Known for not reaching their full potential in past seasons due
to team suspensions and distractions off the court, the UCLA
women’s volleyball team has a new problem this season.
Inexperience.
Last season’s nucleus of five seniors have graduated and
two younger players have left the team, and the Bruins are left
with only one senior in their starting lineup.
Coach Andy Banachowski, however, looks at that lack of
experience as a new chance to build success.
“It’s the dawn of a new era,” Banachowski
said. “We have lost a lot of players, there are a lot of
unknowns, but I look at it as a chance to start something
new.”
“It’s a feeling of freshness.”
The Bruins return two starters from last year’s elite
eight team and have an influx of younger players looking to
contribute, including highly recruited freshmen Nellie Spicer and
Kaitlin Sather.
The Bruins were ranked No. 13 in the 2005 CSTV/AVCA Division I
Preseason Top 25 Poll on Tuesday and were selected by Pac-10
coaches to finish fifth in the Pac-10.
Fifth place is the lowest the Bruins have been selected in the
preseason poll in several years, but this is also the youngest
Bruin team in the last four years.
“We’re not going to be as prepared right away as we
were in past seasons,” Banachowski said. “But I think
this team definitely has the potential to reach the same heights
our team did last season.”
In order to compete with the other Pac-10 powers, Banachowski
has chosen to implement a new, faster offense that he hopes can
complement the athleticism and speed of the eight Bruins joining
the team this season.
Two players in particular who fit that mold are returning
juniors, middle blocker Nana Meriwether and opposite hitter Colby
Lyman.
“I think the older players will definitely embrace the new
system,” Banachowski said. “They have the athleticism
and quickness to succeed.”
The player expected to make the biggest impact immediately in
the new system is Sather, who played all six positions in high
school and comes to the Bruins as a top-20 national recruit.
Sather will be joined at the net by senior middle blocker Nancy
Barba and junior outside hitter/middle blocker Katie Carter, who
both saw extensive playing time with the Bruins last season.
In the back row, the Bruins will sorely miss libero Chrissie
Zartman, who graduated last year as the Bruins’ all-time digs
leader. In her place, the team will use Laura Kroneberger, who has
seen limited playing time, and is the only libero currently listed
on the roster.
“We feel that Laura (Kroneberger) will certainly be
capable of taking over the position,” Banachowski said.
“We also have three freshman, Blair Socci, Jordan Smith and
Kelsey Hall, who we feel can play the position as well.”
Potentially joining Kroneberger in the back row will be freshman
Spicer, who was listed as the No. 9 recruit in the nation and will
be competing for setter with transfer Brenn Larson and junior Tammy
Jackson, who started a few matches for the Bruins last season.
Altogether, the Bruins bring a mix of young talent and elder
leadership in what is considered by many to be a rebuilding season
after losing such a large core of their team this season.
Everyone will find out what kind of team the Bruins truly will
have this season on Sept. 10, when they face their first real test
against No. 4 Hawaii, which finished with a 30-1 record last
season.