Just put the ball in UCLA junior driver Brett Ormsby’s
hand, and good things happen for the Bruins.
Wet or dry, he’ll sling a shot past any goalie’s
head.
Nicknamed “The Sniper” because of his accuracy and
ability to score when the Bruins need it, Ormsby has been a staple
of offensive production for the Bruins since he first donned the
blue and gold.
Nevertheless, this 6-foot-2, 175-pound history student nearly
slapped on a pair of red skivvies when Stanford first appeared to
be a front-runner in his list of possible colleges.
After scoring 201 goals his senior year and 449 in his entire
career at San Diego High School, both of which are CIF San Diego
records, Ormsby was a prized recruit for any water polo program.
Luckily for Bruin fans, Ormsby felt that the UCLA uniform fit his
waist more comfortably than Stanford’s chaffing tree
wear.
After achieving recognition as CIF-San Diego Div. I Player of
the Year, Ormsby did not even have time to test the temperature of
the pool at Sunset Recreation Center. Starting all 21 games, Ormsby
led the Bruins with 43 goals and 113 attempts, making him the first
freshman since 1997 to lead the Bruins in goals.
Merely playing in all 21 games is amazing in itself, but he was
also able to contribute a goal or more in 20 out of the 21 games he
played (the lone game wherein Ormsby was shut out happened to be
against Stanford on Oct. 27). Ormsby’s record includes 13
multi-goal games.
“Conditioning has always been a key for me so I can be
ready to play every game,” Ormsby said. “I’ve had
problems with my hip and back before, so I’ve focused on
strengthening myself and paying more attention to
stretching.”
Ormsby’s outstanding play was evident throughout the
season, as he became the first ever player in UCLA history to earn
two Conference Player of the Week awards in one season (Oct. 8 and
Nov. 5).
Ormsby would follow that stellar freshman campaign with an even
more impressive outing his second year. Once again leading the
Bruins with 58 goals and finishing fourth in the MPSF in goals per
game for the second season in a row, Ormsby scored in all 23 games,
including three five-goal performances.
“He’s stormed on the scene his first two
years,” head coach Adam Krikorian said. “He’s
proven to be the one of the best players in the nation.”
The two stats that stick out from the 2002 season are his
team-leading 20 assists and 16 steals (second only to former Bruin,
Albert Garcia), which show Ormsby’s potential for helping his
teammates and getting the young UCLA squad more involved.
However, this First-Team All-American and All-MPSF First-Team
member has failed to win a national championship, and he will need
to get his team more involved to do so. As for this year’s
UCLA men’s water polo team which lacks senior guidance,
Krikorian looks to Ormsby as a leader for this team.
“Brett’s challenge will be to try to become a leader
for this team,” Krikorian said. “He’s a natural
leader with his play, but his challenge will be to make the other
players better. That separates the good players from the
best.”
This past summer, Ormsby had the opportunity to be a member of
the U.S. National Team at the 2003 FINA World Championship in
Barcelona, Spain, where they finished sixth ““ the best U.S.
outing since 1994.
Ormsby was also a gold medal recipient in the 2003 Pan American
Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
“It was a great experience playing at the highest level of
water polo in the world with the best players and best
teams,” Ormsby said. “It was really cool. This summer
helped me realize there are a lot of things in my game I need to
work on.”
Krikorian has seen the results in Ormsby’s play ever since
he returned from his four-week stint with the U.S. National Team.
Most noticeably, his individual defense has seen marked
progression.
“His defense early in his career was a liability,
especially at two meters where teams tried to exploit him,”
Krikorian said. “He’s gotten a lot better with his
speed and positioning at the defender spot.”
The 2003 season has already begun, and Ormsby feels he knows
what he wants and what he will have to do in order to accomplish
what the 1999 and 2000 squads did ““ win a national
championship.
“We all really want to win together this year,”
Ormsby said. “I’ve always been known as a scorer, but
this year my role is to become a leader in order for my team to be
successful.”