If Saturday’s loss to then-second-ranked Pepperdine
didn’t already have enough repercussions for the No. 2 UCLA
men’s volleyball team, Monday’s practice may have held
even worse news. The cornerstone of UCLA’s (18-3, 13-3 MPSF)
team, sophomores Steve Klosterman and Dennis Gonzalez, were removed
from the first team and are not projected to start in
tonight’s home match against Rutgers (8-6, 5-2). “We
have a lot of areas to improve on,” UCLA coach Al Scates
said. “Giving other players some more playing time might be
just what we need.” The move will be especially difficult for
Klosterman, who will now be changing positions from opposite hitter
to H-1 outside hitter, a position similar to the one he played in
high school. “I just felt that with the difficulties Steve
was having, it was the best move for him,” Scates said.
Replacing Klosterman in the starting lineup will be fifth-year
senior Brennan Prahler, who started against UCSD earlier this
season and has played a large role in late game. Prahler recorded
15 kills in the Bruins’ latest match against Pepperdine and
was the second-best hitter on the team with a .407 hitting
percentage in that match. “Nothing about my role
changes,” Prahler said. “I still have to come out and
practice hard every day, because nothing on this team is
guaranteed.” The task of replacing Klosterman will be a
difficult one for Prahler, who only played in 21 matches in three
years prior to this season. The move, however, did not come as a
surprise. Klosterman has had the lowest hitting percentage of any
starter on the team and as a result has been replaced in each of
the last four conference matches. “I’m sure it has been
frustrating for Steve,” Scates said. “But Brennan is
the one playing well right now, and we’re going to go with
him.”
GONZALEZ REPLACED: In the second of UCLA’s drastic lineup
changes, setter Dennis Gonzalez was replaced by Gaby Acevedo during
the fourth game of Saturday’s match against Pepperdine and
was moved to the second court this week. “I was very
surprised by the move,” Gonzalez said. “But obviously
coach felt that I wasn’t fulfilling my responsibilities and
decided to make a change.” The reasoning behind the decision
to remove Gonzalez was a result of the setter’s inability to
set UCLA’s best hitter, Prahler, on Saturday night. “I
moved Dennis to the second team just to remind him that he needs to
set our team’s best hitter during the match,” Scates
said. “I’m sure he’ll learn to do that in the
future.” This is the not the first time Gonzalez has been
replaced from the starting lineup. Gonzalez started the season on
the bench behind Acevedo and has been replaced intermittently from
matches since becoming the starter at the beginning of the
conference play. “I have seen this happen before,”
Gonzalez said. “It just comes along with the
position.”
KER SIDELINED: Starting freshman libero Tony Ker sat out of
practice on Tuesday after being diagnosed with a mild concussion
Monday night. The injury came as a result of a play on Saturday
night when Ker bumped into fellow Bruin Jonathan Acosta and
suffered a cut on his eye. “He will be diagnosed by a doctor
Tuesday, and probably will not play in Wednesday’s
match,” Scates said. “We will suit up Eric Chaghouri in
his place.”