When a player has a bad practice on the UCLA men’s
volleyball team, he is relegated to the second court at Pauley
Pavilion behind the blue curtain.
For heralded freshman Tony Ker, being placed on the second court
was his official introduction to the UCLA volleyball program.
“I had never played on a second team before,” Ker
said. “It was kind of a slap in the face. It was definitely
an eye-opening experience, and it’s what UCLA is all
about.”
On a team full of weapons, and one that is expected to compete
for the NCAA title, Ker, UCLA’s top recruit and a member of
the U.S. Junior National Team, has had to take a back seat to
walk-on Eric Chaghouri in his transition to libero this season for
the Bruins.
Ker has already been placed on the second court twice and was on
the bench for the start of the Bruins’ season-opening
tournament in Santa Barbara.
“He didn’t show up with energy at Thursday’s
practice,” UCLA men’s volleyball coach Al Scates said.
“And we had other players ready to step up in his
absence.”
For a two-time CIF MVP who expected to contribute to the program
immediately, Ker was definitely taken aback by the move and gained
a new sense of dedication.
“I was not very happy with the decision,” Ker said.
“But it made me realize how much harder I have to work for my
position.”
Ker, an attacker during high school, did not start playing
libero until two years ago as a member of the junior national
team.
At only 5-foot-10, however, Ker did not have many options
regarding what positions he could play if he wanted to move on to
the collegiate level.
“It was a very tough transition for him,” said U.S.
National Coach John Speraw, who was an assistant at UCLA under
Scates. “He loves to attack the ball, but he realized that
libero was going to be his best chance to play in
college.”
Despite the demotion, Ker has adjusted well thus far, starting
in five preseason matches and entering the championship match in
the second game of UCLA’s season-opening tournament.
Ker replaced Chaghouri, a redshirt freshman who had started the
two previous matches and recorded 34 passes without committing an
error.
“That is the beauty of our team; anyone can come out and
contribute,” Scates said. “Every player must be
prepared in practice.”
If anyone has the background and preparation to handle the
demands of the program, it’s Ker.
His father, Walt Ker, was a volleyball coach at Cal State
Northridge from 1976-1993 and led the Matador women’s team to
three NCAA titles.
Walt coached his son during his first two years at Valencia High
School and for three years on the club level, and has attended all
of his son’s matches. He spoke with Tony following his
demotion this past weekend, and felt that he could learn from the
situation.
“The message was sent out to him really hard,” Walt
Ker said.
“Tony has always had the skill and ability. It’s
just the everyday preparation and discipline of UCLA that will be a
challenge for him.”
Ker started playing volleyball in the seventh grade for the
Southern California Volleyball club, as he and his father drove
nearly an hour and a half to practice everyday.
But it was his intensity in matches that caught the eyes of
recruiters, in particular Scates.
“That is why we wanted him,” Scates said. “We
knew he was a gamer and could do what was needed for the
team.”
Ker’s first major exposure on the volleyball circuit came
as a member of the U.S. Junior National Team at age 16. He trained
in Lake Placid, N.Y. and gained some international experience at a
very young age.
“The Olympic experience was a great opportunity for
him,” Walt said. “It gave him the chance to play libero
and helped him realize he could make an impact at the
position.”
Ker’s greatest benefit at the collegiate level is his
preliminary exposure on the international volleyball scene.
“The speed of the game was so fast,” Ker said.
“Many of the players had already played in college and I knew
what to expect coming into UCLA.”
It’s not the college game that has been the lesson for Ker
so far. It’s the work ethic and determination required that
has been the learning experience for him.
“This is why people come to UCLA,” Ker said.
“They know that someone else is always right behind them, and
that is what makes our program great.”