Halfway through the Pac-10 season, the UCLA women’s
volleyball team is treading water. With a 12-7 (5-4 Pac-10) record,
the team hopes a major shift in focus will result in a strong
second-half finish.
“Our focus this week has been on hitting and not making so
many unforced errors,” head coach Andy Banachowski said.
“We’ve made other teams a lot better than how they
really are.”
Perhaps for the first time all season, offense has taken
precedence over defense. Earlier in the season, the team and coach
stressed defensive excellence as the backbone of this squad.
What was once a weakness in the team is now its biggest asset.
The Bruins’ defense has proved that it can play with the best
teams in the conference, such as USC and Stanford.
But now the attention is turning to the offense. Hitting and
service errors have doomed the Bruins in recent matches.
Banachowski has stressed these aspects of the game in recent
practices. If the offense experiences the same turnaround as the
defense, UCLA will be a formidable squad.
“Our defense has been our main focus so far, but now we
want to attack and send a message to other teams,” sophomore
outside hitter Heather Cullen said.
The first message may be sent today at Washington State (14-5,
4-5). The Cougars took the Bruins to five games before eventually
losing in Pauley Pavilion. With home court advantage this time, the
Cougars have a definite chance of upsetting UCLA.
“I’m hoping we can get a split on the road. Both
teams play really well at home. This is a pivotal weekend for
us,” Banachowski said.
UCLA faces Washington on Saturday. The Bruins beat the Huskies
(12-5, 4-5) in three games when the two teams played in Pauley. If
the team drops the match at Washington State, it will be crucial
for UCLA to make sure it wins at Washington.
Nine more games will determine the Bruins’ seeding for the
NCAA tournament. The team hopes to finish the season strong to
secure a decent postseason berth. If they merely repeat their first
half, however, their tournament run may be quickly over.
“We’re halfway through the season and every game
means something for the tournament,” freshman setter Haley
Jorgensborg said.