Taliaferro Is Back, and So Are the Bruins

In the name of luxury travel, someone please teach Brandon Taliaferro how to enjoy first class.

While his UCLA teammates wedged themselves into seats in the coach cabin on the way to the NCAA men’s volleyball semifinals, the 6-foot-5 Taliaferro, reclining in first class, eschewed steaming washcloths and surprisingly edible food.

Instead, he opted for a few hours of shut-eye.

Taliaferro, an All-American senior setter, received the royal treatment because of a tender back that has troubled him throughout the season.

He seems embarrassed when talking about the extra attention--he also flew first class on UCLA’s trip to Hawaii in March--but his teammates don’t mind.

They know that Taliaferro has piloted the team to the NCAA championship match today against Ohio State.

He has been nearly flawless despite his back, which initially flared up after consecutive five-game losses to USC and Pepperdine in February.

He broke the career record for assists at a school that has had plenty of big-name setters, including four-time All-American Karch Kiraly.

He also set the school career record with 173 aces, 50 more than the previous mark.

About the only thing to sidetrack Taliaferro has been his back, which caused him to miss five matches and nearly three weeks of practice.

Without him, the Bruins lost to Cal State Northridge for only the third time in 42 matches and needed five games--at home--to defeat below-average UC Santa Barbara.

“For two weeks, I was just sitting on my butt,” Taliaferro said. “I haven’t ever done that. It was so bad. It was tough watching us struggle against CSUN and UCSB.”

Upon his return, UCLA defeated Brigham Young, last year’s national champion, in consecutive matches.

“I don’t think they ever recovered from those two losses,” UCLA Coach Al Scates said.

The Bruins, however, have proved to be for real, thanks chiefly to Taliaferro, who undergoes treatment for his back a few times a week.

He has directed what some observers say is a comparatively weak UCLA team, lacking a traditional go-to gun to bury the ball when a point or side-out is needed. A variety of players share that role this year.

At a moment’s notice, Scates can insert players from the bench to change the make-up of the team with the knowledge that Taliaferro will make it work.

Taliaferro’s ease in adjusting drew praise from interim Pepperdine Coach Jeff Stork, a three-time member of the U.S. Olympic team as a setter.

“He’s a big part of their success,” Stork said. “They used three middles, two opposites and three outside hitters [in a recent victory over the Waves]. He’s smart enough and deceptive enough to keep them siding out.”

The Bruins’ attack is watered down, some say. Not Taliaferro.

“That’s the beauty of this team,” he said. “How can you scout us? You don’t know who’s going to start. And you don’t know who’s going to go off. At any given time, anybody can start and anybody can play. You never know.”

Taliaferro’s strong serve, accurately placed sets and blocking ability make him a natural for a future appearance with the U.S. national team.

But last summer, while competing at the University Games and the Pan-Am Games, he struggled.

Not the type for self-adulation, Taliaferro said the skills of current national team setter Lloy Ball, whom he played with on a tour of Japan two years ago, are superior.

“Definitely better,” Taliaferro said. “He sets them [perfectly] every time. There was definitely a disparity between the two of us.”

Taliaferro readjusted his sights for the 2004 Olympics and returned to UCLA last fall, which, he realized, wasn’t a bad homecoming.

“It isn’t like it’s second-best,” he said. “I can get better, work on my [history] degree and try for 2004.”

Besides, he said, there’s some unfinished business--trying to win UCLA’s 18th NCAA title.

“Last year, we were expected to win but didn’t” he said. “This year, we were supposed to challenge but not be that great. There’s a tradition to uphold.”

NCAA Final

* Today: UCLA (28-5)

vs. Ohio State (25-3),

11 a.m. PDT, ESPN2.