Head Coach Al Scates

Opening Statement:

IPFW really never quit. They came back after being down in the third game and showed a lot of fight and spirit as you would expect from a team coached by Arnie Ball. It was very good competition for us tonight. Throughout the playoffs we¡¯ve been hitting around .350 and they held us to .280 and changed some of our shots around. They were a good blocking team but we managed to out-block them barely, 8-7, which was a big factor. I think that when Paul George went over on number three [C.J. Macias] it turned things around. He was on fire but when Paul went over on him a few times I think that turned things around.

On Tony Klosterman¡¯s play tonight:

It was very important that Steve get out to a fast start tonight. We¡¯ve lost three out of the last five first games in the playoffs but he came out ready tonight and put away some really good spikes for us and got us off to a fast start in the first game which was important.

What turned things around in the middle of the second game?

Dennis [Gonzalez] just completely went away from the middle and their big blockers were running to the outside and getting two men on us and they¡¯re very good when they do that. I just reminded him to move the ball around a little bit more; it was really becoming predictable and that¡¯s not like him so he changed it.

So., L Tony Ker

Did you feel that for the most part the team didn¡¯t let balls drop?

Definitely, for the most part. They¡¯re a good blocking team but we were down there and ready every time. We missed a few of them but overall I think we worked hard the whole time. We let up a little at the end but we got the win so that¡¯s what matters.

Are you surprised that you¡¯re playing for a national title?

I think every team has to expect to get to a national championship otherwise you¡¯re never going to get there. If we didn¡¯t believe in ourselves back when we were playing Long Beach there¡¯s no way we would have gotten here.

Jr., OH Paul George

What has turned this season around?

We worked really hard this whole season, training in the weight room and things like that. I think while we suffered a few games because of all the heavy lifting we put up some big numbers, more than a lot of other teams in the nation. I think that while right now we¡¯re just peaking, other teams are starting to fall off a little bit and get tired.

Could you read where C.J. Macias was hitting?

We studied his tapes; he¡¯s a good hitter, he gets a lot of their stats and we knew they were going to go to him. I knew he was a cross-court hitter so I just tried to line up on him straight up then make a big move. I was watching his arm throughout the match and he was cutting across his body the entire time. When coach put Steve [Klosterman] on Macias I was kind of upset because I wanted a shot at him, but when I got that first block coach said OK, you have him for the rest of the match. It turned out to be a fun match-up for me.

Are you surprised that you¡¯re playing for a national title?

I think when we played Long Beach and came back we said OK, we have to win 12 more to win the national title. When you think 12 that¡¯s a pretty big number but we were optimistic about and as the games started to rattle off one by one it became more and more of a realization that we¡¯re playing really good volleyball and that we could definitely take this.

Jr., Opp. Steve Klosterman

Are you surprised that you¡¯re playing for a national title? I¡¯m never surprised at UCLA; that¡¯s what we came here for. We¡¯ve prepared ourselves all year. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve put in the weight lifting and all the hours in practice and never taken a day off. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever had a Monday practice off in my time at UCLA no matter how many road trips we went on. I think it¡¯s just hard work and determination that got us here and all the guys really want it.