UNIVERSITY PARK , Pa. ““- It’s been 24 years, but
UCLA men’s volleyball coach Al Scates can vividly remember
the only other time the Bruins traveled to Penn State to face the
Nittany Lions in the NCAA Tournament. In 1982, an undefeated UCLA
squad swept Penn State to claim the national championship in front
of a crowd of 5,641. Scates hopes the outcome is the same in his
second postseason matchup with Penn State at its Rec Hall tonight.
"We were having a great year in 1982 and were the favorites to win,
and even though we have 12 losses this year, I know we can beat
Penn State on their home court again even though they are going to
have 6,000 people yelling for them," Scates said. "I have fond
memories of playing (at Penn State) in 1982, and it’s great
to be back here again." While the Bruin team of 1982 boasted
legendary players such as Karch Kiraly and came into the final
match with a 28-0 record, the current UCLA team is 25-12 and has no
All-American players or even all-conference players on the roster.
Instead of relying on a few standout players, the Bruins feel they
can win the NCAA title by receiving contributions from every player
on the floor, which they have been doing while building their
current 13-match winning streak. "If you look at the stats, we
don’t have anybody standing out because our team shares the
ball and doesn’t care about individual awards," Scates said.
"All we want to do is have the best team in the country." Although
neither team has a first team All-American, tonight’s match
will still be a clash of titans. UCLA and Penn State have been to
the NCAA Tournament more than any other schools, with UCLA making
the trip 25 times and Penn State close behind with 21 tournament
appearances. The Nittany Lions have advanced to the tournament in
each of the last eight years, and in 14 of the last 15 years. A
more significant achievement, however, is the record 18 NCAA titles
the Bruins have won compared to the one title Penn State has
claimed. Penn State’s lone NCAA Championship came in a 1994
finals win over UCLA. UCLA retaliated in 1995 by defeating the
Nittany Lions in the NCAA finals, adding fuel to the rivalry
between two of the top programs in the nation. Overall, in fact,
the Bruins have a 6-1 advantage over Penn State in the NCAA
Tournament, starting with UCLA’s victory over Penn State on
its home court in 1982. And as the Bruins prepare for a tough match
tonight against a team with vast fan support behind them, they
might receive a small comfort from knowing they have been in this
exact situation before. Even Penn State coach Mark Pavlik
recognized the similarities between this year and 1982. "This is
almost a mirror image to 1982, where we were slugging it out in the
semis and won the semifinal match on an ace," Pavlik said. "Even
the weather was similar." Without realizing it, by comparing this
year’s tournament to the one in 1982, he was predicting a
UCLA win. The Bruins hope his prediction turns out to be right
on.