Being at the top of the heap is nothing new for UCLA
women’s water polo. By beating No. 1 USC with a last-second
shot from sophomore Courtney Mathewson, the Bruins brought their
NCAA Championship count to eight since the program’s
inception and five under coach Adam Krikorian.
Coming off a perfect season in 2005, the Bruins had a lot of
people skeptical of their chances for a repeat, especially after
their 40-0 interseason win streak was snapped abruptly in early
2006.
“The doubt from members of the water polo community fueled
our fire walking into that final game,” senior Thalia Munro
said. “We came into NCAAs with so much fire and we
weren’t holding anything back. We were not going home losing
to anyone.”
Unlike the Bruins, the Women of Troy were surrounded by hype in
2006 as they came into the national tournament ranked No. 1. Yet
the Trojan powerhouse came up short when facing the hungry,
Olympian-riddled Bruin team.
“It was a relief in a way going into the NCAA tournament
not being the favored team,” Krikorian said. “It was a
different feeling than years prior and it helped us play up to our
capabilities. We played with a chip on our shoulder, with something
to prove ““ and we did.”
Struggling early in the season with a loss to Stanford, the
Bruins realized the path to the NCAAs would not be nearly as easy
as the year before.
“This season was filled with ups and downs,” Munro
said. “It was a journey. Where we were at the beginning of
the season and where we ended shows how we were able to come
together as a team.”
Munro, goalkeeper Emily Feher and tournament MVP Kelly Rulon
were named to the all-tournament first team after their impressive
performances that weekend.
The path of progression for the team highlights
Krikorian’s capacity as a coach to mesh different types and
levels of talent together to produce champions. At the top tier of
women’s water polo, the differences in talent alone do not
win championships; it takes a coach who knows exactly what he is
doing to bring home the title.
“I took a different approach this year,” Krikorian
said. “I wanted to make sure we were peaking at the right
times. Once the month of April rolled around, we were slowly
starting to build. I had a really good feeling after the conference
tournament, and after the Stanford game, I knew it was our
tournament then.”
Despite losing four seniors to graduation, the Bruins are not
expected to suffer significant setbacks.
“We will lose four great personalities, work ethics and
leaders; we will lose some of the country’s best ““ no
question,” Krikorian said. “But at the same time we
have some good players waiting in the wings who will step up.
“I have complete confidence in our ability to do well next
year.”
As for three in a row ““ with the nation’s top
players and Krikorian yelling from the pool deck ““ it is more
than just a possibility.