UCLA volleyball coach Al Scates has made his leap-year list.

There is a golf outing with his buddies in Myrtle Beach, S.C., in late May, and a family vacation in June.

But he has kept his calendar clear for early May, when the NCAA final four will be played.

This is Scates’ 50th — and final season — at UCLA, and the top-ranked Bruins have the potential to bundle a national title as part of a retirement package. Scates has coached the Bruins to 19 national championships.

"Fifty years is mind-boggling," said UH head coach Charlie Wade, whose Warriors face the Bruins Friday and Saturday at the Stan Sheriff Center. "I’m 48, and I can’t fathom that. … They’re really good this year. They’re near the top in every statistical category."

Scates, who has a no-worries demeanor, usually adheres to the tortoise approach of allowing his teams to develop over the course of a season. This year, he scrapped the shell game. The Bruins are 12-2 overall and 7-1 in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

"The team is playing well," Scates said.

The Bruins also are in relatively good health. Thomas Amberg has recovered from ankle and hand injuries to provide a boost at quick attacker, the Bruins’ term for middle blocker. Opposite attacker Nick Vogel is no longer bothered by an ankle injury.

"We weathered Amberg’s injury," Scates said. "He was a step slow for a while."

The Bruins swept the Warriors in last month’s Outrigger Invitational. The Warriors learned that the Bruins are unlike any other opponent, and that Scates continues to be one of the sport’s top strategists. Scates will not hesitate to call a timeout after just one bad play.

The Bruins run an inverted offense, with the quick hitters receiving a large share of sets. Weston Dunlap and Amberg are averaging 2.67 and 2.29 kills per set, respectively.

"UCLA tries to pound the middle first, and then go outside when they can," Wade said. "They absolutely are setting the middle a lot."

That strategy is effective because of libero Evan Mottram and setter Kyle Caldwell.

Mottram transferred after UC Santa Barbara stopped offering his major. Mottram is an accurate passer and, at 6 feet 1, he can soar to reach deflected spikes.

"The taller the better," Scates said. "You have more range if you have a longer arm span."

Scates said Mottram is empowered to align the other two back-row players.

"Even though he was the newbie, he became the floor leader," Scates said. "He’s a tremendous digger. He catches a lot of balls for us."

Caldwell was an opposite who moved to setter this year. At 6-9, Caldwell can parlay Mottram’s high passes into quick sets to the middle. Caldwell also is an offensive threat, averaging 1.20 kills per set.

With defenses having to commit to the middles and Caldwell, that opens the way for pin hitters Vogel, Jeremy Casebeer and gravity-defying Gonzalo Quiroga to face a single block.

The Warriors, meanwhile, are seeking consistency. In last week’s match against UC Irvine, the Warriors played five freshman outside hitters.

"I think we’re rolling out the guys who give us the best chance to win," Wade said. "But we’re not going to hesitate (in making a change). If a guy is not doing it, we want the next guy out there. The court time is valuable."