VOLLEYBALL WIVA CHAMPIONSHIPS : UCLA, CS Long Beach Advance to the Final

Second-ranked Cal State Long Beach is the underdog with 28 victories and four losses.

No. 6 UCLA is the favorite with 16 victories, eight losses.

This makes sense only in NCAA men’s volleyball.

Bruin volleyball under Coach Al Scates carries a mystique similar to that of John Wooden in basketball. UCLA has historically been near unbeatable when it counts most. Witness the Bruins’ 20-0 record in NCAA playoff matches since 1980.

Long Beach would like to keep safe UCLA’s streak of NCAA victories. By defeating the Bruins on Saturday for the championship of the Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. tournament, the 49ers would keep UCLA home from the NCAA tournament.

Top-ranked USC, the WIVA champion, already has earned an invitation to the final four, May 3-4 in Honolulu. The winner of Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. match at UC Irvine’s Bren Center becomes the West region’s at-large nominee.

UCLA and Long Beach advanced to the tournament final with victories in semifinal matches Thursday night. UCLA defeated third-ranked Cal State Northridge, 15-11, 13-15, 15-3, 16-14, and Long Beach cruised past fifth-ranked San Diego State, 15-8, 15-11, 15-11.

The Bruins have won eight of their last nine, the only loss coming to USC in a match between WIVA division winners Wednesday. Scates says UCLA is peaking at the right time and that the added experience of high-level competition at this week’s tournament will help the Bruins in the final four, should they make it that far.

“It’s really a benefit to come through the tournament. It’s just tough to do it,” Scates said.

Long Beach, which has won 14 of 16, has a four-match winning streak over UCLA dating to last season. Twice this season the 49ers swept the Bruins.

“That can work both ways,” Long Beach Coach Ray Ratelle said. “UCLA has been there a number of times. They have that going for them.” He added, “We know we can beat them. That certainly doesn’t hurt.”

The same teams met in last year’s WIVA tournament championship, with Long Beach winning in five games.

The 49ers set up the rematch on 27 kills by Brent Hilliard and 19 by Matt Lyles.

The 49ers hit .454 compared to .268 for San Diego State (22-7).

UCLA came back from a 14-12 deficit in the fourth game against Northridge (22-7) and won with the help of a controversial call.

With the score tied, 14-14, Ken Lynch of Northridge hit a cross-court shot that was ruled in by the linesman, a call that was reversed by the referee. That put the Bruins up, 15-14, and when the Matadors’ Coley Kyman hit wide on the next play, the match was over.

“Half the guys said it was in and half said it was out,” Bruin blocker Mike Whitcomb said.

Carl Henkle had 20 kills to lead UCLA. Dan Landry added 17 and Tim Kelly had 15, plus nine blocks.

Neil Coffman and Kyman of Northridge had 23 kills, but Coffman hit only .176, far below his season average of .360.

“Our goal was to serve him every time and make him tired,” Whitcomb said of Coffman. “In games in the past he’s crumbled for us. When he’s hot, he’s hot. He’s definitely the key to their team.”