Daily Bruin File Photo Senior Mark
Williams eyes the ball in preparation for a spike last
year. He is one of four starters currently out with the flu.
By Amanda Fletcher
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
At least it wasn’t all of them.
That’s the only consolation the defending national
championship UCLA men’s volleyball team has as they travel to
Irvine for the Wyndham Gardens West Coast Challenge tournament
Friday and Saturday.
With four out of the team’s seven starters out with the
flu, the tournament will be a testament to the Bruins’ depth
as they face three conference foes in an attempt to defend the
title they won last year.
Among the ill are setter Rich Nelson, outside hitters Cameron
Mount and Mark Williams and quick hitter Adam Naeve.
“They’re in various stages,” said head coach
Al Scates. “Some of them can’t keep food down and some
just have a high fever and are weak.
“They’ve all had a temperature. If they still have a
temp I’m not going to take them (to the
tournament).”
MEN’S VOLLEYBALL UCI Tournament Irvine, CA
Friday 7 p.m. vs. Pepperdine Saturday 11 a.m. vs. CSUM 7:30 p.m.
vs. UCI Original graphic by ADAM BROWN/Daily Bruin Web adaptation
by CHRISTINE TAN/Daily Bruin Instead junior outside hitter Ian
Burnham, freshman outside hitter Parker Smith and freshman quick
hitter Chris Peña or sophomore quick hitter Greg Coon will
start for Williams, Mount and Naeve, respectively.
Senior setter Dan Conners will replace Nelson, who had a
102-degree fever on Tuesday.
“We’re practicing the healthy people and
they’re looking pretty good,” Scates said. “If
the guys are sick someone else will step up and take their
place.”
The Bruins (0-1), who will face Pepperdine on Friday and Cal
State Northridge and UC Irvine on Saturday, defeated Long Beach
State last year to take the 2000 tournament title. All three
opponents, who upset UCLA last season, are also in the MPSF
conference.
“They have the ability to beat anybody like everyone in
the conference,” outside hitter Matt Komer said.
Pepperdine and UC Irvine played for fifth place in the UCSB
Tournament, which UCLA took second place in behind the host
school.
“We saw them in Santa Barbara and they’ll be
competitive,” Komer said. “This won’t be a
cakewalk.”
Though Scates is a mere five wins from his 1,000th victory, the
most amassed by any collegiate volleyball coach, with the fatigue
the team experienced in its recent five-game loss to UCSB, the sick
players won’t likely be up to the challenge.
“Though we definitely want to win these matches, even if
they do come back they won’t be able to play two matches on
Saturday and we’d have to figure out how to rest them,”
Scates said.
Komer agreed that even in a healthy state, matches are tiring.
“We’re used to having a day off. We’re not used
to these double-headers,” he said.
Though Scates admits the new lineup will be interesting, he
isn’t worried.
“We’ll still be strong regardless of who’s
back and playing,” he said.