Forget everything that has happened to the UCLA women’s
volleyball team this season.
Throw out everything that will happen to the team after
tonight.
Tonight, there are no moments for hindsight or foresight. No
time for speculation of any sort.
Tonight, the Bruins go across town to get their first shot at
beating USC ““ a task that has each player’s full and
undivided attention.
“(Beating USC) is probably ““ under winning a
national championship ““ the biggest goal,” senior
outside hitter Katie Carter said. “When we were in Mammoth
this summer, we just said, “˜This is the one thing we have to
do. We have to get them.'”
Carter, along with the rest of the Bruin seniors, knows very
well by now the feeling of losing to the Trojans. The Bruins
haven’t defeated the Trojans in five years, combining to go
0-10 in their last 10 matches.
But the No. 4 Bruins (20-1, 7-1 Pac-10) are confident that this
is the year they will finally beat the No. 5 Trojans (18-1,
7-1).
“It’s been hard,” senior opposite Colby Lyman
said. “The whole time I’ve been here we haven’t
won. This year is for sure our strongest. We have a great chance,
because we’ve been playing great recently. Hopefully we can
continue that into the match (tonight) and pull a win.”
Although both UCLA and USC have been playing at the top of their
games all season long, both teams suffered their first losses of
the season last week to Stanford.
For the Bruins, the loss to Stanford was a missed opportunity to
end one losing streak. Remarkably, with the relative success of the
Bruin program in the past few years, UCLA is now a combined 0-21
against Stanford and USC since 2001.
Not only would a victory against the Trojans break the Bruin
losing streak, but it would give UCLA a huge boost in the
conference standings ““ both teams are currently tied for
first place in the Pac-10.
“They run a little bit different tempo offense than
we’re used to seeing,” coach Andy Banachowski said.
“We’re going to have to be able to slow down and stop
their big players ““ (junior Asia) Kaczor and (junior Diane)
Copenhagen have been playing extremely well. We have to be able to
take them out of the game somewhat.”
Tonight’s match will be the last match ever played in
USC’s Lyon Center. USC’s new Galen Center opened last
week when the Trojans took on Stanford and Cal, but because of a
scheduling conflict, tonight’s match was moved back to the
Lyon Center, which is a tough place to win on the road.
“It’s really a tight gym,” Carter said.
“It’s not like Pauley, where people can just spread out
and sit anywhere. It’s really just right on you. The people
heckling you are right there. The band is the worst because
it’s right behind you and you can’t even hear yourself
playing. You can’t talk to your teammates.”
“It’s tough, but it’s a great, fun environment
to be in those situations,” Banachowski added.
“It’s one of those things that everyone looks forward
to as an athlete.”
With first place in the Pac-10, Lexus Gauntlet points and
crosstown bragging rights all on the line, the Bruins have a lot at
stake tonight.
It’s a battle the Bruins are determined to win.
“Between UCLA and USC, this is the No. 1 test for both
teams ““ to see who is actually the better team,” Carter
said. “When it comes down to it, we’ve lost to the same
(Stanford) team in the same situation, and we’re just facing
it off. We’ll see what happens.”