Friday, April 23, 1999
UCLA’s Robins
gets one more
‘home’ game
The Bruins' senior returns to
By Cindy Luis
Hawaii for one last volleyball
match against the Rainbows
Star-BulletinHana hou!
Four months ago, Fred Robins thought he would never play in the Stan Sheriff Center again. The 6-foot-6 senior hitter for UCLA was buried under leis after he had helped bury Hawaii with a team-high 16 kills and nine demoralizing digs in a 15-6, 16-7, 15-3 win in the finale of the Outrigger Hotels Invitational.
Even the UCLA media guide didn't anticipate this rematch. It listed the John Wooden Center as the site of tomorrow's MPSF first-round match.
But coming home again doesn't bother Robins, the Bruins' captain, who has led the country in digs per game for most of the season.
It's another chance for a plate lunch at Rainbow Drive-In and breakfast grinds at Zippy's.
"That's what I've missed the most since going away to school," Robins said in a telephone call from Los Angeles yesterday. "And I've missed the weather, the tradewinds and warm water for surfing.
"I was pretty homesick in the beginning. And school was harder than I expected. But I wanted to experience living on my own and this has been everything I wanted and more. UCLA was my first option and I was fortunate they wanted me, too."
Volleyball was never merely an option for Robins. His family's Waimanalo compound embraces a grass volleyball court, complete with a cable that runs from the main house to the makeshift weight room on which to string a net.
The family's club is known as The Backyard Federation.
The youngest of Bobby and Nani Robins' five children, Fred was weaned on the game. Both parents were avid recreation players; sister Mary was the PCAA Freshman of the Year while playing for the University of Hawaii; sister Danielle was the PacWest Player of the Year while playing for Chaminade; and brothers Duke and Ali'i competed briefly for UH.
"The Backyard Federation was one of the big influences because of my brothers, their friends and (brother-in-law and former Rainbow) Damien Hardy," said Fred Robins. "It's not that they picked on me, but they showed no mercy because they wanted me to learn. They're still teaching me things."
"There was a time when he was too young to play, but that didn't stop him from trying," said Duke Robins. "He's had the best career of all of us and that's not even close. I'm not surprised that he's been successful, but if you had told me after he graduated from high school that he would have won two national titles already, I wouldn't have believed it."
Fred Robins has had a sweet career: a state title at Kamehameha, a Fab 50 selection by Volleyball magazine, a member of the U.S. junior national team and two NCAA titles and one runner-up trophy. He was considered so valuable to UCLA that Al Scates didn't redshirt him his first season, a traditional practice for freshmen.
"Freddy runs the court, tells other players where to go on defense," said Scates, who has won 17 NCAA titles since 1970. "He's the only one I give the freedom to do that."
The last time Scates recalled allowing a player to lead others in this way was Karch Kiraly, considered one of the best U.S. players ever, in 1982.
Robins already holds the record for career digs (772), topping the former record of 754 set by Asbjorn Volstad in 1987.
"Freddy puts himself at the point of attack. He goes after the hard jump serves and digs those that would be aces," Scates said.
As a freshman, he started 22 of 31 matches, capping his first collegiate season with a gutsy performance in the 1996 NCAA final against the Rainbows. Robins, nursing a sprained ankle, was a surprise starter against Hawaii; he finished with 11 kills and six digs as UCLA won in five.
He's missed a few matches this season with the flu and a viral infection. The Bruins lost an unprecedented four consecutive games with Robins on the bench.
"My senior year has had its ups and downs," said Robins. "That four-game losing streak hurt, but it hurt more not to be able to play.
"I'm just hoping to turn it around in the playoffs. We've had some success against Hawaii this year (winning twice in straight sets) and our team has come together in the past few weeks. But we know it's going to be a tough match. The Rainbows have great potential and if that comes together ... "
The Bruins have plenty of motivation to win tomorrow. The NCAA Tournament is May 6-8 at Pauley Pavilion, where UCLA has won nine of its titles. The Bruins are 24-0 when playing at home in the final four. The Bruins have never hosted the event without also playing in it.
"There's a lot of pressure to get back home for the nationals," Robins said. "We know we have to win the MPSF Tournament to get back home. It's crunch time for us. We've never lost the NCAA title, and that's a nice statistic. But we have to get there first."
UCLA (20-6) is ranked third, Hawaii (18-9) is eighth. The only chance either team has of making the final four is by winning the MPSF Tournament and the automatic berth; top-ranked BYU likely would get the at-large berth if the Cougars failed to win the conference championship.
Win or lose, there will be life after volleyball for Robins. And volleyball life after school as well.
He plans on graduating next June with a history degree, hoping to return to Hawaii to coach and teach. Robins would also like to play professionally in Europe.
"I love kids and want to give back to the children," he said. "When I was younger, my teachers and coaches were like my second parents and they were a big influence. I'd like to be the same kind of role model.
"I also owe my family a lot. My dad especially sacrificed a lot for me. He pushed me. And I don't think I would have done the things I've done, gone as far as I've gone in the sport, without him and the rest of my family."
The Robins ohana will be out in force tomorrow. Yesterday, they bought 100 tickets for family and friends.
"Fred is still the same good person that he always was," Robins' dad, Bobby, said. "Except he grew."
On Senior Night against Stanford last Friday, every player was given a rolled up UCLA volleyball T-shirt to give away. As each starter's name was announced, that player hurled the shirt into the stands.
According to a story in Monday's campus paper, when his name was called, Robins spotted a young boy standing by himself behind the media tables. He caught the boy's eyes, carefully walked over to him and handed him the T-shirt. The boy scampered up the steps and back to his family clutching the shirt.
"When I leave, I hope that I left behind some tradition for winning," said Robins., who is 98-20 in his four-year career. "I may not show it on the outside, but the attitude inside is that of wanting to win ... always. Of leaving it all on the court."
MPSF VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT
What: No. 3 UCLA (20-6) at No. 8 Hawaii (18-9).
