Monday, 6/9/97 Paul Nihipali Men’s volleyball
Paul Nihipali, UCLA’s opposite hitter, will not be back for
another chance at his third NCAA men’s volleyball title. He
graduates at the end of Spring quarter after an illustrious career
that has engraved his name on many individual records. Yet around
this time of the year, you can probably see him around Taco Bell –
his favorite food establishment. Nihipali knew he had a gift which
allowed him to excel while on the volleyball courts – but that was
business. Nihipali loves the sport of volleyball, but he never let
his emotions get the better of him as he defined the meaning of
stability, day in and day out. The Bruins knew they could count on
Nihipali for double-figures kills every match, making him their
most valuable player. When the UCLA men’s volleyball legacy is
commented on, names like Karch Kiraly, Sinjin Smith, Jeff Nygaard
(the previous career kills leader) and Stein Metzger come to mind.
Now Nihipali can be added to that list. Nihipali started the year
as a candidate for the AVCA Player of the Year award (won by BYU’s
Ryan Millar) and never disappointed. This past season, he tied
Nygaard’s single-season kills record of 650 while eclipsing the
single-season record for most attempts (1,298). Post-season awards
handed to Nihipali included a nomination for a 1997 NCAA
Postgraduate Scholarship, being named to both the 1997 All-MPSF
First Team and 1997 AVCA First Team. The accolades were capped by
his selection to the 1997 NCAA All-Tournament Team. The only
regrets Nihipali will leave with are the two NCAA championship
match losses in 1994 and 1997 to Penn State and Stanford
respectively. But nevertheless, Nihipali does take two championship
rings (1995, 1996) with him. And while most players just envision
themselves playing in the NCAA finals, Nihipali participated in the
event four times during his four-year career. For the next few
years, Nihipali will give the international scene a try. But no
matter what he does, Nihipali will always have memories of two NCAA
championships and memories of being a Bruin. Nihipali will leave
UCLA as the career leader in kills with 2096 career kills. He was
the first ever Bruin volleyball player to surpass the 2000 kill
mark – a remarkable achievement. By Vytas Mazeika, Daily Bruin
Staff. Paul Nihipali