Recent history suggests UCLA men’s volleyball shouldn’t have too much concern about Saturday’s conference quarterfinal match against Hawai’i.
Recent history also suggests the Bruins should be very, very worried.
Despite making the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoffs every year since 2004, the team has advanced past the quarterfinal just once in the past decade. That streak is far from promising, but – in another tournament trend – the top-four seeds in the eight-team playoffs have advanced to the semifinals every season since 2011.
The No. 2 seed Bruins (23-5) hold their highest rank since 2005, but they’ll have their hands full in the first round, hosting the No. 7 seed Rainbow Warriors (16-11) at Pauley Pavilion.
“We have to know and expect that Hawai’i is gonna play its best volleyball match of the year,” said coach John Speraw. “And we’re gonna have to make sure that we are incredibly diligent in our preparation, expect the very best out of Hawai’i and be ready to compete at that level.”
The last time the teams faced each other was back in early February. The Bruins, undefeated at that point in the season, cracked under the pressure of Hawai’i’s home crowd.
“Night one – when they beat us – we came out real hot in the first set and then we completely let off the pedal,” said junior middle blocker Mitch Stahl. “I think it’s real important that we gotta stop (outside hitter Sinisa) Zarkovic. He’s a senior, he doesn’t want his career to end here in Pauley Pavilion, but we gotta make that happen.”
Zarkovic was not to be stopped in February, helping his team force a series split. Described as a crafty player by Stahl, he combined with freshman opposite Stijn van Tilberg and junior outside hitter Kupono Fey to account for 85 percent of Hawai’i’s kills that weekend.
“They can pass the ball real well, control the ball real well,” Speraw said. “When they’re in system and able to set their guys where they want, they become a very difficult team.”
The loss to the Bruins back in February seemed to mark the downfall of the Rainbow Warriors’ season, as they would go on to lose seven of their next eight matches. But, in a stretch against largely weaker opponents, Hawai’i was able to string together six wins in its final eight regular season matches.
That recent success, along with the midseason split on the islands and the unpredictability of the postseason, has the UCLA players taking little for granted.
“They’re a good team,” said sophomore outside hitter JT Hatch. “They have a good defense and a couple of hitters who have the potential to go off, so we just gotta work to game plan and use our strengths.”
Conference honorees
Five men’s volleyball players were named to all-conference teams Thursday, up from a total of four last year.
Sophomore outside hitter Jake Arnitz and freshman setter/outside hitter Micah Ma’a earned first-team honors, Stahl made the second team and Hatch and junior setter Hagen Smith received honorable mentions. Ma’a was also named to the all-freshman team.