LONG ODDS : Loyola Valleyball Team Has a Difficult Schedule, but Its Toughest Opponent May Be Itself

The list of opponents and problems is already long for the Loyola Marymount men’s volleyball team.

The Lions play in the Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn., a conference that has produced the national champion every year since the NCAA started sanctioning the sport in 1970. As if this is not enough, three starters are injured less than a week into the season.

But according to Lion Coach Mike Normand, a man who seemingly turns every conversation into a lesson on life, LMU’s worst opponent is itself.

“I told the team today, we’re down,” Normand said. “We’re 0-4, and I know this is where you get into the dark corners of your mind. You have choices. Right off the bat, you have the choice to quit. Not to quit physically, but to quit mentally. But champions overcome these, and they start crawling and step out of that hole.

“You need to say, ‘first I am going to improve myself. I’m going to do extra passing, extra setting, and extra hitting. Whatever I need. I need more weight work so I can jump higher so I can block more shots. Need more footwork so I can improve myself.’ ”

To understand why Normand is so apt to break into a motivational speech, check out the Lions’ situation. Other WIVA teams use five scholarships, the maximum number allowed by the NCAA. The Lions have two. Every team they play seems to be ranked. In four days, they dropped straight-set matches to two of the top six teams, No. 6 Stanford and No. 3 Cal State Long Beach.

Under perfect conditions, a program such as Loyola’s begs for a win. But the Lions are injured. Their top player, Sio Saipaia, a second-team WIVA selection, has been playing despite knee prob lems. Freshman Rick Humphreys, a setter and outside hitter, has not suited up yet because of a back problem, and sophomore Wayne Seligson did not play against the 49ers because of a sore shoulder.

But Normand believes discipline will overcome adversity. A 1978 UCLA graduate and John Wooden disciple, his players are not allowed to wear earrings, play with long hair or look at a coach “in a negative manner.”

Normand is 14-31 in his third season at Loyola. The Lions finished the 1989-1990 season with a respectable 9-10 record, the Lions were ranked as high as eighth. In preseason matches this year, Loyola beat Long Beach and UC Santa Barbara and split against Pepperdine and UCLA. Then came injuries, a five-set loss to Cal State Northridge and a four-set loss to San Diego State.

“We’ve always had to overcome ‘Loyola’s not a volleyball school,’ ” Normand said. “Its always USC and UCLA, not that they aren’t any good . . . it’s just disheartening to my kids for us to go out and play so well in the preseason and nobody takes us seriously. Of course, now we are injured and are not playing well, so everyone will say, ‘that’s why we rated them that way.’ We’ll see. We’ll see.”

Said Saipaia: “With our program, we’ve got to come in with the attitude where--regardless of (the opponents’) ranking--we’re just as likely to win. Teams tend to underestimate our abilities and sometimes we do too. I think our weakest point is that we tend not to give ourselves a chance to play. But once we get started, I don’t think there’s a team out there we can’t play.”

Saipaia, nicknamed “Flyin’ Hawaiian,” is one of three seniors for the Lions. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter averaged 6.1 kills and 1.1 blocks as a junior.

The other seniors are 6-4 outside hitter Chuck Donlan (3.6 kills, 1.1 digs) and 6-2 outside hitter Mike Longacre (2.6 kills, 1.9 digs). Joining the seniors in the starting lineup is 6-6 sophomore middle blocker Andy Zimmerman, and 6-3 freshman middle blocker/outside hitter Terrence Stevens of Manhattan Beach.

The quintet is averaging 18.3 kills.

“Nobody takes (Loyola) lightly, Long Beach Coach Ray Ratelle said. “You play them, you know you are in a battle. . . . With the new playoff format, they have a real good shot.”

Normand’s other starter is 5-8 setter Matt Kot, who has replaced the injured 6-foot Seligson. As a comparison, UCLA--which the Lions play Feb. 22--has no starter shorter than 6-5.

“Matt’s doing a fine job,” Normand said. “Unfortunately, Rick is better. There’s no kind way of saying it. Its just true.”

Kot, a junior from Laguna Beach, is averaging 3.1 assists.

Normand says he has no idea when everyone will be healthy. Craig Adamoli, a 5-10 sophomore setter from Manhattan Beach, leads the team with 11 assists per game. Steve Li, a 6-foot sophomore transfer from Santa Barbara, is averaging 10.8.

Normand said the team’s defense and blocking need to improve because his squad must score points by playing good defense. Zimmerman is leading the Lions in blocks a game (1.3).

Against Long Beach, Loyola led, 10-4, in the third game, but could not finish the 49ers. After amassing a six-point lead, there were 38 side-outs before the Lions lost, 16-14.

“We are just trying to find ourselves as a team,” Saipaia said. “UCLA and USC all have their identities. We are right in the trying stage, where we are finding what to do with ourselves. I think once we get that down, a lot of people are going to be surprised.”