It’s rivalry time again.
The No. 7 UCLA men’s volleyball team (14-10, 9-8 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) is traveling down the I-10 to visit No. 6 USC (12-9, 9-8) Saturday night for their second meeting and USC’s final home match of the regular season.
UCLA coach Al Scates’s starting lineup, this time, is not as clear.
Redshirt sophomore Ryal Jagd has been cleared to play after a scary moment in Wednesday’s match when he fell into the press table and had to get eight stitches.
Also, redshirt sophomore Jeremy Casebeer practiced Thursday after spraining his ankle last week, and redshirt junior Dylan Bowermaster is also available. All players are competing for the position of second outside hitter for Saturday’s match at the Galen Center.
Scates has not decided, but Jagd was dominating for the Bruins Wednesday night, while Bowermaster was struggling and Casebeer is just coming back from an injury. Jagd slammed 10 kills and made six key digs.
And Saturday’s match marks UCLA’s third in a five-match road trip before a pair of home matches to close the regular season.
UCLA, currently at sixth place in the conference, is in good position to finish in the top eight, earning a MPSF Tournament bid.
Scates will also be coaching for win No. 1,200 in his 48-year UCLA coaching career.
Compiled by Farzad Mashhood, Bruin Sports senior staff.