Daily Bruin File Photo Junior Matt Komer
will share the starting outside hitter position with true freshman
Parker Smith. MEN’S VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW Calgary
Tournament Thursday-Saturday Calgary, Canada
By Pauline Vu
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
The UCLA men’s volleyball team heads north to Canada this
weekend to play in their first preseason matches at the Calgary
Tournament.
The lineup will be just a little different from last
year’s national championship-winning team.
Okay, a lot.
“I’m not running the same offense I did last
year,” said head coach Al Scates. “This offense, no one
else in the world has run.”
The only guys back from last year who are guaranteed starters
for the Calgary Tournament are sophomore middle blocker Scott
Morrow and sophomore setter Rich Nelson.
Everything else has changed. At the other middle blocker
position is senior Adam Naeve, a three-time All-American, who took
off last year to train with the national team. At libero is true
freshman Paul Jocas.
At the two outside hitting and one opposite position are six
guys looking to prove their stuff to the coaching staff, including
two true freshmen and one redshirt freshman.
Cameron Mount and sophomore Ian Burnham share time at one
outside spot, junior Matt Komer, a starter last year, and
highly-touted recruit Parker Smith share time at the other, while
Jesse Debban and Jonathon Acosta compete for opposite.
“We’ll be looking at three of these guys for the
first time,” Scates said.
With Volleyball Magazine’s No. 1 recruiting class in the
nation, the team pulled in 12 recruits this year.
“It’s good,” Smith said of his freshman class.
“I’d say it’s one of the best, if not the best
class.”
Smith is eager to start playing at the Calgary.
“It’s a chance to prove yourself before the regular
season starts,” he said.
When asked if he was worried about losing his starting position,
Komer merely smiled and said, “No.”
“It doesn’t really matter to me. Whatever’s
best for the team,” he added.
Komer said that the addition of such a talented freshman class
affects the atmosphere of practices. “It’s competitive
and intense,” Komer said. “(The freshmen) make for a
better team.”
For the fall, senior Mark Williams, who spent the summer in
Sydney playing for the Australians, is out because of a pulled
stomach muscle he got during the Olympics.
“He’ll be healed by January and ready to compete
again,” Scates said. “I’m not taking any
chances.”
The Canadians start their college season in one week, while the
Bruins have only been practicing for a little more than two
weeks.
“This is why we go up there, actually,” Scates said.
“We’re all getting started down here and they’re
getting ready to go up there.”
And also, the team goes to test an offense much changed from
last year. Now one middle blocker hits out of the backcourt and the
setter will attack the ball as much as anyone.
“This is a different offense,” Scates said.
“Nobody’s seen it yet.”