Jan. 22, 2001

Legendary UCLA Head Coach Al Scates will attempt to win his 1,000th career match on Friday, Jan. 26 when the Bruins host top-ranked Long Beach State at Pauley Pavilion. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Scates' 39-year career coaching record of 999-161 (.861) leads all four-year collegiate volleyball coaches in all divisions of both genders. He has guided the Bruins to 18 NCAA titles, an NCAA single sport record, including the 2000 NCAA championship, and 23 conference championships. In his five decades of coaching, he has tutored 74 USVBA and NCAA All-Americans, 37 U.S. National Team players, 21 Olympians and seven Players of the Year. Some of the players he has coached include three-time Olympic gold medalist Karch Kiraly, voted the volleyball Player of the Century and Sinjin Smith, the King of the Beach in the 1980s with partner Randy Stoklos (also a Scates protégé). UCLA Hall of Famers Larry Rundle, Ernie Suwara, Doug Partie, Ricci Luyties, Steve Salmons and Kirk Kilgour also were coached by Scates.

From 1981-84, the Bruins were NCAA champions and, under Scates' guidance, they won three straight titles on two other occasions. Scates is the only coach to guide three men's volleyball teams to undefeated seasons. During his career, he has been selected the National Coach of the Year five times, and he has been inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame (1993) and the California Beach Volleyball Hall of Fame (1998).

Last weekend, Scates guided the Bruins to their fourth straight Outrigger Hotels Invitational championship. The Bruins won three five-game matches in three days, including a two-hour and 48 minute thriller against host Hawaii.

Junior Matt Komer and senior All-American Adam Naeve were named to the Outrigger All-Tournament team after combining for 30 kills, 16 digs, eight total blocks and four aces against Hawaii. Naeve spiked five kills and Komer added a kill, a block and an ace in the deciding fifth game.

On Fri., Jan. 26, the Bruins (4-2) will host top-ranked Long Beach State in a key MPSF showdown at Pauley Pavilion. The 49ers (2-0) defeated unranked UC Irvine, 3-1, on Jan. 19. Seniors David McKienzie (21 kills, .333) and Jim Polster (19 kills, .448) led an attack that hit .417 and served seven aces against the Anteaters.

Although UCLA leads the series, 63-18, Long Beach State has won two of the last three matches, including a 3-2 triumph last season at the Pyramid.