Throughout Jonathan Acosta’s injury-filled career, the
question was always the same.
What if …? What if …? What if he had been fully healthy?
What if he had the opportunity to truly showcase his abilities on
the national stage?
After five years of setbacks and injuries, Acosta finally
answered these lingering questions during the NCAA Final Four, in
which the senior stepped up with a combined 45 kills and a .512
hitting percentage to nearly lead the Bruins to their first
national championship since 2000.
“I just felt like the team needed me, and I had to step
up,” Acosta said. “It was great that I played my best
in my final match, but we lost and that is all that
matters.”
Unfortunately for Acosta, his performance came up a little
short, but the match was a realization of his potential that the
Bruins and head coach Al Scates always knew he had.
“Jonathan has always had phenomenal ability,” Scates
said. “The question was always whether he could stay on the
court long enough.”
Acosta’s injury problems began during his freshman year
when he suffered an abdominal pull in his stomach, and had to sit
out the year with a medical redshirt. This was a blow to
Acosta’s development on the court because he had to sit out
while his team lost in the NCAA Championships.
Acosta, a prized recruit, was expected to contribute right away
for a Bruin team that was coming off a national championship, but
he would have to wait until the next year’s Outrigger Hotels
Invitational to show everyone what the clamor was all about.
In the Invitational, Acosta recorded 49 kills and 18 digs to
garner MVP honors and elevate himself onto the national scene among
the most promising freshmen in men’s volleyball.
“He had just an amazing tournament,” Scates said.
“We never usually predict a lot from just one weekend, but
Jonathan accomplished something special in Hawaii.”
Acosta, however, suffered the same abdominal problem after the
tournament and went on to play in only 14 matches that season. He
was forced to watch from the sidelines as the Bruins failed to
reach the Final Four for only the second time in nine seasons.
But it was just a foreshadowing of things to come. After playing
28 games in his sophomore campaign, Acosta suffered his most
serious injury, a ruptured appendix during his junior year, and
UCLA failed to reach the Final Four for the third consecutive
season.
Acosta underwent surgery to fix the problem and was forced to
sit out the first two months of the season, while losing nearly 15
to 20 pounds of muscle mass. Acosta’s injuries, coupled with
the team’s relative struggles, suddenly played a secondary
role due to the seriousness of his health concerns.
“Our family was extremely scared,” said Jolynn
Acosta, Jonathan’s mother. “He had gone through
injuries before, but the illness was something that he had never
seen.”
Acosta traveled to many doctors throughout Southern California
and even sought out specialists in his home country of Puerto Rico
to discover the severity of the problem. During the illness, Acosta
lost nearly three to four inches off of his vertical leap and spent
two weeks in the rehabilitation center just to get his strength
back.
“I had never gone through anything like that
before,” Acosta said. “My body felt so weak, and it was
extremely difficult to get my strength back.”
Acosta recovered, and played in the final 18 matches, but never
reached his full ability as he suffered from weakness and fatigue
during matches.
“It’s been a frustrating situation for him,”
Scates said. “Jonathan lives off his fiery demeanor, and when
he is always in and out of the lineup, it is extremely difficult
for him to lead by example.”
Those consistent setbacks are what makes Acosta’s play
during his senior year and the Final Four that much more special.
Acosta finished the season third-best on the team with 3.09 kills
per game and more importantly, he played in over 100 games for just
the second time in his career.
“We were glad that he was able to put it all together for
his last season,” Jolynn said. “We flew to as many
matches as we could to be there for his senior year.”
And satisfied they must have been, as Acosta was named to the
all-conference team in the Final Four and had the performance of
his career.
“It was a great way to finish off the great time
I’ve had at UCLA,” Acosta said. “I wish it could
have ended with a victory, but I couldn’t have asked for a
better experience out of my time here.”