On Valentine’s Day, Jeff Hall recalled the kiss.

It was 20 years ago when Hall, then a Pacific volleyball player, first entered UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. It was the home for college basketball and volleyball dynasties. Hall remembered kissing Pauley’s court.

"Why not?" said Hall, chuckling at the memory.

Hall is now Hawaii’s associate head volleyball coach. His Warriors will play UCLA tonight in the John Wooden Center and Saturday on Pauley’s famed wooden court.

"There’s great, great tradition there," Hall said.

It is not lost on John Speraw, an alumnus in his first season as UCLA’s head coach. Speraw succeeded Al Scates, who won 19 NCAA titles in 50 years.

"This will always be Al Scates’ program," Speraw said. "He cares a lot about it."

Speraw, too, has strong feelings. Speraw left 2012 national champion UC Irvine to return to UCLA.

"It’s actually better than I thought it would be," Speraw said. "I’m really enjoying it. I knew I was coming back to a school that I loved. I was also leaving a school that I loved. I didn’t realize how good the change would be for me, how energizing, how much I would connect emotionally and nostalgically to a school I used to attend. I’m having a blast."

Granted, there have been adjustments. There are two returning starters. With the new personnel, the Bruins have not consistently run their traditional quick-middle attack.

"I think we’ve had a very good learning curve of who we are," Speraw said of the season’s early segment. "We need to figure out how we’re going to move on from here."

Left-side hitter Gonzalo Quiroga and 7-foot opposite Roger Page are the Bruins’ top attackers. Middle hitter Spencer Rowe, a converted outside hitter, is expected to have an expanded offensive role.

"I think (Rowe is) that person we can set like a more traditional UCLA team of the past," Speraw said.

The Bruins just emerged from mid-terms, which might have factored in last week’s road losses to California Baptist and Brigham Young.

The Warriors defeated the Bruins in five sets in last month’s Outrigger Hotels Invitational. In their past two two-match series, the Warriors swept Pepperdine and split against Stanford. A power-ratings index showed the Warriors’ 11 matches have been against teams ranked in the top eight.

"I think we’re going to see a very good team this weekend," Speraw said.

UH setter Joby Ramos made his first start in that UCLA match. The Warriors are 4-7 overall, but 4-3 when Ramos is the starting setter.

Opposite Brook Sedore has provided a powerful arm since breaking into the rotation three weeks ago. UH coach Charlie Wade is now trying to find increased playing time for Johann Timmer, the serving substitute. In recent practice, the B side, has played well against the starters.

"It’s good news/bad news," Wade said. "If you’re in the starting group, you have to perform. Everybody realizes if you get the starting nod, you have to put up numbers or there’s a guy behind you ready to go."