Friday, February 14, 1997
W. WATER POLO:
Young Bruins build on recruits, team chemistry, goalieBy Tim
Yun
Daily Bruin Contributor
Coming off a remarkable 29-1 record and an exhilarating run
culminating in a national championship in just its second season as
a varsity sport, UCLA has stormed onto the women’s water polo
scene.
As the defending national collegiate champions, the Bruins have
the daunting task of returning to championship form. With last
year’s team virtually intact and the addition of key recruits, the
road to the national championship match in Ann Arbor could likely
be paved with Bruin blue and gold.
The glow of last year’s national championship appears to have
diminished. For the players, it’s back to work as they vie for a
second national championship in as many years.
"We kind of started where we left off last year," junior goalie
Nicolle Payne said "The team is playing better water polo. We
really don’t look back at our championship year, we just look for
bigger and better things."
"The thought of the national championship usually does not cross
our minds," sophomore driver Coralie Simmons said. "(This) team is
more about playing the game, having fun and winning."
As he shoots for his second straight women’s water polo
championship, head coach Guy Baker will have to compensate for the
loss of two key players from last season, Jennifer McFerrin and
Stephanie Natcher. McFerrin, a first-team All-American last year,
has retired after a long battle with a shoulder injury. And Natcher
will probably be out the entire season trying to recover from a
shoulder injury of her own.
But Baker still fields a starting team with both depth and
experience. With 1996 player of the year Payne at the net, Baker’s
team also boasts freshman southpaw Serela Mansur and the "Super
Sophomores": Simmons, Catherine von Schwarz, Mandy McAloon, Amanda
Gall and Katie Tenenbaum.
The strength of the team is Payne, a two-time All-American. In
the 1996 season, she smothered Bruin opponents with 175 saves and
an amazing 3.07 goals-against average.
At the other end of the pool the offense will be led by Simmons,
who led the team in scoring last year, converting on 88 percent of
her shots. As a freshman, she led the 1996 squad in every offensive
category. With the added experience of starting on the U.S.
national team, the 5-foot-9-inch sophomore will be called upon to
lead the team at the offensive end of the pool.
The Bruins also have a deep bench. Senior Molly Barnes and
junior Jenn Cady are expected to make significant contributions as
reserves this year. Junior Paige Ericksen, redshirt freshman Emily
Franks, and true freshmen Carly Herrera and Erin Golaboski are all
expected to make an immediate impact in the pool.
With 11 freshmen, five sophomores, three juniors and no seniors,
the team is clearly experiencing a youth movement. But the lack of
upperclassmen is not a concern for Baker, as many of the players
have experience as members of the national and junior national
teams. Their training outside of college should prove to be
invaluable throughout the season.
"You see a lot of the older players, which in our case are the
juniors and sophomores, helping out the younger players," Baker
said.
"Team chemistry is not going to be a problem on this team. All
of our players gel well together. The cohesiveness of the group is
tough to break."