Nov. 18, 2004

Five high school players have signed National Letters of Intent to attend UCLA and play for legendary coach Al Scates beginning in the fall of 2005, the athletic department announced today.

Ian Jackson, Christian Kraft, Shaun Nichols, Ryan Ratelle and Matthew Wade will fill all the positions on the court and are considered among the nation's best.

"These prospects are coming in at a good time for us," said Scates, noting that his program will lose six seniors in 2005. "They're all good athletes and students, and that always results in some national championships down the line."

Jackson is a 6-6 outside hitter from Simi Valley HS who switched from middle blocker, where he earned all-league honors, to outside hitter where he earned All-CIF honors last year. An excellent student with a 4.3 (weighted) grade point average, he was given admission to UCLA last year as an 11th grader.

Kraft is another outstanding student-athlete from Granite Bay HS in the Sacramento area. A member of the Sacramento Volleyball Club, he enjoyed a fine summer playing at the USVBA Junior National Tournament.

Scates expects Nichols to have an immediate impact next year at the middle blocker position. The 6-8 Nichols is a teammate of Kraft's at Granite Bay HS in Fair Oaks and is considered an excellent blocker.

Ratelle, a 6-3 outside hitter, is considered a strong passer and hitter. His father Ray coached at Long Beach State and his mother graduated from UCLA.

Wade, a 6-3 setter from Mira Costa HS, was rated as the top player in his class. A fine beach player, he finished third with current UCLA freshman D.J. Stromath at the 2004 AAU Beach Championships in the 19 and under division.