Spikers take shot at Loyola Marymount
Top-ranked Bruins host lowly Lions in conference opener
By Eric Branch
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Tonight's Mountain Pacific Sports Federation season-opener between top-ranked UCLA and unranked Loyola Marymount could be reminiscent of some of history's greatest battles. Most notably, General Custer at Little Big Horn.
While the Bruins (3-0 overall) enter Pauley Pavilion (7:30 p.m.) talking about sweeps of No. 6 Penn State and No. 10 Hawaii at last week's Hawaii Invitational Tournament, the Lions (1-2 overall) are merely speaking of moral victories. After enduring a disastrous 6-21 season last year, the future is looking somewhat brighter for Loyola.
Playing at the same tournament in Honolulu, the Lions managed to take a game off defending national champion Penn State. That fact coupled with the return of all six starters from last year's team, five of which are seniors, has third-year head coach Rick McLaughlin enjoying some delusions of grandeur.
"UCLA is clearly the best team in the country, but I think we have a shot," McLaughlin said. "Our guys are real fired up to go in and battle them."
Indeed, the Lions are not devoid of talent. Their roster includes two pre-season All-America candidates in opposite hitter Jason McEntee (5.3 kills per game) and middle blocker Paul Severens (3.2).
"McEntee is their go-to hitter and he's the guy we'll have to stop," UCLA head coach Al Scates said. "But basically we have to just worry about our own game. We have to start setting and hitting better; that's our focus this week."
The Bruins enter the match with five of their six starting positions set. The sixth position at opposite hitter is currently being shared by sophomores Paul Nihipali and Matt Noonan. Nihipali will get the start tonight with Noonan out with an illness. While Nihipali is averaging 1.2 blocks per game, Scates feels his importance is not reflected in the stat sheet.
"You can't really see how he disturbs the other team by looking at his numbers," Scates said. "Opponents see this big 6-7 Samoan in the middle with an enormous wing span and don't want to hit it directly at him. Instead, they end up shanking five or six balls in the bleachers."