If history is any indication, the UCLA women’s volleyball
team has a good opportunity to end its four-match losing streak
when it plays host to Oregon and Oregon State today and Saturday at
Pauley Pavilion.
The No. 21 Bruins (7-5, 0-3), are 41-1 all-time against the
Ducks (10-5, 0-4) and 37-2 against the Beavers (6-5, 1-3). But
coach Andy Banachowski and the Bruins, who lost for the first time
ever to California earlier this year, are certainly not taking
anything for granted.
“Both schools have new coaches and a breath of
freshness,” Banachowski said. “It’s important
that we understand the different styles of play that the teams
bring and to come out and beat them.”
The Bruins will receive a helping hand from a recovering Colby
Lyman, who will rejoin the lineup this weekend after missing the
last four matches with a tibial bone contusion.
“I’m 100 percent and I’m eager to play,”
the junior outside hitter said. “We need to win a Pac-10
game.”
The Bruins are hoping that getting Lyman back will add new and
improved dimensions to the team ““ dimensions they were
missing in the last few matches.
“She’s really good defensively and she’s a
great passer,” junior middle blocker Nana Meriwether said.
“We’ve been struggling to get passes to the setter
lately and her passing will help us get into our
offense.”
Banachowski, meanwhile, is just happy to get a veteran leader
back on the court to aid his young group of players.
“In addition to her skills, her confidence,
competitiveness and desire will raise our level of play,” the
coach said.
While Lyman says she is feeling healthy and ready to play, she
also acknowledged that it will be a little while before she assumes
the full role that she is used to filling for the team.
“I’ll be playing in the back row this
weekend,” Lyman said. “The coaches don’t want me
to hurt my knee again. I’m going to ease my way back in and
be fully back next week.”
Still, Lyman feels she has a lot to offer the team immediately
in the way of on-court communication.
“With all of the freshmen starting, the team hasn’t
been talking enough,” Lyman said. “Hopefully I can help
the team talk on the court.”
Even though it’s still early, the Bruins realize how much
the games this weekend mean to their season. Losses could put the
Bruins in a very bad situation. Wins would elevate UCLA’s
Pac-10 standing and could give them a newfound sense of
momentum.
“It is really big for us to get victories this
weekend,” Banachowski said. “We need to put ourselves
in a strong position to put ourselves in the upper portion of the
Pac-10 standings.
“Wins this weekend will give us confidence that we need
for the rest of the season.”
“It’s hard for us to come into practice and work
hard every day and constantly need to change everything,”
Lyman said. “We need to prove to other schools that
we’re not going to be a team that they can walk all
over.”