Past history dictates that the UCLA women’s volleyball
team will be victorious over Cal and collapse against Stanford. If
the Bruins want to sweep the Bay Area schools, one aspect of their
opponent’s arsenal must be quelled ““ the outside
hitters.
To extend their three-game winning streak this Saturday, the No.
10 Bruins (10-3) will need to contain the No. 17 Bears’ (7-5)
two featured outstanding hitters, freshman Angie Pressey and senior
Gabrielle Abernathy. Both are averaging more than 3.5 kills per
game and by far are leading the team in shots attempted.
“We’re obviously going to focus on (Cal’s)
outside hitters,” coach Andy Banachowski said. “If we
can make their attack predictable, we will have a chance to set up
our defense.”
The No. 14 Cardinal (10-3) also features a tandem of outside
hitters in three-time American Volleyball Coaches Association
All-American Ogonna Nnamani and Kristin Richards, who have been
very successful against the Bruins in the past.
Nnamani is averaging a conference-high 5.36 kills per game and
is ranked 12th nationally. She was also a member of the indoor U.S.
Olympic Team over the summer.
“She is very athletic and has a lot of experience,”
sophomore middle blocker Nana Meriwether said. “But I
definitely think we will put together a very good defensive effort
this weekend.”
Hanging over UCLA’s head when they face off against
Stanford on Saturday will be last fall’s match when the
Bruins nearly broke their five-game losing streak against the
Cardinal.
Up two games to zero and leading 27-25 in the third set, UCLA
was three points away from victory and on the verge of snapping the
losing streak.
Three games and nearly a year later, the Bruins are still
looking for that elusive win over the Cardinal.
No Bruin, however, sees any reason why the team should be the
underdog team in Saturday’s match.
“We are a very mature group,” Banachowski said in
reference to his five seniors. “As long we follow our game
plan, we don’t need to do much else to win.”
The same thought was echoed from the older members of the
team.
“Our problems are mostly mental,” senior outside
hitter Heather Cullen said.
“We just have to go out and play. Volleyball is what we do
every day.”
On the Bruins’ side, Meriwether is currently leading the
Bruins with 1.74 blocks per game, ranking her sixth in the Pac-10.
She has been a vital part of a very consistent Bruin defense this
season.
Meriwether stifled Arizona’s top hitters Jennifer
Abernathy and Kim Glass during the Bruins win over the Wildcats
last weekend and has been instrumental in the Bruins’ success
all season.
The play of the top outside hitters will be a recurring theme
for the Bruins this weekend.
It will be essential for the Bruins to stop the Bears, who have
not beaten the Bruins in 44 tries and will be looking to rebound
after losing their last two matches.
Thwarting the Cardinal’s offensive weapons will be equally
important if they want the same result they had against the
Wildcats.
“We were the aggressor against the Wildcats and never let
down,” Cullen said. “We plan to do the same this
weekend.”