If only ultimate Frisbee was considered an NCAA sport, the Bruin
Ladies’ Ultimate (BLU) team would enter nationals this
weekend with the intention of bringing home UCLA’s 100th NCAA
title.
Instead, BLU hopes to win nationals in Columbus, Ohio, as a
tribute to their love for the game and the growth of their young
program.
The non-contact sport has a unique no-referee policy as ultimate
athletes believe in the “spirit of the game.” They
expect everyone to be honest and demonstrate good
sportsmanship.
At nationals, all the schools will vote for the highly coveted
“Team Spirit Award,” which BLU hopes to win along with
the national title.
“Some of our biggest rivals are our best friends,”
junior co-captain Lisa Vampola said.
On Friday, the Bruins’ bracket includes one rival team,
Florida, who they faced twice earlier in the season and beat both
times. BLU will compete in the tournament for the first time and
ranks second in the country.
“That’s the highest we’ve ever been,”
senior co-captain Pooja Shah said.
The invitation to nationals came weeks before when BLU won their
regional tournament against Southern California, Nevada, Hawaii and
Arizona teams.
The first place did not surprise the captains, it only excited
them.
“We’ve been doing well the whole year. We usually
placed in the top three at tournaments,” Shah said. “It
feels good to know your hard work pays off.”
The captains were quick to point out their team’s success
came after hard losses over the past three years. Yet, they
attribute their current position to playing together successfully
as a tight-knit group.
Team members bond on and off the field as many live together in
apartments and get together socially all the time.
“We don’t have one superstar,” Vampola said.
“We’re all heart.”
Many of the BLU members picked up the sport for the first time
during the program’s first year. Since then, the girls spend
almost every weekend involved with “ultimate”
activities. Last weekend, to raise money for their unfunded club
team, the girls held a fundraiser beach tournament in Santa
Monica.
“We fell in love with the sport together,” Vampola
said.
During the national tournament, as in all ultimate Frisbee
games, teams score by passing the disc into opposing end zones.
Positions include the quarterback-like “handlers” and
“cutters,” separated into mids and deeps.
Heading to the biggest competition for women’s club
ultimate Frisbee, the girls are confident knowing how their
teammates will cut during their games.
Another key factor of the team’s dominance is passionate
coaches who stuck with the program through ups and downs. The
unpaid coaches, Alex Korb and Jessie Amberg, simply come to every
practice and game because of a love for the sport.
“One of the reasons we love ultimate so much is our
dedicated coaches,” Vampola said.
For the team and their supporters, this weekend’s
tournament is the peak of the season and the peak of the program
thus far.
“It’s time to rock them at nationals,” Vampola
said.