BLOCK PARTY : STILLWELL STANDS TALL FOR UCLA.Byline: Rizza Yap Daily News Staff Writer Tom Stillwell recalls his first day of volleyball volleyball, outdoor or indoor ball and net game played on a level court. An upright net, 3 ft (or 1 m) high, the top of which stands 8 ft (2.43 m) from the ground for men, 7 ft 4 1/8 in (2. practice as a UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX freshman. ``I remember walking in, watching the middle blocker and saying, `How am I supposed to do that?' In high school, blocking (meant) you jump as high as you could and put your arms above the net. I wasn't very good at it at all,'' he said. Today, as a middle blocker in his third season with UCLA, Stillwell leads the nation with 1.98 blocks per game. He also was the nation's top blocker last year with 2.09 bpg. ``He wants to block every ball, (and) he penetrates far over the net,'' said UCLA coach Al Scates Al Scates (born 9 June 1939) is an American former volleyball player and is the current volleyball coach of the UCLA Bruins of the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Scates, in his 44th year as the coach of the Bruins, is the winningest volleyball coach in the history of the NCAA, . ``He has a great vertical jump, and he's very quick with moving his feet to the outside. When you have those two things, all that's left is to maintain a good blocking technique.'' After years of watching tape, taking pointers from his coach and practicing with a competitive team of top-notch players, Stillwell has proven that he has the skill to help lead a two-time defending NCAA NCAA abbr. National Collegiate Athletic Association championship team. He came out of Notre Dame High School Notre Dame is the name of the following high (secondary) schools: Bangladesh
adj. 1. Of, relating to, or held to resemble a college. 2. Of, for, or typical of college students. 3. Of or relating to a collegiate church. level. He redshirted his freshman season, then was a reserve in 1995. In 1996, his first year as a starter, the 6-foot-8 Stillwell set school records for blocking average (2.09) and single-season block assists (196). He recorded double-figure blocks in seven games that season, and his overall hitting percentage of .435 ranked sixth in the country. This year he is recording nearly two digs a game and, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Scates, ``We're starting to score behind his serve, too.'' In fact, Stillwell's deep floating serves helped UCLA sweep top-ranked Brigham Young on March 27 to snatch snatch removal of a newborn animal from the dam before it has an opportunity to suck. The objective is to rear it independently and free of colostrum-borne infection or of colostral antibodies. the Cougars' No. 1 ranking in Volleyball magazine's latest poll. In the second match between the two teams on March 28, he registered his second career triple-double with 19 kills, 13 digs and 12 blocks. The Bruins (18-3, 14-2) are now only three matches away from postseason play and face Cal State Northridge on Thursday. Stillwell, who last season earned NCAA All-Tournament honors, has only one goal for the rest of his collegiate volleyball career. ``Two more national championships,'' said the 21-year-old political science major. ``Whatever comes from that is great, but I kind of like winning the titles.'' After UCLA, Stillwell hopes to join the national team or play professionally overseas. In order to edge closer to that goal, he will try out to represent the U.S. in the World University Games this summer in Italy, for a chance to play against other national Olympic teams. He already has competed in the 1994 and 1995 Junior Olympic Festivals. Scates, who will coach the U.S. team at the World University Games, is confident that Stillwell will join the squad. ``Tom's chances of making it are very, very good,'' Scates said. ``He's very hard on himself, rarely satisfied with his performance. And that's good. All great players strive to do things perfectly. ``He's going to be a dominant force for USA volleyball. I think eventually he'll join the national team and be an outstanding blocker with them.'' CAPTION(S): 2 Photos, Chart Photo: (1) Tom Stillwell set UCLA records for blocking average (2.09) and single-season block assists (196) last year. (2) The former Notre Dame Notre Dame IPA: [nɔtʁ dam] is French for Our Lady, referring to the Virgin Mary. In the United States of America, Notre Dame High player is a primary reason UCLA is ranked No. 1. David Sprague / Daily News Chart: MPSF MPSF Mountain Pacific Sports Federation MEN'S VOLLEYBALL STANDINGS |
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