As UCLA men’s volleyball head coach Al Scates read off the
Lewis University roster, he noted that all of the Flyers’
best players were not from the continental United States.
Ironically, Scates will be introducing a foreign element into
his own lineup as No. 9 UCLA tries to topple No. 5 Lewis tonight at
Pauley Pavilion in a nonconference matchup.
Scates will sit senior setter and team captain Rich Nelson, who
has been bothered by a pinched nerve all season. According to
Scates, Nelson has had trouble jump setting to get the ball quickly
to his outside hitters.
“I’m hurt, big deal,” said Nelson, who had not
yet been informed of Scates’ decision. “I need to play
my best.”
“It’s been a disappointing year for (Nelson),”
Scates said. “Either Rich is going to set the ball faster or
someone else will.”
That someone will be freshman Dennis Gonzalez, who has been
moved up to the first court since recovering from a knee
injury.
Sophomore Jimmy Sepulveda, Nelson’s backup while Gonzalez
was injured, quit the team after Tuesday’s practice upon
being sent down to the second court. According to Scates, Sepulveda
informed assistant coach Brian Rofer of his decision.
Meanwhile, freshman opposite hitter Matt McKinney will miss his
third straight match due to knee tendinitis, which flared up in
practice last week. His replacement, sophomore Allan Vince, did not
record a single block in UCLA’s 3-1 loss to Long Beach State
on Friday.
“We’ve gone about as long as we can go with
Vince,” said Scates, adding that Vince will move to outside
hitter to back up Jonathan Acosta.
Replacing McKinney tonight will be sophomore Brennan Prahler,
who has recovered from a strained abdomen and sprained ankle.
Sophomore outside hitter Kris Kraushaar will also sit out in
favor of junior Jesse Debban.
UCLA may be using the match to play some new players, but Lewis,
a school located in Illinois, is no slouch and considered the best
team in the Midwest. The Flyers (13-3) have yet to lose a
conference match and are the first nonconference team in a long
time to come into Pauley favored against the Bruins (11-8).
Lewis might have been exposed Monday night, losing in five games
to USC, the 11th place Mountain Pacific Sports Federation team.
“That was an amazing upset,” Scates said. You would
think they’re overrated, wouldn’t you? But we played
them in the fall, and they were good.”
UCLA defeated Lewis in November at the Concordia Challenge.