Thursday, 5/1/97 Bruins ready for crucial game Beating Lions
paramount in securing chance for NCAA title
By Jennifer Kollenborn Daily Bruin Contributor The UCLA Bruins,
the No. 3 seed in the Final Four, have some regrouping to do before
tonight’s semifinal match against Penn State. When Stanford mopped
the Pauley Pavilion floor with the Bruins last Saturday in a 3-0
sweep, the Cardinal snatched the MPSF title right from under the
top-ranked Bruins’ nose. The Bruins can only hope they’ve worked
out their kinks as they come into today’s NCAA semifinal match
against Penn State, a team that is sure to take advantage of the
slightest mistake. No. 3 UCLA (23-4) challenges No. 2 Penn State
(29-1) today for the green card into the NCAA Championship match.
At the end of all league play, The American Volleyball Coaches
Association voted UCLA No. 1 in the country with Penn State close
behind at No. 2. However, UCLA’s higher ranking doesn’t erase the
Bruin’s previous loss to Penn State at the Outrigger Invitational
Tournament in Honolulu where the Lions defeated UCLA, 11-15, 11-15,
16-14, 5-15 in UCLA’s first match of the season. The Bruins know
that they will have to perform their best to shut down Penn State
who they have not faced since January. "We will be ready, Tom
Stillwell said. "(Last time) the game really didn’t mean anything.
I really am not thinking about it anymore." Penn State will set
foot on the court hoping that its previous win will intimidate the
Bruins. But UCLA sees the Lions’ earlier win as something that
could work to the Bruins’ advantage. "You usually lose to the top
teams (during the season), you just hope you beat them when it
counts," head coach Al Scates said. "When you play them twice, you
usually lose once. We lost to Hawaii last year, but we beat them in
the finals." UCLA leads the series against the Lions 11-5, but this
year all of Penn State’s starters appeared in the 1997 NCAA
statistical leaders poll. It is no wonder the Lions are known for
scoring points. This season, the Lions returned five starting
players, including 1996 first-team All-East selections Ivan
Contreras and Jason Kepner. The two co-captains have continued to
lead the Lions in 1997 and will be the players the Bruins look to
stop. Contreras hit the pinnacle of his success this season when he
boasted a career-high 51 kills in only four games against
Southampton in the EIVA semifinals while Kepner added 32. As a
result, the two seniors (along with Tony Mazzullo who averages 2.46
dpg) were named to the all-tournament team. However, UCLA is also
loaded with adequate ammunition. UCLA All-American senior Paul
Nihipali and junior Tom Stillwell made the 1997 All-MPSF
first-team. Nihipali stunned opposing teams this season with his
unstoppable hitting leading to his average of 6.28 kpg, while
Stillwell’s consistent blocking (1.96 bpg) earned him the national
blocking title. When all is said and done, UCLA will hang its fears
in the locker room, and walk out on the court guided by one
lingering thought – winning the national championship. "We are in
the Final Four," Stillwell said. "We know we have two matches. Who
cares who won that game or lost that game. We still have to beat
two teams to win the national championship." JUSTIN WARREN/Daily
Bruin Senior Paul Nihipali has led the Bruins to the Final Four.
But he and his teammates would be satisfied with nothing less than
the championship. JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin Senior Paul Nihipali
has led the Bruins to the Final Four. But he and his teammates
would be satisfied with nothing less than the championship. Related
Links: Penn State’s student-run newspaper, The Collegian