Every so often, there is just an overwhelming number of hot topics enveloping the UCLA sports scene. As the end of the academic year approaches, many spring sports head into postseason play while others have been eliminated from title contention. Two senior staffers go head-to-head on various topics, analyzing the most recent news regarding athletics.
The UCLA men’s volleyball team was eliminated by UC Irvine. What do you care more about: the disappointing end to the season or the end to Al Scates’ career?
Nguyen: Both are huge deals and are somewhat intertwined. It would have been the perfect sending off for Al Scates had the men’s volleyball team won the national championship. Although the Bruins were eliminated in the first round of the MPSF Tournament, title contention was never out of reach, so the disappointment is evident. However, the importance and impact of Scates in the college sports world can never be underestimated or underappreciated.
Peck: After such a great season, I think I was more disappointed to see the team lose that final game to Irvine. Al Scates has undoubtedly left his mark on UCLA and collegiate volleyball as a whole and will go down in history as one of the game’s greatest coaches, so I don’t think his reputation will suffer from not winning a championship in his final year. For the seniors on the team, especially Weston Dunlap and Jeremy Casebeer, the ending to the season has got to be incredibly disappointing.
Which UCLA team still left in competition do you feel has the best chance at winning a NCAA championship?
Nguyen: Without a doubt, women’s golf is the frontrunner on campus to win a national championship and defend its title. The women’s golf team was the only team to win an NCAA championship last school year and seems to be the only program, other than the women’s tennis team which just lost to USC, that is winning consistently enough to win a national championship this season.
Peck: The baseball team hasn’t been perfect but it has played very well in recent weeks, with the exception of a couple road losses. UCLA has still played well on the road, notably against Georgia, and it will need to do that in the home stretch of the season, as well as in the playoffs. The bullpen has been steadily picking up steam and quietly shutting down opposing offenses. This weekend’s series with the Stanford Cardinal should be a good test of the Bruins’ postseason readiness.
Any thoughts on how the Champions League is playing out?
Nguyen: It was shocking to see Barcelona get trounced by Chelsea as Barcelona has been remarkably dominant the past few years. To see Lionel Messi miss a penalty kick and Fernando Torres score the game-winner makes me think the Mayans could actually be right about the apocalypse. In the other semifinal between Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, the refs could have called the game after extra time because we all know how Germans fare in PKs (just ask England).
Peck: I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the Champions League for breaking the tweets per second record this week. The record was broken during Tuesday’s match between Barcelona and Chelsea, as tweets per second peaked at 13,684 messages per second. Big victory here for the sport of futbol over American football, at least in the Twitter-sphere.