BRIDGET O’BRIEN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff Senior outside
hitter Mark Williams returned after missing four
weeks with a sprained ankle. UCLA d. CSU
Northridge 30-20, 30-19, 30-22
By Amanda Fletcher
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Their Valentine’s Day may have been spent on the court,
but one Bruin managed find a little love ““ brotherly love,
that is.
In his first game back after spraining his ankle on Jan. 17,
senior outside hitter Mark Williams faced off against his older
brother Raoul in the No. 1 UCLA volleyball team’s 30-20,
30-19, 30-22 rout of Cal State Northridge (3-9, 0-7 MPSF).
Originally not scheduled to return until Feb. 19, Mark worked
hard so that he could be back in time to rejoin the Bruins (7-3,
3-1) and meet his brother on the court.
“He was trying to get back to play against his
brother,” Scates said. “That was his goal.”
Though they deny any sibling rivalry, they did engage in a
little serving duel during game three in which both Williams
brothers served to the other on consecutive rotations.
“I was just mad he aced me so many times,” Mark said
with a laugh.
“That was actually an accident,” Raoul said of the
one ace he bounced off Mark’s arms. “I can’t
control my serves.”
On the night, Mark led the team, along with sophomore quick
hitter Scott Morrow, with six blocks.
“After that four-week layoff, he really blocked well for
us,” Scates said “The big problem is his hitting
because he has that brace.”
Fortunately, a number of Bruins were on hand to provide a kill
or two. Morrow and sophomore Cameron Mount led the team with nine
each, followed by senior Adam Naeve with eight and junior Ian
Burnham and Mark with seven each.
“I think (Mark) could probably do a little better,”
Raoul said. “He’s probably still a little
sore.”
But it was the Bruins’ 12 service aces and only 16 errors
that won them the game.
“Basically we just served them off the court,”
Scates said. “I’ll take that ratio anytime.”