Waves Looking to Keenan as the Postseason Begins

Pepperdine has faced many challenges on the way to its 26-4 record and No. 1 ranking in college men’s volleyball.

Brad Keenan, the Waves’ best player, has met many of them at the net. The 6-foot, 8-inch junior has been an integral part in the Waves’ success, leading them on a path that may end in their first NCAA championship in 10 years.

Brigham Young presents the latest challenge. The Cougars (23-6) are the defending national champion and they face the top-seeded Waves today at 5 in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament semifinal at Pepperdine’s Firestone Fieldhouse.

UC Santa Barbara (18-10) plays Hawaii (21-7) in the other semifinal at 7:30.

Keenan, a middle blocker, is a leading contender for MPSF player of the year and national player of the year honors.

He leads the Waves in blocks with 1.83 a game, ranks fourth in kills at 2.94 a game and has one of the most effective jump serves in the college ranks.

Pepperdine Coach Marv Dunphy said Keenan’s defense at the net might be his greatest ability. It has more to do with his knowledge of the opposition than his imposing frame.

“He became a much better read blocker,” Dunphy said. “There’s a reaction time and a movement time.

“No matter how late a blocker goes, they have to go the right way. Reading a play is a big part of it and I give him credit. Brad has improved his eye work to where he can read a play as it develops and get himself to the spot.”

Keenan credits the coaching staff of Dunphy, Jeff Stork and Rick McLaughlin with his improvement. He said Pepperdine’s coaches were the main reasons he turned down other schools to come to Malibu after being an All-Southern Section player at Fountain Valley High.

“I’ve been working with Jeff all season in terms of getting my blocking down and blocking the ball with success,” he said. “Marv has really been working with me on my serve to where it’s kind of become a weapon.

“Most of all, I think I’ve improved because we spend so much time in preparation. We watch tapes and analyze a team’s tendencies to the most minute detail. By match time, we already know what that team is going to do.”

Dunphy, who took a year off to be an assistant coach with the U.S. Olympic team in 2000, said Keenan is a player Team USA should be tracking.

“They have talked to him about being involved in the program,” Dunphy said. “There are some players who specialize in one thing but you really need to have a well-rounded game at that level.

“Brad can do several things well. He can pass the ball; I don’t think he’s had a ball-handling error this season.”

Keenan said the chance to play for the U.S. team is a goal for the future.

“I don’t want to jump the gun but I do look forward to getting an opportunity to prove myself on that level,” he said.

First, though, he wants to help keep Pepperdine on a roll. The Waves haven’t lost since Feb. 21, a two-month span that has included 14 consecutive victories.

Keenan said a two-match sweep against Hawaii March 22-23 convinced him the Waves might be something special.

“I wasn’t really sure how we would look at the start of the season,” he said. “We had a new setter in Beau Daniels and a new outside hitter in Sean Rooney. I kind of thought it would take some time to come together as a team but as time went on, we started to win and rise more and more [in the polls].

“Sweeping Hawaii at home definitely was one of the top moments of our season.”

As the Waves push toward a possible national title, the pressure will build with each match.

Tonight’s match may be the most important. The MPSF champion will get an automatic berth into the four-team NCAA tournament and the conference runner-up is likely to get the one at-large spot.

Dunphy acknowledges that Pepperdine hasn’t hoisted a trophy in some time.

“Every year we don’t win it seems too long,” he said.

But Keenan insists he doesn’t feel the pressure.

“We’ve said all year that the most important game is our next game,” he said. “Right now, our big game is against BYU.”