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Thursday, 5/1/97 Bruins ready for crucial game Beating Lions paramount in securing chance for NCAA title

By Jennifer Kollenborn Daily Bruin Contributor The UCLA Bruins, the No. 3 seed in the Final Four, have some regrouping to do before tonight's semifinal match against Penn State. When Stanford mopped the Pauley Pavilion floor with the Bruins last Saturday in a 3-0 sweep, the Cardinal snatched the MPSF title right from under the top-ranked Bruins' nose. The Bruins can only hope they've worked out their kinks as they come into today's NCAA semifinal match against Penn State, a team that is sure to take advantage of the slightest mistake. No. 3 UCLA (23-4) challenges No. 2 Penn State (29-1) today for the green card into the NCAA Championship match. At the end of all league play, The American Volleyball Coaches Association voted UCLA No. 1 in the country with Penn State close behind at No. 2. However, UCLA's higher ranking doesn't erase the Bruin's previous loss to Penn State at the Outrigger Invitational Tournament in Honolulu where the Lions defeated UCLA, 11-15, 11-15, 16-14, 5-15 in UCLA's first match of the season. The Bruins know that they will have to perform their best to shut down Penn State who they have not faced since January. "We will be ready, Tom Stillwell said. "(Last time) the game really didn't mean anything. I really am not thinking about it anymore." Penn State will set foot on the court hoping that its previous win will intimidate the Bruins. But UCLA sees the Lions' earlier win as something that could work to the Bruins' advantage. "You usually lose to the top teams (during the season), you just hope you beat them when it counts," head coach Al Scates said. "When you play them twice, you usually lose once. We lost to Hawaii last year, but we beat them in the finals." UCLA leads the series against the Lions 11-5, but this year all of Penn State's starters appeared in the 1997 NCAA statistical leaders poll. It is no wonder the Lions are known for scoring points. This season, the Lions returned five starting players, including 1996 first-team All-East selections Ivan Contreras and Jason Kepner. The two co-captains have continued to lead the Lions in 1997 and will be the players the Bruins look to stop. Contreras hit the pinnacle of his success this season when he boasted a career-high 51 kills in only four games against Southampton in the EIVA semifinals while Kepner added 32. As a result, the two seniors (along with Tony Mazzullo who averages 2.46 dpg) were named to the all-tournament team. However, UCLA is also loaded with adequate ammunition. UCLA All-American senior Paul Nihipali and junior Tom Stillwell made the 1997 All-MPSF first-team. Nihipali stunned opposing teams this season with his unstoppable hitting leading to his average of 6.28 kpg, while Stillwell's consistent blocking (1.96 bpg) earned him the national blocking title. When all is said and done, UCLA will hang its fears in the locker room, and walk out on the court guided by one lingering thought - winning the national championship. "We are in the Final Four," Stillwell said. "We know we have two matches. Who cares who won that game or lost that game. We still have to beat two teams to win the national championship." JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin Senior Paul Nihipali has led the Bruins to the Final Four. But he and his teammates would be satisfied with nothing less than the championship. JUSTIN WARREN/Daily Bruin Senior Paul Nihipali has led the Bruins to the Final Four. But he and his teammates would be satisfied with nothing less than the championship. Related Links: Penn State's student-run newspaper, The Collegian