Expectations were high to start the season for the No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball team, and with each passing game, the Bruins (7-1, 4-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) continue to justify and even raise those expectations.
Granted, the season is still in its young stages. Staying atop the national rankings will not only depend on beating fellow contenders like Stanford and UC Irvine – which the Bruins have done – but also on avoiding silly slipups against teams such as UC San Diego (0-7, 0-6), which UCLA plays on the road Thursday.
On paper, it’s a total mismatch; the Tritons haven’t won a game all year, while the Bruins are humming along with seven-straight wins since losing their opener. Furthermore, the prospect of facing a winless team after sweeping Irvine opens the door for the possibility of a letdown. Coach John Speraw is well aware of this possibility.
“We need to work on making sure we maintain that focus that’s been leading to our momentum throughout matches,” Speraw said. “Obviously our guys are loving the opportunity to compete and we have great team chemistry … what we need to do is focus on San Diego and go down there with 100 percent focus.”
For all intents and purposes, the Bruins have already proven they can avoid a letdown. Less than two weeks ago, UCLA defeated unranked Pacific just a day after an intense five-set victory over then-No. 1 Stanford. Perhaps a young team would have trouble maintaining its energy after big games, but this Bruin team has a number of seniors who are looking to end their college careers the right way.
“We have guys like Spencer (Rowe), (Robart) Page, (Michael) Beals and myself,” said senior outside hitter Gonzalo Quiroga. “This is our last shot. … It’s something that we’ve thought about and so we’re going hard every game.”
One of the players Quiroga mentioned is redshirt junior setter Michael Beals, who would be in line to start for the second game in a row if sophomore setter Steve O’Dell still isn’t ready to go because of a foot injury.
“I’ve been ready every single game so far this season,” Beals said. “Steve’s a great setter; it’s a bummer he’s hurt, but I’m always ready to step in and give the best I can.”
Beals put in a solid performance against Irvine, although a couple moments of misunderstanding with his teammates showed there is still a bit of work to be done.
“It’s tough. I’m pretty critical about myself so a lot of the errors stand out to me,” Beals said after the match against Irvine. “I give all the credit to my passers; anything that I look good doing is because of them.”