After a dominant showing on a five-match road trip, the men’s volleyball team will enjoy eight straight home matches as its reward, starting tonight against Cal State Northridge.
But the No. 4 Bruins (8-6, 7-4 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) can’t feel too comfy at home because they must face the No. 1 team in the nation in the Matadors (11-3, 8-3) tonight in their first match at Pauley Pavilion since late January.
Senior setter Kevin Ker knows the level of competition CSUN brings and says his team will be prepared for the challenge.
“We’re playing the No. 1 team in the country, so it’s a big deal,” Ker said. “Everyone always wants to play good against the best team in the country, so we’re ready to come out and play.”
Sophomore quick hitter Nick Vogel said the energy gained during the Bruins’ away victories will stay with them at Pauley Pavilion.
“I think road momentum definitely carries into home momentum,” Vogel said. “Especially in that it’s so much harder to win on the road with other fans in your face, and just everything going into an unfamiliar gym, unfamiliar team, so it’s great to be back in a place that we’re all comfortable playing in.”
The Bruins have been running high on momentum since dominating the Matadors in the Matadome earlier this season. A win tonight would give the Bruins a season sweep over the nation’s top team and would likely be a factor later this season in their postseason MPSF tournament berth.. Despite the Bruins’ win last month, however, UCLA coach Al Scates expects to see a CSUN team at the top of its game.
The Matadors possess a dominant hitter in senior middle blocker Kevin McKniff, who hits a whopping .481 clip. The closest Bruin is sophomore quick hitter Thomas Amberg, who hits .423.
The Matadors’ aggressive serving, Scates said, wears them down toward the end of the season, but for now, CSUN is sitting atop the conference.
“They don’t get tired and sore until about April, late March,” Scates said. “Right now, they’re in their peak.”
Scates mentioned junior opposite Tanner Nua as a threat because of his serving ability. As of Sunday, Nua ranked second in the MPSF in service aces, averaging .44 aces a game.
“He’s really bringing it,” Scates said. “He was making a lot of errors the last time we played him, but now he’s apparently scoring more than anybody on their team.”
Scates made some substitutions late in the UC Santa Barbara match and was pleased with the play of redshirt sophomore quick hitter Weston Dunlap.
“He’s been playing well in practice, and that gives even more strength in the middle,” Scates said.