When the UCLA men’s volleyball team travels to Honolulu
for a pair of MPSF matches this weekend, the games will have a
different feel to them.
Not only will former assistant coach Mike Sealy be watching from
the rafters rather than from the sidelines, UCLA won’t be the
big bad Bruins they usually are when they face rival
Hawai’i.
The Bruins are off to the second-worst start in their
illustrious history, and are ranked No. 9 (12-9, 5-7 MPSF) heading
into tonight’s match against the No. 4 Rainbow Warriors
(11-4, 9-3).
“Right now, we’re on the bubble, and we’d have
to win a game just to play in our conference tournament,”
coach Al Scates said. “We have to get some momentum heading
into the playoffs, and we can do that by winning this
weekend.”
Scates and the Bruins can take solace in the fact that they
already defeated the Warriors earlier this season in the Outrigger
Invitational. The Bruins trailed late in the fifth game, and came
back to win in the decisive game of the match.
Since that match on Jan. 20, however, the Bruins have only gone
8-6, while the Warriors have gone 8-2, winning their last seven
matches.
The Bruins know they have to start playing like they did earlier
this season if they are going to win their matches this
weekend.
They made the first step in that direction by beating
Loyola-Chicago and Lewis University at home this week.
“Our team made some good steps,” freshman setter
Matt Wade said. “Hopefully these wins get us into the rhythm
we were in earlier this season.”
The Bruins will have the benefit of possibly having junior
opposite Steve Klosterman and senior setter Dennis Gonzalez in at
full strength for maybe the first time all year.
Klosterman is almost fully recovered from his offseason shoulder
surgery, and Gonzalez is nearly recovered from the finger injury he
suffered during this season.
The Bruins will certainly need both Klosterman and Gonzalez
against a Rainbow Warriors team that has only lost three conference
games this season.
“They are probably one of the ““ if not the ““
hottest team in the country,” Scates said. “It would
definitely help us if Dennis and Steve were available for both
matches.”
“If they are healthy, I definitely anticipate using
them.”
Hawai’i, meanwhile, has developed one of the
country’s best offenses behind the play of junior setter
Brian Beckwith. The Rainbow Warriors have the second-highest
hitting percentage in the conference and are second in the league
in kills.
Their lineup could be even more deadly with opposite Matt
Bender, who hasn’t played since appearing in a Feb. 25 match
against Cal State Northridge.The Bruins, however, are preparing as
though Bender will be in the lineup.
“He is one of the best opposites in the country, and
we’ll certainly be ready,” Scates said. “We have
faced him before, and we know what to expect.”
UCLA will face Hawai’i tonight at the Stan Sheriff Center
at 7 p.m. and then return again on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Bruins
are 45-16 all-time against the Warriors, and 4-2 in the last three
years.
With reports from Michael Wozny, Bruin Sports
reporter.