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Sophomore setter Beau Peters is enrolled at UCLA after transferring from Long Beach State. He adds much-needed depth to the position after the Bruins lost three-year starter Rich Nelson to graduation.

“We’re excited to get him,” UCLA head coach Al Scates said. “I’m confident we’ll have a great setter with whoever is starting.”

Peters will not have to sit out a year because he was released from his scholarship agreement, making him eligible for recruitment. Long Beach State apparently pulled his scholarship upon the emergence of 2003 MPSF Freshman of the Year Tyler Hildebrand.

Before losing his position, Peters was able to set the 49ers to a five-game victory over the Bruins in January.

“The only time I’ve seen him play was against us,” Scates said. “And he beat us. That impressed me.”

Although Peters comes to UCLA having the most collegiate setting experience on the team, he will compete with highly touted freshman Julio Acevedo, who is currently setting for the Puerto Rican national team at the NORCECA Zone Championships in Mexico.

Redshirt sophomores Dennis Gonzalez and Aaron Dodd are also in the mix, having played limited minutes last season.

The last time UCLA got a transfer from Long Beach, things worked out well. Opposite hitter Ed Ratledge came to UCLA in 1999 and ended up starting on the 2000 NCAA championship team.

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The MPSF coaches did not come any closer to deciding on the format for the conference tournament after a teleconference Tuesday.

Hawai’i, in an apparent miscommunication with its own coach, Mike Wilton, recently submitted a proposal to just host the semifinals and final rather than the entire tournament, Scates said.

The coaches, however, had shown support for a plan that would hold the entire tournament at Hawai’i, featuring all 12 teams in the conference. The current format allows only the top eight teams to participate, with the highest seed remaining after the first round hosting the semifinals and final.

An MPSF committee will decide on the final format for this season by January 2004.

Things did get done regarding Scates’ proposal that BYU rearrange its seating at Smith Fieldhouse. The MPSF coaches voted to give 17 feet of space between the seats and the service line.

“It occurred to me that it would be a good idea after the fans were standing and shouting at my servers,” said Scates, whose team was swept twice in Provo last season. “I thought it would be nice if they could be removed from the playing floor.”

•••

UCLA will unexpectedly open fall practice on Oct. 13 in the Wooden Center.

The team was hoping to be back on its legendary practice floor in the newly renovated Student Activities Center (formerly Men’s Gym) after two seasons in the Wooden Center. Scates had already delayed the start of practice two weeks so as to accommodate a delay in the renovation, but a floor has still yet to be installed because of electrical problems.

Players complained of the small confines and hard floor in Wooden, hinting that the facility was the cause of the team’s injury problems. Scates said it was possible the team could be practicing in the Student Activities Center by the end of that week.

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