The USA men's volleyball team will face Brazil tonight (10/26) at 6 p.m. (PDT) on ESPN2 as part of the Pan Am Games coverage from Guadalajara, Mexico. UCLA Bruins on on the team include setter Kyle Caldwell and middle hitter/opposite Nick Vogel. John Speraw (UCLA '95) is the head coach. Check your local listings for channel number.
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The USA Men's Volleyball team edged Puerto Rico 3-2 in their opening match at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico Monday. The Stars and Stripes won 22-25, 25-19, 20-25, 25-26, 15-13. UCLA senior and USA starting setter Kyle Caldwell contributed six points on three kills and three blocks in the victory. The USA team is coached by UCLA alumnus John Speraw. UCLA senior Nick Vogel is also on the team, but did not record any stats against Puerto Rico.
UCLA volleyball players Kyle Caldwell and Nick Vogel played in a pre-tournament Pan Am Games match for the United States on Tuesday at Concordia University in Irvine. Toray Arrow of Japan defeated the U.S. 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 29-27, 25-19). Vogel and Caldwell each scored three points in the setback.The USA Team, coached by UCLA alumnus John Speraw, will begin competition on Oct. 24 in Group B with Brazil, Canada and Puerto Rico. UCLA sophomore Gonzalo Quiroga will play for his native Argentina, which is slotted in Group A.
UCLA sophomore outside hitter Gonzalo Quiroga on Thursday won the inaugural Off the Block Fan Choice Offseason Award, recognizing the best performance from current NCAA men's volleyball players in international tournaments during the 2011 summer. Quiroga, the captain of the Argentina Youth National Team, garnered 32 percent of the votes, beating out teammate Thomas Amberg, UCI's Carson Clark and BYU's Taylor Sander, among others. Quiroga totaled 141 kills through the first two rounds of the Boys Youth World Championship and led Argentina to a fifth-place finish. Thanks to all who voted for him!
UCLA sophomore Gonzalo Quiroga led Argentina to a fifth place finish at the Youth World Championship Sunday in Buenos Aires. Argentina defeated Bulgaria 25-20, 25-11, 25-19 in the fifth place match and Quiroga led both teams with 16 kills. For the tournament, he led all players with 138 kills, including a match-high 27 kills in a victory against the United States in the opening round.
Be sure to read the Daily News story Thursday on Mike O'Hara, a UCLA alumnus who has spend his working life promoting volleyball and other sports around the globe.
UCLA sophomore outside hitter Gonzalo Quiroga led Argentina past the United States Sunday in the final match of Pool A competition at the FIVB Boys' Youth World Championship in Buenos Aires.
Argentina won 25-20, 25-19, 28-26. The loss dropped the USA (1-2) into the consolation bracket. Argentina (2-1) advanced to the medal round along with Bulgaria (2-1), also from Pool A.
Quiroga led all players in the sweep with 27 kills, including 23 kills in the final two sets. It was the most kills by an opponent against the USA in the team's three pool-play matches at the World Championship.
Argentina won 25-20, 25-19, 28-26. The loss dropped the USA (1-2) into the consolation bracket. Argentina (2-1) advanced to the medal round along with Bulgaria (2-1), also from Pool A.
Quiroga led all players in the sweep with 27 kills, including 23 kills in the final two sets. It was the most kills by an opponent against the USA in the team's three pool-play matches at the World Championship.
In a battle to reach the medal round, the USA Men's Volleyball Team fell in four sets to Thailand at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China on Wednesday.
The U.S. lost 15-25, 25-23, 19-25, 23-25 and will now play on Friday against Japan for 9th-16th place. The Stars and Stripes completed pool play with a 3-2 record, while Thailand advanced by winning four out of five matches.
Thailand scored 35 points off U.S. errors while committing 18. The teams were even in attacks (49-49) with the U.S. holding the edge in blocks (8-5) and Thailand winning at the service line (9-7).
UCLA middle blocker Thomas Amberg scored nine points on five kills, three blocks and an ace. His UCLA teammate Weston Dunlap totaled six points on four kills, a block and an ace.
The U.S. lost 15-25, 25-23, 19-25, 23-25 and will now play on Friday against Japan for 9th-16th place. The Stars and Stripes completed pool play with a 3-2 record, while Thailand advanced by winning four out of five matches.
Thailand scored 35 points off U.S. errors while committing 18. The teams were even in attacks (49-49) with the U.S. holding the edge in blocks (8-5) and Thailand winning at the service line (9-7).
UCLA middle blocker Thomas Amberg scored nine points on five kills, three blocks and an ace. His UCLA teammate Weston Dunlap totaled six points on four kills, a block and an ace.
The USA Men's Volleyball Team, with the help of UCLA middle blocker Thomas Amberg, swept the United Arab Emirates Tuesday at the World University Games in Shenzhen, China.
The U.S. (3-1) won 25-21, 25-13, 25-20 to remain in contention for the medal round. The U.S. meets Thailand (3-1) on Wednesday for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Amberg smacked six kills against UAE (0-4) and served three aces, a team-high.
On Monday, the U.S. suffered its first setback, a five-set loss to the Czech Republic (4-0).
The U.S. (3-1) won 25-21, 25-13, 25-20 to remain in contention for the medal round. The U.S. meets Thailand (3-1) on Wednesday for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Amberg smacked six kills against UAE (0-4) and served three aces, a team-high.
On Monday, the U.S. suffered its first setback, a five-set loss to the Czech Republic (4-0).
Senior Thomas Amberg put together a great performance at the World University Games as he recorded a team-high eight blocks and seven kills in the USA's 3-0 win over Turkey. Game
scores were 25-18, 25-9 and 25-20.
Amberg also recorded a .500 hitting percentage, added an ace and averaged 2.67 blocks per set as he led Team USA to victory. Senior Weston Dunlap also started in the match and chipped in with two kills and two blocks.
The next match for the United States is Monday, August 15th against the Czech Republic.
Amberg also recorded a .500 hitting percentage, added an ace and averaged 2.67 blocks per set as he led Team USA to victory. Senior Weston Dunlap also started in the match and chipped in with two kills and two blocks.
The next match for the United States is Monday, August 15th against the Czech Republic.
Senior volleyball players Thomas Amberg and Weston Dunlap helped lead the United States National Team to a 3-0 victory over Mexico in the first match of the World University Games in Shenzhen, China. Game scores were 25-17, 25-23, and 25-15.
Amberg had a team-high two blocks while also recording four kills in the match. Dunlap chipped in with two kills and one block against Mexico as well. Former UC Santa Barbara outside hitter Jeff Menzel led the U.S. with 15 kills on the night.
The next match for the United States is Saturday, August 13th against Turkey.
Amberg had a team-high two blocks while also recording four kills in the match. Dunlap chipped in with two kills and one block against Mexico as well. Former UC Santa Barbara outside hitter Jeff Menzel led the U.S. with 15 kills on the night.
The next match for the United States is Saturday, August 13th against Turkey.
Congratulations to several UCLA men's volleyball players for earning summer tryouts with various USA Volleyball teams. Juniors Kyle Caldwell, Thomas Amberg, Weston Dunlap and Nick Vogel have all been invited by USA Volleyball to try out for the World University Games Team that will compete in China this summer. Freshman Gonzalo Quiroga will play for the Argentine Jr. National team and Robart Page will try out for the U.S. Jr. National Team.
Freshman outside hitter Robart Page has been named to preliminary 19-man roster for the U.S. Men's Junior National Team. Twelve players will be selected from the 19-man roster to compete
at the World Championship on Aug. 1-10 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The
team will train at the GaREAT sports complex in Geneva, Ohio. Page finished the year with 103 kills, 15 aces, 43 digs and 22 block assists for the Bruins. For more information on the U.S. Junior National Team, click here.
Congratulations to UCLA men's volleyball junior Nick
Vogel and former All-American, Garrett Muagututia (UCLA '10)
who will be in University Park, PA, for the U.S. Men's National Training
Team inter-squad scrimmage and World University Games team tryout on
May 6. For the complete release, please click here.
Following is broadcast information regarding a feature on Coach Al Scates and the telecast of the UCLA-BYU MPSF men's volleyball quarterfinal match In Provo, UT on Sat., Apr. 24.
The link below provides information on how to access the UCLA-BYU broadcast in your area.
Click here
Click on California to see the details. This is a live telecast.
The feature on Coach Scates is tentatively set to air this weekend at the following times:
The link below provides information on how to access the UCLA-BYU broadcast in your area.
Click here
Click on California to see the details. This is a live telecast.
The match also will be broadcast online at
www.byu.tv
. It will be on that website for up to two weeks.
The feature on Coach Scates is tentatively set to air this weekend at the following times:
- Sat., Apr. 24, 10:30 p.m. on Channel 9 (KCAL)
- Sun., Apr. 25, 3 p.m. on Channel 2 (KCBS)
John Walters of AOL FanHouse has written an outstanding feature on UCLA volleyball coaches Andy Banachowski and Al Scates. Banachowski has announced his retirement after 43 years as head coach of the women's volleyball program and Scates was his college coach and mentor.
For a great read about two coaching legends, click here.
UCLA won its first match in the 46th Annual Santa Barbara Invitational Thursday by beating UC San Diego 3-2.
The Bruins won 30-24, 24-30, 26-30, 31-29, 15-8 to raise their overall record to 1-0. At 7:30 tonight, UCLA meets BYU, which defeated UC Irvine 3-1.
Senior outside hitter Garrett Muagututia led UCLA with 18 kills.
In the other half of the bracket, Cal Baptist will face Cal State Northridge. Cal Baptist defeated Long Beach State in five games and CS Northridge won in four.
The Bruins won 30-24, 24-30, 26-30, 31-29, 15-8 to raise their overall record to 1-0. At 7:30 tonight, UCLA meets BYU, which defeated UC Irvine 3-1.
Senior outside hitter Garrett Muagututia led UCLA with 18 kills.
In the other half of the bracket, Cal Baptist will face Cal State Northridge. Cal Baptist defeated Long Beach State in five games and CS Northridge won in four.
The UCLA men's volleyball team won its first match in the annual SAC Tournament Friday, sweeping Cal Baptist.
The Bruins won 30-19, 30-24, 30-24 in just more than an hour.
Kill leaders for the Bruins were sophomore Thomas Amberg and Garrett Muagututia with 13 and 11 kills, respectively.
Levi Cabral led CBU with 10 kills.
In the other match, UC Santa Barbara defeated Cal State Northridge, 21-30, 30-28, 30-25, 30-24.
On Saturday, the Bruins meet UCSB at 10 a.m. and CS Northridge at 3 p.m. CS Northridge plays Cal Baptist at 10 a.m. and UCSB and Cal Baptist meet at 3 p.m. Admission is free to and matches will be held at the Student Activities Center (Men's Gym).
The Bruins won 30-19, 30-24, 30-24 in just more than an hour.
Kill leaders for the Bruins were sophomore Thomas Amberg and Garrett Muagututia with 13 and 11 kills, respectively.
Levi Cabral led CBU with 10 kills.
In the other match, UC Santa Barbara defeated Cal State Northridge, 21-30, 30-28, 30-25, 30-24.
On Saturday, the Bruins meet UCSB at 10 a.m. and CS Northridge at 3 p.m. CS Northridge plays Cal Baptist at 10 a.m. and UCSB and Cal Baptist meet at 3 p.m. Admission is free to and matches will be held at the Student Activities Center (Men's Gym).
A couple of days ago, Marcia Smith of the Orange County Register wrote a fine column about UCLA Hall of Fame and Olympic volleyball champion Karch Kiraly, who this past summer was inducted into the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
Here is the link to the column.
The UCLA men's volleyball team returned from its 14-day trip to Argentina on Saturday. To view photos of the Bruins' journey, click here.
Hello Bruin Fans,
Here is my third blog entry of our 14-day trip to Argentina.
Sept. 11: We went to this very big dam called the Dikes. It was about a 20-minute bus ride from the town of San Juan. It was very big and they had some mountains that some of the guys on our team climbed up to get a better view of the scenery. At the top of the biggest mountain there was a white cross overlooking the damn. After we spent time at the dam we had a game later that night against the same team we played yesterday and we lost in 4 (3-1) to the best club team in Argentina. After the game we took pictures with the team as well as many Argentinean kids who were obsessed with many of the taller guys on our team. They were very fond of Jack Polales, Phil Darin, and Ted Slaughter asking them for their T-shirts, shorts, anything that they would give them. It was almost as if we were rock stars getting back on the bus with all the fans at the game waving good-bye to us and blowing us kisses. We had dinner at the same restaurant and then left San Juan for an eight-hour overnight bus ride to Villa Maria. Many of these bus rides are a lot easier to handle because we watch many movies on them.
Sept. 13: It is now our second day in Villa Maria and this town is nothing like the towns we have previously visited. There is very little to do here (the only thing that is somewhat touristy is a very large river and a beautiful cathedral) and during the day it's like a ghost town. There is nobody on the streets just lot of stray dogs. The restaurant we ate at probably had some of the best food we've eaten on this trip. For me at least, it was one of the best meats we've had. When we were done with lunch, many of the guys went back to the hotel to take "siestas" which is an everyday thing in most countries around the world. Because they are taking their siesta, many of the stores are not open so it leaves us nothing to do but nap. Later that night, we played another team in this very small gym with very low ceilings which made it a little more difficult to play in. We ended up losing a very close match in five. It's amazing how good the level of volleyball is down here because these kids have been playing volleyball when most of us would start playing sports like basketball or baseball. Our game started at 9:30 and didn't end till about 12 and we had to go eat after that so we did not even make it back to the hotel until two in the morning and the worst part was that we have a 7 a.m. wake up call.
Sept. 14: After our very early wake up call, we got on the bus and traveled three hours to the city of Rosaria for an exhibition match. Most of the guys slept for the three hours but the lack of sleep from the night before still made most of the team very groggy when we woke from the bus ride. The town we stopped in was very pretty and looked more modern than many of the cities we had visited. We ate at a very Americanized restaurant that had hamburgers and pizza and was playing many popular songs that are on American radios. After we played our game, we drove into the main part of the city which was very cool. They had this very big tower with a large fountain and big sculptures surrounding the base of it. We took an elevator ride up to the top of the tower and at the top you could see everywhere. We were probably close to 300 feet high. After we came down, there was a group of elementary school kids going on a field trip to this monument. As soon as they saw us, they sprinted up to us asking questions in Spanish. Many of us were very overwhelmed by all the kids, but it was quite funny. We got on the bus and took a two hour ride to this truck stop to eat at this all you can eat Argentinean BBQ. It had all sorts of meats like chicken, steak, pork, and sausages. It was awesome! After dinner we hopped back on the bus to drive to our hotel in Bolivar which was another two-hour bus ride.
Until next time, Go Bruins!
Kevin
Here is my third blog entry of our 14-day trip to Argentina.
Sept. 11: We went to this very big dam called the Dikes. It was about a 20-minute bus ride from the town of San Juan. It was very big and they had some mountains that some of the guys on our team climbed up to get a better view of the scenery. At the top of the biggest mountain there was a white cross overlooking the damn. After we spent time at the dam we had a game later that night against the same team we played yesterday and we lost in 4 (3-1) to the best club team in Argentina. After the game we took pictures with the team as well as many Argentinean kids who were obsessed with many of the taller guys on our team. They were very fond of Jack Polales, Phil Darin, and Ted Slaughter asking them for their T-shirts, shorts, anything that they would give them. It was almost as if we were rock stars getting back on the bus with all the fans at the game waving good-bye to us and blowing us kisses. We had dinner at the same restaurant and then left San Juan for an eight-hour overnight bus ride to Villa Maria. Many of these bus rides are a lot easier to handle because we watch many movies on them.
Sept. 13: It is now our second day in Villa Maria and this town is nothing like the towns we have previously visited. There is very little to do here (the only thing that is somewhat touristy is a very large river and a beautiful cathedral) and during the day it's like a ghost town. There is nobody on the streets just lot of stray dogs. The restaurant we ate at probably had some of the best food we've eaten on this trip. For me at least, it was one of the best meats we've had. When we were done with lunch, many of the guys went back to the hotel to take "siestas" which is an everyday thing in most countries around the world. Because they are taking their siesta, many of the stores are not open so it leaves us nothing to do but nap. Later that night, we played another team in this very small gym with very low ceilings which made it a little more difficult to play in. We ended up losing a very close match in five. It's amazing how good the level of volleyball is down here because these kids have been playing volleyball when most of us would start playing sports like basketball or baseball. Our game started at 9:30 and didn't end till about 12 and we had to go eat after that so we did not even make it back to the hotel until two in the morning and the worst part was that we have a 7 a.m. wake up call.
Sept. 14: After our very early wake up call, we got on the bus and traveled three hours to the city of Rosaria for an exhibition match. Most of the guys slept for the three hours but the lack of sleep from the night before still made most of the team very groggy when we woke from the bus ride. The town we stopped in was very pretty and looked more modern than many of the cities we had visited. We ate at a very Americanized restaurant that had hamburgers and pizza and was playing many popular songs that are on American radios. After we played our game, we drove into the main part of the city which was very cool. They had this very big tower with a large fountain and big sculptures surrounding the base of it. We took an elevator ride up to the top of the tower and at the top you could see everywhere. We were probably close to 300 feet high. After we came down, there was a group of elementary school kids going on a field trip to this monument. As soon as they saw us, they sprinted up to us asking questions in Spanish. Many of us were very overwhelmed by all the kids, but it was quite funny. We got on the bus and took a two hour ride to this truck stop to eat at this all you can eat Argentinean BBQ. It had all sorts of meats like chicken, steak, pork, and sausages. It was awesome! After dinner we hopped back on the bus to drive to our hotel in Bolivar which was another two-hour bus ride.
Until next time, Go Bruins!
Kevin
Hello Bruin Fans,
Here is my second blog entry of our 14-day trip around Argentina.
Sept. 8th: We played the same team from the morning before and lost in a five-game exhibition match 2-3. The team name was the Boca Juniors and they are a very skilled team. After the match, we went into the town of Boca and had lunch and shopped. The town of Boca was actually very alive and active with many colorful buildings and many places to eat. There were also a lot of stray dogs wondering the street and it was very sad to see that so many of these dogs don't have places to sleep or things to eat. Most of our team ate lunch at this restaurant that had tango dancers performing as we ate. Many of the guys ordered pizza for lunch which turned out to be pretty good. The dancers were very skilled and very entertaining to watch and one of the dancers asked Max Greer to dance with her. We started chanting, "Max, Max, Max" and under peer pressure he got up and danced with her. Keep in mind, Max is the tallest guy on our team standing at 6'11" and the girl was no taller than 5'5" so it was definitely fun to watch. People in the restaurant were taking pictures of him dancing and were in amazement at how tall he was. As soon as we finished lunch, we headed back to our hotel to pack up and get ready for our 15 hour bus ride to San Juan. Now the bus we took to San Juan was very comfortable and had very nice seats that actually reclined out into beds. The bus ride would have been great except at around midnight or so it started getting really cold outside and inside the bus. Many of the guys could not sleep because it was to cold to sleep and for some reason our bus driver would not turn on the heater. That made the ride much worse than it would have been.
Sept 10th: We have now been in San Juan for a day and a half now and the city is much more suburban than the big city of Buenos Aires. It kind of reminded me of downtown Santa Barbara a little with all the shops and places to eat. Our hotel is much nicer than the first hotel we stayed in and right outside our hotel is this big square with a park and water fountain where a lot of kids like to hang out and socialize after school is done. We walk through there everyday to go to the restaurant that we eat at and the kids will wave and say "hola" to us and many of them will be playing field hockey on the pathways that go through the park. The team eats at a restaurant called El Tata Escoda and we have had all sorts of meals so far from fried steak and French fries to lasagna. Tonight we played the #1 club team in all of Argentina which had two members from the Argentinean National Team as well as one member from the Brazilian National Team. Talk about an experienced team! We show up to the gym and it looks like an airplane hanger from the outside but as soon as you go inside they have cement seats on one side and a volleyball court in the middle of the hanger. As we were warming up many people began to fill up the seats. As the game was about to begin we started to hear loud drumming outside of the gym and a band of about 15 people came in with big drums and air horns. The band did not stop playing their instruments the whole game. It was pretty crazy how loud it was in there. We lost in three games (22-25 15-25 22-25) to a very experienced team. We play them again tomorrow night and we're looking for a better outcome this time. Until then,
GO BRUINS,
Kevin Ker
Here is my second blog entry of our 14-day trip around Argentina.
Sept. 8th: We played the same team from the morning before and lost in a five-game exhibition match 2-3. The team name was the Boca Juniors and they are a very skilled team. After the match, we went into the town of Boca and had lunch and shopped. The town of Boca was actually very alive and active with many colorful buildings and many places to eat. There were also a lot of stray dogs wondering the street and it was very sad to see that so many of these dogs don't have places to sleep or things to eat. Most of our team ate lunch at this restaurant that had tango dancers performing as we ate. Many of the guys ordered pizza for lunch which turned out to be pretty good. The dancers were very skilled and very entertaining to watch and one of the dancers asked Max Greer to dance with her. We started chanting, "Max, Max, Max" and under peer pressure he got up and danced with her. Keep in mind, Max is the tallest guy on our team standing at 6'11" and the girl was no taller than 5'5" so it was definitely fun to watch. People in the restaurant were taking pictures of him dancing and were in amazement at how tall he was. As soon as we finished lunch, we headed back to our hotel to pack up and get ready for our 15 hour bus ride to San Juan. Now the bus we took to San Juan was very comfortable and had very nice seats that actually reclined out into beds. The bus ride would have been great except at around midnight or so it started getting really cold outside and inside the bus. Many of the guys could not sleep because it was to cold to sleep and for some reason our bus driver would not turn on the heater. That made the ride much worse than it would have been.
Sept 10th: We have now been in San Juan for a day and a half now and the city is much more suburban than the big city of Buenos Aires. It kind of reminded me of downtown Santa Barbara a little with all the shops and places to eat. Our hotel is much nicer than the first hotel we stayed in and right outside our hotel is this big square with a park and water fountain where a lot of kids like to hang out and socialize after school is done. We walk through there everyday to go to the restaurant that we eat at and the kids will wave and say "hola" to us and many of them will be playing field hockey on the pathways that go through the park. The team eats at a restaurant called El Tata Escoda and we have had all sorts of meals so far from fried steak and French fries to lasagna. Tonight we played the #1 club team in all of Argentina which had two members from the Argentinean National Team as well as one member from the Brazilian National Team. Talk about an experienced team! We show up to the gym and it looks like an airplane hanger from the outside but as soon as you go inside they have cement seats on one side and a volleyball court in the middle of the hanger. As we were warming up many people began to fill up the seats. As the game was about to begin we started to hear loud drumming outside of the gym and a band of about 15 people came in with big drums and air horns. The band did not stop playing their instruments the whole game. It was pretty crazy how loud it was in there. We lost in three games (22-25 15-25 22-25) to a very experienced team. We play them again tomorrow night and we're looking for a better outcome this time. Until then,
GO BRUINS,
Kevin Ker
Sept 5-7
Hello Everyone,
My name is Kevin Ker and I am a senior setter on the Men's Volleyball team. Every couple of days I will be documenting the 14-day trip that we spend in Argentina in four different cities. My blog will consist mainly about the sights and culture that we see here as well as some volleyball along with it.
Day 1: We took a five-hour flight from LAX to Washington Dulles and from there had a 10-hour flight to Buenos Aires. We arrived here at about 9 a.m. (Argentinean time) and got on a bus that will be taking us from city to city. It is actually a double-decker bus, which most of the guys have never been on which and of them were very excited about. We took a 15-minute trip into the city and there were soccer fields everywhere we looked. Some nicer than others but most of them very run down and not taken care of. The city has many big buildings, most of them being apartment buildings. They are also in pretty poor shape too, but not all of Buenos Aires is like this. As we toured the rest of the city, we went to a street that had all different kinds of shops. It kind of reminded me of Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. A couple of the guys bought some souvenirs such as glasses and hats that say "Buenos Aires" on the face.
One thing that is pretty interesting is that every other building, store, or restaurants has the Coca-Cola symbol on the outside and it seems like Coca-Cola is a big part of their selling point in getting people to come into their restaurants. We had lunch back at the hotel and they served us salad and ravioli as our main course and we had a fruit ice cream for dessert. Much of the food we will be eating in Buenos Aires will be Italian food because many Italians migrated here during the 1930's. We had practice later that day in a gym that was very small and dark and our ball bucket was actually a shopping cart! After practice we came back and had dinner at the hotel and after that many of the guys went to bed because we had a really long day of traveling
Day 2: We got up around 9 a.m. to have breakfast. We had an exhibition later that morning at 11 against a Division 1 club team that was very good. We play them again tomorrow but this time it counts towards our record for the tournament we are playing in. After our game we went to lunch at this really nice restaurant called Boca. They served us steak with French fries and the steak was absolutely fantastic. I guess down here they treat and feed their cows very well. As far as the people from the city, they have been very hospitable and nice to us. Many of the people we've met speak English or can understand us for the most part. This makes it much easier for us to figure out where were going. We watched film later that day and right now were getting ready to go take a taxi into Palermo Sojo, which our guide described to us as like a mini-Westwood with many shops and places to eat.
We have our first real game tomorrow which many of the guys are looking forward to and after our game we have a 15-hour bus ride to our next city. I will update everyone on our next couple of days as soon as we get into the next city.
Until next time, GO BRUINS!
-- Kevin Ker
Hello Everyone,
My name is Kevin Ker and I am a senior setter on the Men's Volleyball team. Every couple of days I will be documenting the 14-day trip that we spend in Argentina in four different cities. My blog will consist mainly about the sights and culture that we see here as well as some volleyball along with it.
Day 1: We took a five-hour flight from LAX to Washington Dulles and from there had a 10-hour flight to Buenos Aires. We arrived here at about 9 a.m. (Argentinean time) and got on a bus that will be taking us from city to city. It is actually a double-decker bus, which most of the guys have never been on which and of them were very excited about. We took a 15-minute trip into the city and there were soccer fields everywhere we looked. Some nicer than others but most of them very run down and not taken care of. The city has many big buildings, most of them being apartment buildings. They are also in pretty poor shape too, but not all of Buenos Aires is like this. As we toured the rest of the city, we went to a street that had all different kinds of shops. It kind of reminded me of Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. A couple of the guys bought some souvenirs such as glasses and hats that say "Buenos Aires" on the face.
One thing that is pretty interesting is that every other building, store, or restaurants has the Coca-Cola symbol on the outside and it seems like Coca-Cola is a big part of their selling point in getting people to come into their restaurants. We had lunch back at the hotel and they served us salad and ravioli as our main course and we had a fruit ice cream for dessert. Much of the food we will be eating in Buenos Aires will be Italian food because many Italians migrated here during the 1930's. We had practice later that day in a gym that was very small and dark and our ball bucket was actually a shopping cart! After practice we came back and had dinner at the hotel and after that many of the guys went to bed because we had a really long day of traveling
Day 2: We got up around 9 a.m. to have breakfast. We had an exhibition later that morning at 11 against a Division 1 club team that was very good. We play them again tomorrow but this time it counts towards our record for the tournament we are playing in. After our game we went to lunch at this really nice restaurant called Boca. They served us steak with French fries and the steak was absolutely fantastic. I guess down here they treat and feed their cows very well. As far as the people from the city, they have been very hospitable and nice to us. Many of the people we've met speak English or can understand us for the most part. This makes it much easier for us to figure out where were going. We watched film later that day and right now were getting ready to go take a taxi into Palermo Sojo, which our guide described to us as like a mini-Westwood with many shops and places to eat.
We have our first real game tomorrow which many of the guys are looking forward to and after our game we have a 15-hour bus ride to our next city. I will update everyone on our next couple of days as soon as we get into the next city.
Until next time, GO BRUINS!
-- Kevin Ker
