleyball career was
cut short and he missed the opportunity to compete in the Olympics
because of a foot injury. By the time he had finished his surgery
and rehabilitation, Naeve decided to retire from the sport he had
excelled in for thirteen years.
“It took a long time for me to make my decision and it was
tough, but once I did it, I was excited to leave,” Naeve
said. “I’m starting a new course.”
“I was able to compete at a pretty high level so I’m
happy with that accomplishment. Part of the reason why I stopped
playing is I just got burnt out. I was losing the fire to compete.
I always told myself once I lose that, there’s no reason to
play anymore. As a person, I don’t think I was improving like
I wanted to.”
Brian Rofer, an assistant coach for the men’s volleyball
team who recruited Naeve to play for UCLA, saw the growth Naeve
went through as a volleyball player and commended his decision to
return to school.
“(Adam) was definitely one of the better players to come
through (UCLA) and I think without injuries he’d still be
playing,” Rofer said. “He was probably one of the top
middle blockers to come out of this program.”
“It shows a lot of motivation and maturing on his part to
come back and finish school … (After) they go through that whole
professional aspect, it’s hard to come back and finish, but
he realizes the importance of getting his education.”
Unlike the careers in sports such as basketball and football,
professional opportunities after college volleyball for men are
limited. Volleyball players would be able to play in clubs
professionally in Europe, but with the exception of beach
volleyball, there are no such options in the U.S. This is why it is
important for even the most successful volleyball players such as
Naeve to obtain their college degrees.
“The medical retirement is … a good thing because to be
working through a chronic injury and knowing that it’s time
to get better, it’s best to just put things aside and
continue on with your life,” Rofer said. “It’s
good to know that he’s doing that.”
Naeve plans to take full advantage of his new student status,
unhampered by the demanding responsibilities that went along with
being a student-athlete.
“Before I started classes, I thought I’d be the
oldest one there; tons of young people around me and it would feel
strange, but I love it,” Naeve said. “I’m having
more fun now going back to school than before.”
One of the reasons that Naeve has been able to enjoy school more
in his return is due to the fact that school has become his main
focus.
“I have so much more time to study now. Before I had a
hard time managing my time between volleyball and classes, so I …
love just focusing on classes right now.”
Both Naeve and Rofer agree that with Naeve’s decision to
finish his degree, he will finally get to spread his wings and
mature.
“It’s strange being an athlete; everybody takes care
of you. You don’t have to do anything for yourself,”
Naeve said.
“Sometimes it’s hard to grow up when
everyone’s doing everything for you. So now, coming back to
school, I’m just another face in the crowd and I’m just
doing everything for myself. It’s a learning process, but I
think it’s great.”