Thursday, 5/15/97 Causing a racket BENCH: Their names may not
show up on the scoreboard, but the bench players play key roles on
UCLA’s top-ranked team.
By Mark Shapiro Daily Bruin Staff There is a special unit on the
UCLA men’s tennis team, one that is always present, always suited
up and always ready to take one for the team. It is also one that
rarely gets to play. Between senior Chip Humphries and juniors Alon
Schwartz and Mark Miller, a grand total of zero regular season dual
matches and only a handful of preseason events have borne the brunt
of their participation during their combined nine years with the
squad. But week in and week out, this triumvirate fulfills its
self-assigned role to the hilt, and it is there that those players
set themselves apart. It is during that same nine-year tenure that
countless cheers for their more active companions and catcalls
directed at hated foes have reverberated off the walls of the Los
Angeles Tennis Center. But it doesn’t end there, because when the
Bruin juggernaut hits the road, these three are right behind. They
don’t harbor any impressions of playing, because only eight players
are allowed to formally travel with the team. But rare is the
match, home or away, that these three are not around to make their
vocal presence felt. Now, as the 1997 installment of the NCAA Men’s
Tennis Championships gets ready for takeoff, Humphries, Schwartz
and Miller have again made ready for battle, for duels with
shrieking Cardinal and barking Bulldogs are sure to be in the
offing. As the time for conflict draws near, the opposition has
been forewarned, for it must be prepared to deal. To deal with the
"Three Hoarsemen." Chip Humphries was not the team’s primary
objective when he was recruited five years ago. It was his younger
brother Scott that was the team’s focus. When Scott opted to attend
Stanford, Chip was left as an afterthought on a team that didn’t
really need him. "(UCLA head coach Billy Martin) wanted my brother
to come here and he figured if he got me, my brother would come,"
Humphries said. "In the middle of the season, he said, ‘you don’t
have to hit, you can just help me or whatever.’" Let it be known
now that this forgotten benchwarmer has, in his fourth year, become
vital to the Bruins. From his sophomore year on, relegated to the
sidelines and adopting to his new role of team manager, Humphries
began to make a name for himself via his potent vocal cords. "We’d
have matches and I’d be really vocal, just screaming and yelling,"
Humphries said. "Billy loved it." Now in his final year, Humphries
has become a utility man of sorts for the team – setting up for
matches, running exercises and periodically coaching as well as
putting his voice to the test at every match, home and away. "Billy
always wants me around and I want to be around," Humphries said. "I
want to be a part of it." Mark Miller has certainly not had the
easiest time as a college athlete. In his three years, three
different circumstances have sidelined him. First, the often
inevitable redshirt, then a broken foot and a chest injury this
season have all conspired to keep him anchored in the cheering
section. But it is a certain element of selflessness that has
allowed him to accept his role and become a fountain of noise for
his self-proclaimed "family." "I don’t mind as much because we’re
all very tight on the team, as a family almost," Miller said. "I’d
rather be out there but I don’t mind being here, rooting on the
guys." So, as the team takes the court, be it in Georgia or Palo
Alto, Miller likens his job to that of the Matt Harbours and Harold
Sylvesters of the college hoops world. "I just try to lend support
and do whatever we can to help the team off the court, like the
12th guy on a basketball team would do." But there is an element of
frustration in Miller’s equation, for having seen the often paltry
turnouts at the LATC in comparison to some draws away from home, he
knows an extra element of support is needed. "Since no one else
comes out here, we feel like we can be an extra support for the
team." Alon Schwartz took the hard way into collegiate tennis.
Coming out of high school, Boise State recruited him after a
stellar scholastic career. Instead of taking the ride to Idaho,
Schwartz walked on to the UCLA team this season. He found himself
near the bottom of the pecking order on a team chasing a title.
With little chance of bettering the team on the court, Schwartz’s
futility and frustration have been dulled by the opportunity to be
a part of the team. "It’s not really frustrating because I don’t
expect to play and I know I’m not going to," Schwartz said. "I just
like the fact that I can still practice and work on my game." In
the midst of this personal growth, Schwartz has been able to find
his own niche in which he can contribute on match day, one of great
significance. "Us supporting the guys when they’re playing, when
the matches are pretty tight, sometimes it could make a difference
between winning and losing," Schwartz said. It is the need to
supply that vital contribution, as well as a desire to find a fun
weekend spot, that has spurred Schwartz to hit the road to Arizona,
Berkeley and Georgia. Through his trials on the road, the same
championship fever that has gripped his teammates has also infected
Schwartz ever since the team fell one step short last season. Even
though he is an inactive participant, the big brass ring would
shine just as bright on his finger. "When we started the season,
our No. 1 goal was to win the NCAA Championship," Schwartz said. "I
definitely wouldn’t feel less of a part of it. I’m contributing in
other ways." JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin Mark Miller (l.) and Alon
Schwartz (r.) will watch the week’s championship matches from the
stands. JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin Mark Miller (l.) and Alon
Schwartz (r.) will watch the week’s championship matches from the
stands.