Freshman Nancy Barba is soft-spoken away from the volleyball
court, but on it, her game speaks for itself.
An emerging presence on the No. 19 UCLA women’s team,
Barba made her first three career starts earlier this month and
reeled off 20 consecutive kills before making an error.
“I guess one in 21 attempts is not bad,” Barba said.
“I did not even realize I had so many in a row.”
One of three true freshmen on the team, Barba had planned to
apply for a medical redshirt this season after sustaining a stress
fracture in her right foot in early September that kept her out of
action for six weeks.
Instead, she was thrust into the starting lineup last weekend
against the Oregon schools after senior Angela Eckmier tore her
left ACL in practice on Nov. 3.
“It was a shock because I had a day to prepare,”
Barba said. “Angela is a big part of the team. I was thinking
how am I going to fill those shoes?”
Barba’s concerns proved to be unfounded.
Making her first appearance since Sept. 2, she tallied seven
kills in 12 attempts against Oregon State Friday. She followed that
up with seven more kills against both Oregon and Pepperdine, and
has hit above .500 in all three matches.
“Nancy has been a breath of fresh air for us,” head
coach Andy Banachowski said. “We’ve been trying to get
her the ball as much as we can. She’s really stepped in
admirably for Angela.”
Prior to her injury, Eckmier had been a mentor of sorts for
Barba, often taking her aside in practice to offer advice or a pat
on the back.
“She’s always been there to encourage me, and help
me with my blocking,” Barba said. “I talked to her on
Monday. She’s recovering really well.”
Barba’s emergence as an offensive force is not shocking in
light of her prep resume. A member of Volleyball Magazine’s
Fab 50, the 6-foot-1-inch middle blocker was a two-time All-State
selection at Westwood High School in Midlands, Texas, and won the
5A state championship as a sophomore.
In spite of Barba’s impressive credentials, she cannot be
expected to measure up to Eckmier’s standards defensively.
The 6-foot-2-inch senior was an intimidating presence at the net,
and had led the Bruins in blocks with 91 on the season.
The loss of Eckmier proved particularly costly in UCLA’s
3-0 loss to No. 9 Pepperdine on Tuesday night, as the Waves middle
blocking duo of Lyndsay Hache and Stacy Rouwenhorst torched the
Bruin defense for 17 and 13 kills respectively.
“Their middles really had a field day against us,”
Banachowski said. “That game certainly highlighted the loss
of the block that Angela brought us.”
While Barba’s defense is admittedly still a work in
progress, her offensive prowess could give the Bruins another
weapon to boost their attack.
The squad will need all the firepower it can muster tomorrow
night for its cross-town showdown with No. 2 USC.
“With USC, it’s such a big rivalry,” Barba
said. “They’re one of the best teams in the nation, but
hopefully we can show them we’re just as good.”