Bruins sweep ‘Eaters

Barry Faulkner

The second largest home crowd in UC Irvine history, cable television

cameras, and the most successful program in the annals of collegiate

men’s volleyball were all in place Friday night.

But, after visiting UCLA earned a 30-24, 30-23, 30-22 Mountain

Pacific Sports Federation victory, before 1,873 spectators, Anteaters

Coach John Speraw revealed there were some crucial no-shows in white

jerseys.

“We just did not hit the ball well at all on the left side,” said

Speraw, who guided UCI to a pair of wins over his alma mater last

season. “Every one of our outside hitters except Jimmy [Pelzel, the

‘Eaters’ returning senior All-American] hit negative.”

UCI outside hitters Spencer Bemus, Jayson Jablonsky and B.J. Fell

produced a combined 10 kills in 34 attempts, with 14 errors, to

account for the aforementioned ignominy, as UCLA blockers bestowed

consistent buzz kill on virtually anyone other than Pelzel.

“We had two game plans and both of them had Pelzel as our main

focus,” said UCLA Coach Al Scates, who has guided the Bruins to 18

national championships and, now, 1,065 victories. “We didn’t stop

[Pelzel], but we stopped everyone else.”

The 6-foot-6 Pelzel, fielding sets on the right side, pounded a

match-high 15 kills, with only five errors in 29 attempts (a .345

hitting percentage). But when he rotated into the back row, or when

poor passing made it more difficult for the hosts to set their go-to

hitter, UCI attackers found Bruin paws, forearms and, quite often,

futility.

“I’d call this our best blocking match of the season,” said

Scates, who unleashed 6-8 junior middle Paul Johnson and 6-6 senior

middle Chris Pena on the hosts.

“Blocking has been our weakest skill early in the season, so we’ve

been working hard on it. Paul Johnson has come into his own and Pena

played great. [Pena] blocked better than I’ve ever seen him.”

Pena had six block assists and one solo block, while Johnson added

four block assists and two solo stops to help No. 3-ranked UCLA (6-1,

2-1 in the MPSF), triple up on UCI’s five team blocks.

Steve Klosterman, a 6-7 freshman, added five block assists for the

winners.

“We did what we were supposed to do, which was to smother them,”

said Pena, who added four kills.

Added Johnson, whose 12 kills matched senior outside hitter J.T.

Wenger for team-high honors: “I thought we did phenomenal. We did

everything we were supposed to do. We came out full force and stuck

to our game plan.”

The Bruins stuck it to No. 10-ranked UCI (3-4, 1-2), which seemed

impervious to numerous substitutions and timeouts used by Speraw in

an attempt to shake things up.

The attendance, including ample numbers of “Completely Insane

Anteaters” student rooters, also played a role in the match, Speraw

said.

“I think the environment tonight had our guys a little

star-struck,” said Speraw, who played for Scates’ 1993 and ’95

national champions and picked up another NCAA crown during a

four-year stint as a Bruin assistant. “There was a lot of buzz about

this match. I know I had people calling me all day long asking for

tickets and I’m sure the guys did too. I think they were a little shy

under all the attention, especially early in the match.”

Speraw said inexperience (the ‘Eaters start three freshmen and two

others -- outside hitter Matt Webber and setter Brian Thornton -- saw

significant action off the bench) also played in UCLA’s favor.

“I think we have a little freshmenitis, with a lot of guys making

freshmen mistakes,” Speraw said.

Speraw praised Webber’s six kills without an error in 14 attempts

(a team-leading .429 hitting percentage), but was noncommittal on

Thornton’s work in relief of freshman starter Brett Reid.

“Both guys had problems with location and neither set the middle

very well,” Speraw said. “And we didn’t pass particularly well, which

made it easier on [the Bruins].

“Not to disrespect UCLA, but I don’t see them as any great

blocking team. Their blockers were committing to the middle, because

our outside hitters on the left side were terrible. I thought Jimmy

played well, but he has to have a supporting cast.”