After handing Oregon State its second loss of the season last Sunday, the Bruins improved to 13-1 and polished off their Pac-10 performance with a spotless 6-0 record.
A quad meet against Alabama (6-1), Arkansas (4-5), and Cal State Fullerton (4-7) is set for Sunday at 2 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA is gaining momentum with the return of several previously injured athletes and a renewed vigor.
The last home meet of the season for the Bruins will feature the return of sophomore Anna Li after debilitating foot injuries took her out of last week’s meet. Li is the winner of the 2007 NCAA Southeast Regional title on bars, and her comeback will be critical.
“Last weekend was exciting because without Anna, our rock star, the team rallied to pick up where she left off,” said assistant head coach Chris Waller. “We have a lot of athletes who stepped in and are stronger than they thought. … With the addition of Anna, we’re looking for a great weekend.”
With the return of Li and junior Kristina Comforte from injuries, not to mention the addition of freshman Shavahn Church, UCLA is more than prepared for the bars event this Sunday. Ariana Berlin, Brittani McCullough, Tasha Schwikert, Kristina Comforte and Jordan Schwikert compiled a season-high total of 49.425 on bars last week, with all six athletes scoring 9.825 or better.
UCLA took a split approach to practice this week. Healthy competitors were given time to rest, while recently recovered athletes were worked the hardest.
“We’ve been taking it easy this week,” coach Valorie Kondos Field said. “This team wants it badly. We’ve been practicing routines back to back in order to get our inner poise down.”
The Bruins made a promising display of recuperation last week against Oregon State, with season highs being set by junior Comforte and redshirt freshman McCullough, both of whom have been nurturing injuries. Comforte, coming off a severe knee bruise, set her season best on bars with a 9.90. After a concussion at the Utah meet, McCullough scored a season high in the all-around that tied her for second with 39.375 and set a career high on beam with a 9.90.
The Bruins also saw a tremendous effort from senior Tasha Schwikert, who won the all-around with a season-high 39.625. In addition, Schwikert tied her season high on bars with a score of 9.925, all after recovering from a strained Achilles tendon.
UCLA’s main competition this weekend will come from the team’s third consecutive top-10 opponent: No. 6 Alabama. The Crimson Tide come prepared with defending NCAA floor exercise champion Morgan Dennis and Terin Humphrey, who is a two-time champion on the NCAA uneven bars.
“I’m excited. It’s going to be a good meet,” senior Jordan Schwikert said regarding her last home meet at UCLA. “The mood (in practice) has been good. We’ve been focusing on details all week.”