COLLEGES / IRENE GARCIA : Defense, Passing Skills Help Swatik Regain His Starting Job at UCLA

After a disappointing preseason, David Swatik is back as a regular swing hitter on the UCLA volleyball team. The Mira Costa High graduate had lost his starting job at the end of fall practice, but he gained it shortly before the Bruins’ opener against UC San Diego on Jan. 11 at Pauley Pavilion.

Though hitting has not been his strength lately, Swatik is a consistent passer and strong defensive player. He has started in 11 matches and played in 14 of 15 this season.

The 19-year-old sophomore is fifth on the team with an average of 2.8 kills per game and UCLA is in third place in the Western Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn.’s Degroot Division with a 9-6 record.

“His digging and ball handling are great,” UCLA Coach Al Scates said. “He comes up with a lot of digs and when his jump serve is on, it’s among the best in the league. He’s our best digger among starters.”

Swatik earned a starting spot midway through his freshman year in 1991.

“At the beginning of the year (Scates) likes to experiment with different lineups,” Swatik said. “He stated that I lost my intensity. I lost a little bit, I guess. It was frustrating. He likes competition among all players.”

Scates said: “Dave started last spring for us and at the end played well, but he got off to a slow start this year. We keep looking for him to be an outstanding hitter, but he hits the ball out a lot.”

Scates, who has led UCLA to 13 NCAA titles, expects big things from Swatik.

“He’s only 19 years old,” Scates said. “The kid’s gonna be great. Dave will hopefully come around. He can be an outstanding player.”

Swatik says it took a while to regain his confidence after being benched. He knows, however, that there is a good chance he may not start in UCLA’s four remaining league matches.

“My confidence is a lot better now and I have improved,” he said. “Defensively I’m better and I’m trying to work on blocking. I feel I need to work on blocking and hitting, but I have no real weaknesses right now.”

As a freshman, the 6-foot-4 Swatik emerged as one of UCLA’s most consistent swing hitters, opposite All-Pacific 10 selection Carl Henkel. He led the Bruins with 119 digs and was named to Volleyball Monthly’s All-Freshman team. Swatik broke career kill, block and dig records in 1991.

He had 16 kills in a victory over USC, 10 blocks in a win against Stanford and 17 digs in the Bruins’ NCAA playoff loss to eventual national champion Cal State Long Beach.

“I was in and out at the beginning of the year, but I really improved,” he said. “It was a great way to end the season.”

At Mira Costa, Swatik was the 1990 Southern Section 4-A Division player of the year and a two-time Ocean League most valuable player. The Mustangs went 43-1 during Swatik’s two varsity seasons and they won the 4-A title during his senior year in 1990.

Swatik also made Volleyball Monthly’s Fab 50 prep list and led the Torrance Volleyball Club to gold medals at the 1988 and 1990 Junior Olympics.

He was also recruited by other powerhouse volleyball schools such as USC, Stanford, Pepperdine and UC Santa Barbara.

Ross Pier, Swatik’s Torrance Volleyball Club teammate, is also having an impact at UCLA this season. Pier doesn’t have impressive statistics, but he plays in every game because of his defensive skills.

The 5-foot-9 Rolling Hills High grad played in 23 matches as a freshman last year and had 27 digs. He usually steps into the back row when the team needs a boost.

“He comes in one time in a crucial situation for big players that aren’t big diggers,” Scates said. “He comes in every game and gives us so much leadership. He’s our best digger overall.”

At Rolling Hills, Pier was a three-time All-Bay League selection. Like Swatik, he made Volleyball Monthly’s Fab 50 prep list.

Pier and Swatik, who met in eighth grade, teamed up for the high school beach state championship title in 1990.

The Cal State Dominguez Hills softball team appears to have it all this season. Strong pitching and hitting have helped the Toros to a 13-6 start. Dominguez Hills has won eight of 10 games.

The Toros had a five-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in a 4-0 loss to Bakersfield, which is ranked second in NCAA Division II. But they came back to beat the Roadrunners, 1-0, in the second game of a doubleheader at Bakersfield.

Dominguez Hills’ team batting average is .320, and pitchers Anne Ibarra and Julie Borquez have combined for a 0.66 earned-run average. Senior shortstop Jennifer Lueck leads the California Collegiate Athletic Assn. with a .412 batting average, and four other regulars are batting over .330: junior designated hitter Melissa Punch (.395), senior catcher Leticia Carranza (.385), senior first baseman Julie Berthiaume (.357) and junior second baseman Melissa Acosta (.339).

Ibarra, a senior from Mary Star High, leads the Toros with a 9-4 record, 0.41 ERA and six shutouts. Borquez, a senior, is 4-2 with a 1.02 ERA. She pitched Wednesday’s shutout against Bakersfield.

Notes

The Dominguez Hills men’s golf team will compete in the NCAA Division II West Regional on Monday and Tuesday in San Bernardino. . . . The Pepperdine University men’s tennis team, under first-year Coach Eliot Teltscher, is ranked seventh in the nation with a 12-3 record. Teltscher grew up in Rolling Hills, competed at UCLA and played on the pro circuit. . . . The El Camino College women’s swimming team leads the seven-member South Coast Conference with a 4-0 record. The Warriors are the only undefeated team in the league. . . . The El Camino men’s golf team is in third place in the SCC with a 9-4 mark. . . . The Harbor College baseball team is ranked third in the state by the JC Athletic Bureau. The Seahawks are 20-6 overall and 7-1 in the Southern California Athletic Conference. . . . Tom Dallen, a freshman from West Torrance High, leads the struggling El Camino baseball team with a .438 batting average. The first baseman has 14 hits, four runs batted in and has scored seven runs for El Camino, which is 6-12 and 5-6-1 in the SCC.