Nowadays the UCLA women’s water polo team looks like that rare picture of perfection in Division I athletics. The Bruins have won two straight NCAA titles and are poised for a third. In the past three seasons they have lost just five regular-season games.
But the Bruin veterans can tell a very different story. Those that endured the struggle of 2004, when five Bruins redshirted to compete in the Athens Olympics, remember the year when UCLA women’s water polo was not a synonym for dominance.
The departing Bruins, redshirt senior Kelly Rulon, seniors Molly Cahill, Emily Feher and Kacy Kunkel, and redshirt junior Jenna Murphy overcame the 2004 struggle to enjoy a historic stretch of success in Westwood. They have taken UCLA to the top of sport, along with their coach Adam Krikorian.
“This group is one of my favorite groups I’ve ever coached,” Krikorian said. “They have such a passion for the game, and they take such pride in playing to their best ability. They are great teammates ““ every single one of them is unselfish.”
Early struggle
The 2004, Bruins entered the season as defending champions, but their roster was decimated by the Olympic Games. They had just 13 players, all freshmen and sophomores. Rulon was participating in the Olympics along with four other Bruins, while Cahill, Feher, Murphy and Kunkel were thrust into pivotal roles.
“It was a tough year; we had some tough losses and some growing pains,” Krikorian said. “(The current seniors) learned a lot; they learned how difficult it is. It was very, very important for them, and it has been a big reason for their success these past couple years.”
The team did not make the NCAA Championships and was swept by rivals Stanford and USC, but the experience proved invaluable for the young team.
“Not having older players and not being as good of a team, we had to work a lot harder,” Cahill said. “It instilled a really good work ethic; we know what it takes to work hard and not have things handed to us.”
Krikorian believes that year was vital to the development of Feher, Cahill and Kunkel, all starters on the 2007 team.
“Sometimes it’s good to go through a losing season; you learn a lot about how important every single play is and every single moment is, and how difficult it is,” Krikorian said. “You don’t take the wins for granted, and you learn a lot from the losses.”
The national titles
In 2005, the Bruins got their top players back from the Olympics and that group combined with the wiser, younger class to form an unstoppable UCLA team. Rulon returned and led the team with 70 goals, and the Bruins went undefeated on their way to a championship.
“As a team, (experience) helps a lot because we all go through it every day ““ you always have people backing you up,” Kunkel said. “You share a certain feeling: that we’ve gone through this before and we can do it together.”
The 2006 UCLA team wasn’t as dominant, but it used its experience to capture a second crown. Feher stepped up to lead the team in goals, Rulon had another 70-goal season, and Kunkel and Cahill provided the aggressive defense essential for a title run. It was clear that the team had developed into a cohesive unit after knocking off rivals Stanford and USC in the Final Four. The Bruins’ experience allowed them to better a tough Trojan team in the 9-8 final.
“We had to grow up really fast; we had to lead ourselves,” Feher said. “We had to fight through so much adversity ““ it was really emotional.”
2007 campaign
In 2007, the group began its quest for a third straight title. Rulon has a chance at an unprecedented fourth title, as she was a part of the 2003 title team. Kunkel, Cahill, Feher and Rulon all start for the Bruins and compose the core of the powerful team. They guided the team to an impressive 22-2 record and No. 2 ranking with their veteran leadership.
“They are all leaders in their own ways,” Krikorian said. “Kelly is very vocal. Molly leads by example. Emily is incredibly unselfish ““ one of the most unselfish players I’ve ever coached. … Kacy is a leader in her physical, aggressive style of play; she never backs down.”
The defeat of USC at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center on Senior Day was a fitting tribute to the seniors’ accomplishments in Westwood. The Bruins outlasted the Trojans, winning 8-7 in their clutch, savvy style.
“At first I was kind of nervous, but when they started announcing all the seniors before the game ““ it just makes you happy. It’s a special place, and special people and a special time in your life,” Rulon said after the game.
The Bruins will begin their postseason this weekend in Tempe, Arizona, at the MPSF Conference Championships. The incredibly accomplished group has just three weekends left with the team. The NCAA Championships begin May 11 in Los Alamitos. And the seniors are hungry to go out as champions.
“It’s awesome to have the chance to win a third national title,” Kunkel said. “I really want to win ““ everybody really wants to win. I think we can do it. The best is yet to come with our team; we haven’t reached our peak.”
Regardless of their success in this year’s tournament, Cahill, Feher, Kunkel, Murphy and Rulon will be remembered as a group that battled to bring UCLA to the top. Krikorian could not overstate their importance to the program and their contributions throughout their careers.
“They all work well together and they understand what each player wants and needs,” Krikorian said. “And they understand what I want and how we as a program like to do things. I’ve relied on them to be the coaches in the water, and that’s vital for any team to be successful ““ you need great leadership. Those girls know exactly what we want, and they have the confidence because they’ve been through it all.”