Springfield or bust: Bruins off to Final Four
Volleyball headed for third Final Four in four years, Sullivan
leads win over UH with 21 kills
By Eric Branch
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Supposedly, Saturday night’s Mountain Pacific Sports Federation
playoff final between the No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball team and No.
2 Hawaii really didn’t mean anything. However, someone forgot to
tell Erik Sullivan about the match’s relevance.
Playing in his final match in Pauley Pavilion, UCLA’s senior
captain led the Bruins to an emotionally charged 12-15, 15-13,
15-7, 15-5 victory over the Rainbows (19-6 overall) to give UCLA
(29-1) an automatic berth to next weekend’s NCAA Final Four in
Springfield, Mass.
Because the loser of the match was almost assured of gaining the
at-large invitation to the Final Four, at most the match merely
determined seedings for the tournament. With this knowledge the
Bruins seemingly played the first game as if they didn’t care who
they played in Springfield.
"We weren’t really thinking too much with our heads," senior
quick hitter Jeff Nygaard said. "We weren’t executing, we were just
out there jumping around."
After the Rainbows rallied to close out the opening frame behind
five consecutive jump serves from quick hitter Jason Olive (21
kills), the Bruins fell behind 12-8 in game two. The Hawaii attack,
which hit .392 in the first two games, was giving the nation’s top
team the strange look of a loser.
"We were walking around looking like we were losing," UCLA head
coach Al Scates said. "I don’t care if you’re losing or not Â
at least look like you’re winning. There was a lot of talk in the
huddle between various guys, and we decided that would be a hell of
a good idea."
With their new sunny dispositions UCLA reeled off seven of the
game’s next eight points, sparked by four kills by Nygaard and the
fire of Sullivan.
Sullivan began exhorting the normally docile Bruin faithful with
a bevy of fist pumps, primal screams and high fives in the second
game. At the close of game three the senior swing hitter jumped on
the press table and celebrated with the crowd, stopping just short
of pulling out a bullhorn and screaming the fight song.
"We were down in the second game and I was thinking ‘Oh my God,
they’re blowing us out of the gym,’" Sullivan said. "Then I looked
at the scoreboard and realized we were right in it. I was just
trying to help us step it up."
However, on the night Sullivan proved to be something more than
a cheerleader, blasting 21 kills, 12 digs and a scorching .741
hitting percentage. Nygaard added 23 kills and opposite Paul
Nihipali threw down 26 to lead the Bruins.
"It’s tough to contain that offense," UH head coach Mike Wilton
said. "You can’t concentrate on one hitter. If you do, you’re
dead."
Up 14-7 with game point in the third game, an awe-inspiring
Nygaard roof almost singlehandedly caused the Rainbows to roll over
and play dead. Nygaard aborted UH swing hitter Sean Scott’s
would-be kill in mid swing, sending Scott to the floor, Sullivan to
the press table and a smile to Nygaard’s face.
"I like to see Jeff break out in a smile," Scates said. "He
didn’t smile for the first four years he was in the program. But
now and then he’ll break out with a smile after he gets a roof like
that. It’s great to see."
After the emphatic ending to game three, Wilton all but raced on
the court waving a white towel, removing go-to hitters Olive and
Yuval Katz (match-high 27 kills). Not surprisingly UCLA breezed in
the final game, hitting .583 (15 kills, one error).
"It feels good to get back in the Final Four but it’s really not
much of an accomplishment," Sullivan said. "We haven’t accomplished
our goal."
* * *
The Bruins advanced to Saturday’s final with a swift 15-3, 15-4,
15-5, 58-minute thrashing of No. 5 BYU (14-8) in the MPSF
semifinals.
Nihipali led the attack with 13 kills as UCLA convincingly
outhit (.387 hitting percentage to .000) and outserved (eight aces
to two) the Cougars. Junior setter Stein Metzger served up a
match-high four aces.
"We just put BYU in a world of hurt with our jump serving,"
Scates said.
* * *
The Final Four pairings were announced Sunday and UCLA will play
No. 6 Ball State (24-8) Friday night in the NCAA semifinals. The
Cardinals are the only team to defeat UCLA this season, sweeping
them March 3 at the Springfield tournament. The winner of the match
will play the winner of the other semifinal between Hawaii and No.
3 Penn State (25-3) for the national championship on Saturday
night.