1. Which team is most likely to win UCLA’s 110th NCAA title this year?
Jordan: It’s hard not to pick the men’s water polo team. After falling to USC in the final minutes in last year’s national championship match, the team appears poised to at least return to the title match this year. UCLA lost only four seniors from last year’s team and is already off to a fast start this season, outscoring opponents by an average of 16 goals through its first seven matches en route to a perfect 7-0. The Bruins will likely have to go through the rival Trojans again this year if they are to capture No. 110.
Chris: This is an easy one. The UCLA men’s volleyball team looks poised to bring home the NCAA title this year, after it tore through the stretch run of last season – going 12-3 in coach John Speraw’s first season. It featured just two returning starters and only one senior. This year looks to be a different story. The Bruins should gel from the get-go with a veteran roster and star players. First though, UCLA will have to grind through the competitive MPSF. After that, look for the Bruins to wreak havoc in the postseason.
2. Which UCLA sport, beside football and men’s basketball, are you most excited to watch and why?
Kevin: After winning its first ever national title last season, UCLA’s baseball team is the team I’m most excited for – not just to see how its title defense goes, but to see how popular it becomes within the UCLA community. Baseball has historically not had great turnouts at its home games, but with growing appreciation for the baseball team, an interesting dynamic surrounds the program. Even more interesting is how the Bruins will replace pitchers who were recently drafted into the MLB.
Sari: Land sports are too mainstream – I’ll stick with the water sports. I’m excited for both men’s and women’s water polo. I mean, the sport itself is fun to watch. You take the fluidity and goal form of soccer, combine it with the dexterity and ball-handling of basketball and, if that isn’t challenging enough, you dump the players into a deep tank of water and make them tread throughout the course of the entire game. It only helps that UCLA has strong water polo teams and that the Spieker Aquatics Center is located conveniently on the Hill.