The UCLA women’s volleyball team made a statement Thursday
night, and not just in the way the team won (which was epic,
dramatic and unbelievable). The win means this team is for
real.
The Bruins, for the first time this decade, are now a legitimate
threat to win the national title.
Thursday’s 3-2 win over Washington, the defending NCAA
champions, not only keeps the team undefeated 16 matches into the
season, but it changes the team’s whole image.
For the past few years, UCLA has always been a strong team, but
not enough to be among the nation’s elite.
This team is for real. They belong with the nation’s elite
now.
This team showed its toughness Thursday night, both physically
and mentally.
Instead of being deflated after losing the first two games, UCLA
was more motivated than ever.
Washington was playing like the team that won the title a year
ago and seeking revenge for its one loss that year.
“I told the team that they weren’t playing like they
were capable of,” UCLA coach Andy Banachowski said. “I
just thought we lost the tempo and we worked really hard to get it
back.”
With their backs against the wall, the Bruins stepped up their
game, as championship-caliber teams do.
They dominated Game 3 and most of Game 4 before encountering
their biggest test.
Leading 29-21 in Game 4, UCLA lost eight straight game-points,
something that almost never happens.
“We cut it a little close,” Banachowski said, in the
understatement of the day.
But championship-caliber teams know how to regroup when things
aren’t going their way. UCLA did just that, winning the next
six points.
The Bruins then led 14-11 in Game 5 and lost two match points in
a row. But learning from the previous game, they put the match away
right there ““ as championship-caliber teams do.
“We just talked about being able to play the way
we’ve been playing throughout the year,” Banachowski
said. “We had gotten ourself out of rhythm.”
“It was a great win,” senior outside hitter Colby
Lyman said. “We were a little bit nervous. We thought they
were going to come out strong the first two games and they did. It
caught us off guard. But we came back and won the next
three.”
It’s hard to be undefeated 16 matches into the season, as
UCLA has done. You have to be among the nation’s powerhouses
to do that.
UCLA’s win over No. 4 Washington was its biggest win of
the season, but it wasn’t the team’s only quality win.
UCLA beat No. 5 Florida and No. 7 Hawai’i earlier this
season. In years past, the Bruins might get one quality win like
this in a season, but never two, and especially not three. One win
against a top-10 can be a fluke. Two means you’re great, but
not necessarily that you belong with the elite. Three wins means
you’re in the club.
“In the past, we had a hard time beating ranked teams and
now we can actually do that,” Lyman said.
E-mail Quiñonez at gquinonez@media.ucla.edu.