Just when the eligibility questions surrounding the BYU
men’s volleyball team were thought to be dead, UCLA coach Al
Scates isn’t ready to put the issue to rest, even with the
postseason set to begin this week.
An internal investigation conducted by conference champion BYU
in conjunction with the NCAA determined Friday that all members of
the team are eligible. The ruling comes following public
controversy earlier this month that surrounding the eligibility of
senior Joe Hillman and sophomore Victor Batista.
Hillman was declared eligible by the NCAA on April 8, while
Batista was held out of the match against UCLA that night and the
following night. The amateur status of Batista, a Dominican
Republican native, and Brazilians Carlos Moreno and Fernando Pessoa
““ all starters ““ were at issue, according to
Scates.
“I’m glad to hear that all of BYU’s
professionals have been cleared,” coach Al Scates said
sarcastically following UCLA’s 3-1 victory over No. 7 UC
Santa Barbara in its regular season finale Saturday night.
“We know that the players get paid.”
Scates speculated that Moreno, a junior setter, and Pessoa, a
senior outside hitter, might have accepted money during their
amateur careers.
The All-American Moreno previously was a member of Banespa, one
of the top club teams in Brazil. Pessoa, a member of BYU’s
2001 national championship team that defeated UCLA in the finals,
is a three-time beach volleyball champion.
The issue of ineligible players has plagued the sport in the
recent past, with 2002 national champion Hawai’i having been
stripped of its title and 2003 national champion Lewis currently
sitting out two players due to their questionable eligibility.
“The NCAA is obviously not making an effort to rule these
players ineligible,” Scates said. “So the teams will
continue to recruit professionals.”
“In fact, only the consummate professional,
(Hawai’i’s) Costas Theocharidis, has ever been declared
ineligible by the NCAA.”
Upon the conclusion of the internal investigation, BYU coach Tom
Peterson believed that the issue was behind him.
“It’s my understanding that our compliance office
and the NCAA have worked continually to resolve this matter,”
he said. “We’re grateful for their efforts. We’re
glad to have this decision so we can move on without this as a
distraction.”
But that apparently won’t be the case as the first round
of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation playoffs begin Saturday.
If UCLA and BYU both win their first-round matchups, the Bruins
will travel to Provo, Utah for the semifinals and final. The squads
could meet in the championship game.
Before the Bruins could worry about the playoffs, they captured
a 28-30, 30-26, 30-20, 30-17 victory in Santa Barbara. Senior
Marcin Jagoda, who replaced freshman opposite hitter Steve
Klosterman in the starting lineup, led UCLA with 18 kills.
Klosterman, who was held out of the match due to tendinitis in
his shoulder, is expected to practice Monday.