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The Honolulu Advertiser

Posted on: Friday, February 25, 2005

UCLA's home where heartache is for UH

By Stephen Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer

For those believing the University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team already has earned respect and success, well, along comes Pauley.

Pauley Pavilion is the home of top-ranked UCLA (14-1, 10-1 in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation) — winner of 18 national men's volleyball championships — and the site of matches against UH (10-1, 8-0) tonight and tomorrow night.

Pauley was where the Warriors' 2004 season ended in the first round of the MPSF playoffs. In 1996 in Pauley, UH blew a 2-1 lead in games to UCLA in the NCAA championship match. UH is 4-19 in Pauley Pavilion.

"When you walk in, even for practice, it's, 'Wow, Pauley,' " UH middle blocker Mauli'a LaBarre said. "You see all of the (championship) banners. It has that mystique. It's a privilege to play there, but it makes a great breeding ground for a great (match). With two great programs and a great arena, you can expect nothing but a good (match)."

UH coach Mike Wilton promised there will be no displays of shock and awe.

"It's just a volleyball game," Wilton said. "The arena has nothing to do with it."

Indeed, the situation will be different. In last year's playoff match, UCLA coach Al Scates reconfigured the volleyball court, with the usual sidelines becoming the end lines. That shortened the space between the end line and bleachers.

"Hawai'i is used to playing in a big venue, so I decided to go sideways, making it more compact," Scates said.

The volleyball court will return to the regular configuration for this two-match series. "This year, we're a better digging team," Scates said. "It's to our benefit to go the long way."

In last year's playoffs, the Bruins aimed their serves at outside hitter Delano Thomas, a converted All-America middle blocker.

"We pretty much served Delano off the court," Scates said.

With Thomas ineligible to play this season, Scates said, "we have to get a new game plan."

Even if Thomas were cleared to play, he would have returned to the middle. Wilton said "our No. 1 goal" entering the season was to improve the passing.

Lauri Hakala, a first-year sophomore from Finland, will make his second start at the passer/outside hitter position. Opposite hitter Pedro Azenha is a passer in one rotation and outside hitter Matt Bender is required to pass on short serves to the shoulder of the court.

Scates also has tinkered with his lineup. Opposite hitter Steve Klosterman was not in the opening rotation during the past three matches. "He wasn't producing; he wasn't scoring enough points," Scates said.

But Klosterman has practiced well this week. Scates said Klosterman and Punahou School graduate Brennan Prahler will both play in this series.

Dennis Gonzalez, who was academically ineligible during the fall semester, also has reclaimed the starting job from setter Julio "Gaby" Acevedo.

"Six weeks ago, Gaby was better," Scates said. "I have two very good setters. That's the bottom line."

UCLA also signed a top high school setter, Matthew Wade. Scates said setter Beau Peters, who is redshirting this season, will move to outside hitter.

That depth perpetuates UCLA's role as a measuring stick.

"This week is when the real part of our season starts," UH setter Brian Beckwith said.

Wilton said: "This is a big match, to see where we are."

Scates, meanwhile, does not mind having a bull's-eye wardrobe.

"We're not going to sneak up on anybody," Scates said. "Everybody knows when we're coming up. Everybody will play their best (match) against us. I've been used to this for 42 years or so. It's not a shocker. I'm one of the voters (for the top-15 poll). I'm voting for us No. 1. If I didn't want to be No. 1, I would have voted for somebody else."

Reach Stephen Tsai at stsai@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8051.