For a struggling UCLA men’s volleyball team,
tonight’s match against UC Santa Barbara is vital.
UCLA (6-5, 1-3 MPSF) will need to repeat last weekend’s
solid performance against nonconference opponent UC Santa Cruz if
the Bruins intend to rescue their season and regain a position
among the nation’s elite.
Currently, UCLA is ranked 10th out of 12 teams in the MPSF, but
a victory over the Gauchos (6-6, 4-4) in the Bruins’ second
match of a five-match home stand can give UCLA valuable
momentum.
“We have got to start winning, particularly at
home,” UCLA coach Al Scates said. “We have to beat this
team to be in contention, and we can’t get further behind
than we are. We can catch up fast if we reel off a few
wins.”
To get the victory tonight, the Bruins will have to play with
the same intensity and focus they displayed in their sweep of the
Banana Slugs.
“We had a lot of energy in that game, and we need to
continue to show up ready to play,” senior Damien Scott said.
“It’s very important to win this game, and it all
depends on how well we execute our game plan against
them.”
UCLA will be bolstered by true freshmen Ian Jackson and Matt
Wade, who both performed well in their first starts of the season
against UCSC and can now be counted on to contribute.
Both players might start against UCSB and will receive
significant playing time even if they don’t start.
“Matt and Ian played really well last Friday, so I want to
get them in the game so they can play more,” Scates said.
“I want to get a set lineup where I don’t make a lot of
substitutions and I’m trying to find a group of athletes who
can win and be steady every night. We haven’t quite found it
yet.”
Junior Steve Klosterman, who has almost completely recovered
from shoulder surgery, is also becoming a major player for the
Bruins as he gets more practice time. He had 13 kills (.632) and
five digs in the win over UCSC.
“Klosterman had the best practice he’s had since his
surgery (on Monday), and it looks like he is getting ready to play
really well,” Scates said.
A key to getting the win tonight will be stopping Gaucho senior
Evan Patak. He leads the nation in kills per game with 5.68, is
second in points with 6.29 points per game, and is country’s
third-best server with .677 aces per game.
Patak has missed UCSB’s last three matches with a sore
shoulder, but he is expected to be back in action against the
Bruins.
“If Patak’s not in there, they’ll set some
other players down the middle out of the backcourt rather than to
the sideline,” Scates said.
“It would definitely be a boost for us if he does not
play, but I expect him to play.”
Although Patak is one of the top players in the nation, the
Bruins can find some comfort in their recent dominance over the
Gauchos. UCLA already defeated UCSB in straight sets earlier this
season, and has not lost to the Gauchos in at least nine years.
“They have great passing, but we’ve done pretty well
against them lately,” Scates said. “They’ve
always been pretty good, so that’s quite a streak we
have.”