All year long, the Pepperdine men’s volleyball
team’s status as the No. 1 team in the country was largely
associated with one player, Waves’ senior outside hitter Sean
Rooney.
So during Saturday night’s NCAA Championship final, it
wasn’t a surprise when the nation’s best player stepped
up in the season’s biggest game.
Rooney, the National Player of the Year and Saturday’s
Tournament MVP, recorded six kills in the first game without an
error en route to a team-high 26 kills and a .328 hitting
percentage to lead the Waves to their fifth national title in
school history.
“Rooney is the best player I have seen recently,”
Scates said. “You don’t see many 6-foot-9 players that
can hit like him.”
Coming into the championship match, Rooney was the focus of
UCLA’s defensive game plan.
The Bruins relentlessly sent two blockers in an attempt to block
Rooney in Game 1, but with not much success, as Rooney and the
Waves were nearly flawless, winning the game 30-23.
“We definitely did not have success against him in the
first game,” Acosta said. “We just had to try to limit
his rhythm.”
After the first game, UCLA coach Al Scates switched setter Gaby
Acevedo to the left side of the offense in an effort to put taller
players on Rooney.
The move allowed Scates to send three blockers to Rooney’s
side and make any effort to limit the outside hitter’s
attack.
The plan worked initially, as outside hitters Kris Kraushaar and
Jonathan Acosta were able to disrupt Rooney’s rhythm and
improve the Bruins’ blocking, winning both Games 2 and 3.
But with the Bruins close to putting the Waves away down 21-23
in Game 4, Rooney made sure the Waves were not going to go away
quietly.
Rooney recorded seven kills in the pivotal Game 4 and three
kills in Game 5 to show everyone why he was this year’s
unanimous conference Player of the Year.
In the match’s final point, with the Waves leading 14-10,
Rooney fittingly slammed a kill over two Bruin blockers, leaving no
doubt who was the best player in men’s collegiate
volleyball.
“It is unbelievable to go out with (Saturday’s) win,
especially at Pauley Pavilion,” Rooney said.
On a night where UCLA’s Acosta recorded a match-high 29
kills in front of his hometown crowd, it was still Rooney who stole
the limelight.
“The only player I’ve seen better than Rooney is
Karch Kiraly,” said Scates, who has seen his share of
volleyball players in his 43-year coaching career.
He did not post the highest numbers in all aspects of the game,
but Rooney proved to be key in the win.
With reports from Sagar Parikh, Bruin Sports staff.