For the UCLA men’s volleyball team, now is definitely a good time for a youth movement.
The Bruins have plenty of young players contributing at key spots on the floor, which has eased the process of waiting for two important juniors to return from injury.
Quick hitter Thomas Amberg and setter Kyle Caldwell both suffered injuries on Dec. 27, during the team’s first practice after taking a long break following the SAC Tournament in late November. Scates said he doesn’t expect Amberg or Caldwell to play again before No. 9 UCLA’s match against No. 12 Cal State Northridge on Jan. 19.
Despite the injuries, Scates isn’t worried.
“We have good middles, and we have good setters, so we’re fine,” Scates said.
Amberg re-injured a hand he hurt in fall practice and could tell something was wrong.
“I went for a block and I came down and I looked at my hand and I felt something funny. I felt like I did it again, because I remembered how it felt and I looked down and my hand was just covered in blood again.”
Amberg will see a hand specialist Friday to learn more about the status of his injury. Because of his appointment, he will not travel with the team to this weekend’s UC Santa Barbara Invitational.
Caldwell hurt his thumb while attempting a block and will see an orthapaedic surgeon today to see whether he sustained any ligament damage.
“I’m just starting to get full motion back in my hand,” Caldwell said.
“So it’s just depending on (comfort) because it is my hitting hand and I block with it so if I’m taking a ball off of it I’ve got to be able to play with it.”
While Amberg and Caldwell recuperate, Scates has been able to expand his lineup. Redshirt junior Weston Dunlap will get more time in the quick hitter rotation, as will redshirt junior Phil Darin. Scates praised both players for their perfomances in practice.
The setter position also shouldn’t be significantly affected. Redshirt junior Alex Scattaregia has been playing with the starters and will continue to do so.
The Bruins’ outside hitters might be the team’s most promising newcomers. Several young hitters, including Robart Page, Matt Hanley and Gonzalo Quiroga are getting playing time along with redshirt junior Jeremy Casebeer.
“I’ve been playing them next to each other, moving them around a little bit so they get comfortable passing with each other, and they all look pretty good,” Scates said of his outside hitters.
Production at outside hitter will be important, as the team lost Garrett Muagututia, last year’s leader at the position to graduation. UCLA also lost former outside hitter Dylan Bowermaster, who chose to leave the team in the fall in order to focus on career opportunities.