At first glance it would appear the schedule-makers have finally
handed UCLA a gift, at precisely the moment when the Bruins most
need a little charity.
Coming off a 3-1 loss to Stanford and a disappointing sweep at
the hands of USC, UCLA is feeling a little demoralized, but the
team is hoping that two upcoming matches against the runts of the
Pac-10 will help restore a little bite to their bark.
The team will travel to Eugene, Ore., to face Oregon on Thursday
and then to Corvallis to face Oregon State on Friday. Neither the
Ducks (9-8, 1-6 Pac-10) nor the Beavers (8-8, 2-5) feature a strong
squad, and UCLA will be looking to take advantage of this part of
its schedule.
“This is a huge confidence-builder weekend for us,”
senior setter Krystal McFarland said. “We need that right
now.”
McFarland admitted the Bruins are struggling right now,
especially with their passing and hitting, but felt that they were
working through it in practice this week.
“That’s why we come into the gym every day to work
out the little quirks here and there,” she said. “We
also need to get everyone healthy and ready to play.”
Certainly, working on defense, passing, and serving will help
build confidence in their own game, but perhaps what the Bruins
need most of all is time to gel on the practice court.
Two outside hitters, sophomore Becky Green and senior Heather
Cullen, have been suffering from back spasms. The injuries have
been serious enough that is has kept them out of practice,
hampering UCLA’s ability to find cohesion on offense. Without
their normal lineup practicing together, the Bruins have struggled
with their hitting.
“We’re not in a groove right now, that’s for
sure,” coach Andy Banachowski said. “We’re
struggling to find consistency because we’re not able to have
everybody in practice.”
The No. 12 Bruins (11-5, 4-3) have dropped nine places in the
rankings since the start of the season, but the high expectations
the team had at the beginning of the year remain. If they have any
hope of winning the Pac-10, the Bruins absolutely must win both
road games in order to make a push in the standings.
“We need to sweep this weekend on the road, no question
about it,” Banachowski said. “We have to make up for
the losses that we’ve had at home and this is the way to do
it.
The match against Oregon will be televised live on Fox Sports
Net at 7:00 p.m.