The No. 3 UCLA women’s volleyball team could not possibly
have asked for a better start to this season.
Despite an undefeated record after 17 matches, the Bruins are
beginning to find that with success comes higher expectations as
well as additional pressure.
As the team heads to the desert to take on Arizona and Arizona
State this weekend, the members realize how badly these schools
would love to end UCLA’s winning streak.
The Bruins’ struggle to defeat a weaker Washington State
team last Friday served as a wake-up call. Allowing motivated teams
to get confident early in matches is something the Bruins realize
they need to avoid.
“I was telling the girls that these games can’t be
like Washington State, where we let them take us to four and we
should be killing them,” senior hitter Katie Carter said.
“We’re going to have to show these teams that
we’re that good and that we’re going to just sweep both
of them in three.”
At the same time, the Bruins also realize they cannot put too
much pressure on themselves. They have to keep doing the things
that have led to their undefeated start this season.
“We’re taking the season in smaller segments.
We’re not really looking at the whole picture,” coach
Andy Banachowski said. “(Being undefeated) may give teams
extra incentive, but we’re not counting on that.”
Another challenge that comes with being undefeated is the
pressure to maintain the record. Each match could be the one that
breaks the streak.
“I think that’s the biggest thing that’s
hanging over everyone’s head,” Carter said. “We
try not to think about it that much, but if we lose we’re not
the undefeated team anymore, and everyone wants to make us have
that only loss, just like (what) we did to Washington last year. We
know what it’s like to be on the other side of
that.”
CARTER HONORED: Katie Carter has worked hard
during her four years to establish herself as a reliable
contributor to the Bruin volleyball team. After a stellar
performance last week in matches against Washington and Washington
State, she finally got some recognition.
Carter, who led the Bruins in kills against both the Huskies and
the Cougars, was named Pac-10 Player of the Week earlier this week.
Her 23 kills against Washington was a career high.
“I didn’t really expect it because I’ve never
gotten anything like that,” Carter said. “It felt good
to see that someone noticed the hard work I’ve been putting
in and the hard work that my team has done to help me get that. I
give them a lot of credit.”
YOUNGS TO BE INDUCTED: Among the eight athletes
to be inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame on Friday night is former
UCLA volleyball star Elaine Youngs.
Youngs was a four-year starter and All-American outside hitter
for UCLA from 1988 to 1992. The Bruins made the Final Four during
each of her four years on the team.
Youngs went on to play for the U.S. national team from 1993 to
1997 and has been a successful player on the professional beach
volleyball circuit.