UCLA’s Komer Making Noise at Right Time

Matt Komer is the quiet type.

He’ll let seniors Mark Williams and Adam Naeve do the yelling when it’s time to motivate the UCLA men’s volleyball team. Or he’ll step back as sophomore Cameron Mount takes the key offensive role.

But during the postseason, Komer, a junior, is starting to make more noise, much to the delight of Brian Rofer, the top-ranked Bruins’ 11-year assistant coach who recruited Komer out of Los Alamitos High.

“He took a big step last week,” said Rofer, who watched Komer come off the bench and have 22 kills in the last four games to help the Bruins rally for a five-game victory over Long Beach State in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament semifinal last Thursday. “He could be a guy who makes a big difference.

“He just has to call for the ball more, let his setter know that he wants the ball. It’s usually the guy who yells the loudest gets the sets. But he’s a little quiet. Probably no one hears him calling for the ball.”

Komer said he’ll reserve his real yelling if the Bruins successfully defend their NCAA title. That title defense continues today in the Final Four, which is at The Pyramid at Long Beach State.

Last season, UCLA defeated Ohio State in the final to give the Bruins their 18th national title under Coach Al Scates. The top-seeded Bruins (23-7) meet the fourth-seeded Buckeyes (21-6), again at 5 p.m. today in the first of two semifinals. Second-seeded Brigham Young (21-4) plays third-seeded Penn State (24-7) at 7:30 p.m with the winners meeting at 4 p.m. Saturday.

Komer and the Bruins hope they will still be playing Saturday. Once Scates’ teams get to the final, they are efficient. UCLA is 18-4 in NCAA title matches.

“We expect to get here and win the Final Four,” said Komer, who will start at opposite today. “It’s the only thing we think about. It all comes down to this last week of volleyball.

“A lot of people think we’re cocky because we feel like we’re going to win every game. We feel like we shouldn’t lose to anybody. But the top teams probably all feel the same way.

“Off the court, it’s different. We’re just a humorous bunch of guys.”

The Bruins’ road to the Final Four wasn’t paved with laughers. UCLA needed five games to defeat Stanford in the first round of the MPSF tournament, giving the Bruins their first victory this season over the Cardinal.

Then came the five-game thriller over Long Beach State, followed by a 30-27, 30-23, 15-30, 30-27 win over Hawaii in the MPSF final, which secured the Bruins’ berth in the Final Four.

“This team seems to pull it out in the end,” Komer said.

Said Scates: “When the chips are down, this team plays well. Matt played good defense in that match against Hawaii, but he didn’t hit like he did against Long Beach.

“He can help us in different ways. But it sure is nice when he’s going off like he did against Long Beach.”

Komer didn’t start against the 49ers, but he came in during Game 2 and had 11 kills in 12 attempts in that game. His hitting percentage was .514 in the match, keying a 27-30, 30-25, 30-24, 23-30, 15-7 victory over Long Beach State.

That wasn’t the first time Komer was thrown into a breach.

He filled in admirably for Williams, a starting outside hitter who was sidelined with a sprained ankle, for a month handling the senior’s offensive responsibilities with aplomb.

Everyone knew Komer could hit and block. But he also showed he could be a steady passer too. That was new to Komer, since throughout his high school career, he was never asked to pass.

“Matt’s a quick learner,” Scates said. “Usually, it takes three full years for someone to learn a skill they didn’t have before. It’s very unusual. He’ll be able to play that position as a senior.”

Said Komer: “I don’t know how I did it. Roper kept telling me, ‘All you do is step out there and pass the ball, get the ball to the setter.’ I didn’t know what the heck I was doing, but they just kept telling me ‘Don’t worry, you’ll get better with repetitions.’ ”

Considering the Bruins are two victories away from giving Scates and UCLA its 19th men’s volleyball title, Komer couldn’t be in a better place for repeating.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

College Volleyball

* What: NCAA men’s championships

* When: Semifinals today, 5 and 7:30 p.m.; finals Saturday, 4 p.m.

* Where: The Pyramid, Long Beach State

* Today’s schedule: First semifinal, No. 1-seeded UCLA (23-7) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (21-6); second semifinal, No. 2 Brigham Young (21-4) vs. No. 3 Penn State (24-7).

* Tickets: All-tournament, $20 adults, $15 youth/student. Single match, $12 adults, $8 youth/student.

* Orange County connections: UCLA--Matt Komer (Los Alamitos High), David Lin (University), Kris Welch (Esperanza), Greg Coon (Corona del Mar). BYU--Jonathan Alleman (Esperanza).

* Notes: UCLA is the defending champion and Bruin Coach Al Scates has won 18 titles, an NCAA record in any sport. . . . BYU received the tournament’s at-large bid, though the Cougars lost to Hawaii in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament semifinals last week. UCLA defeated Hawaii in the MPSF final. Ohio State won the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. championship and Penn State won the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Assn. title.