[ WARRIOR VOLLEYBALL ]
Reft’s risk lands
him in PauleyThe libero will try to beat UCLA,
the school he almost attended
LOS ANGELES » Fate. Luck. Chance. Destiny.
There are many words to describe why one path is chosen over another.
Alfred Reft had two choices after deciding to transfer from UC Santa Barbara: go to UCLA and give up volleyball, or send a tape to Hawaii and give it his best shot at making the team.
Hawaii at UCLA
When: Today, 4 p.m. Hawaii timeRadio: Live, KKEA (1420-AM)
TV: Live, OC16
Internet: www.MPSports.org
Series: UCLA leads, 42-15
Reft is not much of a risk-taker, but he uncharacteristically took a gamble on his future. Had the cards been dealt the other way, he would be sitting in Pauley Pavilion tonight, rooting for the No. 3 Bruins.
Instead, the sophomore libero will be in the lineup for the No. 5 Warriors, trying to keep the season alive in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament. The winner advances to next week's semifinals, the loser goes home to wonder, "What if?"
Reft already went through that last year when seeing very limited playing time at UC Santa Barbara. He considered transferring to Pepperdine, but there was no room on the roster.
UCLA was a safe choice. It was about an hour away from his hometown of Oxnard and offered a good education.
It would mean giving up the sport he loved at the collegiate level, but the good almost outweighed the bad.
Almost.
"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing that I decided to send a (recruiting) tape to (Hawaii) Coach (Mike) Wilton," Reft said. "He called me about a week later, about the time I had been accepted as a transfer to UCLA.
"I had heard only good things about the Hawaii crowds, about how much volleyball is respected there. I like to play it safe, but taking this other road is really neat. I've come to not take things for granted."
There was no guarantee that Reft would play. He would have to battle returning senior libero Jake Muise for the starting spot.
He earned it in fall camp.
"He was just ahead of Jake in our practices in passing proficiency," Wilton said. "He's a steady player and a calming influence. He passes well, covers well and has a high volleyball IQ.
"He does other things, like being our secondary setter. It's too early to say whether he'll be better than Vernon (Podlewski), but we'll see. Vernon was pretty darn good and he's one of 12 players going to Japan this week with the U.S. national team."
Reft, 20th nationally in dig average (2.01 dpg), is already on his way into the UH record books. He has a team-leading 229 digs going into today's match, one away from tying Podlewski for the school's single-season dig record in the rally-scoring era. (UH's all-time record is 266, set in 1998 by Naveh Milo.)
Reft has had 33 reception errors in 111 games. He's had no errors in 10 matches, including being perfect in 28 chances in a win at Pepperdine on April 16.
He also has 70 assists with no ball-handling errors. That is not surprising, since Reft spent nearly his entire volleyball career as a setter.
"It's the only position I played until my last year in club," said the Oxnard High graduate. "I switched to libero because it would give me more of a chance at the next level.
"I miss setting. I enjoy being able to set if Kimo (Tuyay, setter) takes the first pass. It's a nice feeling to run things, even if it's not often."
Adjusting to a new position was somewhat easier than adjusting to the move to Hawaii. Reft said he was homesick for the first few months "and there were nights I'd sit on the balcony, watching the planes and wanting to hop on one," he said. "Then it was OK and being here made sense.
"It is such the fantasy life here. It's almost too good to be true. I read about the Hawaii crowds in a magazine once and when (UH) came to play at Santa Barbara they got asked about signing autographs. It was a known fact that the UH players were treated like celebrities. When guys found out I was coming to Hawaii, they told me I was going to be a celebrity."
Reft hasn't been recognized often outside of the Stan Sheriff Center.
"I just don't look like a volleyball player," said Reft, measured at 5-foot-934. "And I blend in. I look like a local kid. (Reft is part Filipino, Aleut and Russian).
"But playing for Hawaii is a dream. People right and left told me I couldn't play and here I am."
Reft grew up watching UCLA volleyball and attending camps run by Bruins coach Al Scates. He's been in Pauley before, but never to play.
"It would be pretty sweet to upset them," Reft said of the Bruins. "It's more personal for me, growing up watching numerous men's and women's matches. It was the Mecca of volleyball.
"And to win here ... we've been through so much this year. I'm really pleased that, with so many bumps in the road, we've never failed to show resilience. Just when you think we're at the bottom, we've found a way."
Just like Reft found a way to play for the Warriors. It's been an interesting road for him and, he said, he doesn't expect it to be over tonight.
"Let's just say I've packed for more than a weekend trip," Reft said.