UA and ASU arrive to take on Bruin spikers
By Daily Bruin Staff
Oct. 20, 1994 9:00 p.m.
UA and ASU arrive to take on Bruin spikers
By Eric Branch
Daily Bruin Staff
As the Pac-10 conference season enters its second leg, it’s gut
check time for the UCLA women’s volleyball team.
Even after accumulating 18 wins in 20 outings and being ranked
No. 3 in the nation, head coach Andy Banachowski is looking for
more.
"Now is the time for us to have a little higher level of play to
carry us through," Banachowski said.
This weekend, the Bruins (18-2 overall, 8-1 in Pac-10) will get
their first chance to reach that higher level as No.14 Arizona
State (10-6, 5-4) and No.16 Arizona (9-5, 5-4) enter Westwood.
Each of the Arizona schools took UCLA to five games in the
conference openers in September before succumbing.
"We started out slowly in both matches before we put it together
in the fifth game," Banachowski said. "We ran into them playing
good volleyball. That is something we have to expect, we have to be
ready for tough matches."
The Sun Devils will be led into Pauley Pavilion by junior
outside hitter Christine Garner. Garner, a first-team Pac-10
selection last year, has maintained her excellence this season, and
leads ASU in kills while ranking second in digs. Her 4.06 kills per
game average places her seventh in the Pac-10. Banachowski is not
expecting many dinks from the Sun Devils top gun.
"She is one of the hardest hitters in college volleyball right
now," Banachowski said. "She just hits harder and harder. There
isn’t a whole lot of finesse in her game."
After dealing with Garner, the Bruins can catch a short breath
before taking on the spirited Wildcats Saturday night. Arizona,
which handed the Bruins their only regular season loss last year,
routinely celebrate the most pedestrian of points. This year,
sophomore outside hitter Barb Bell and senior outside hitter
Melissa Ferris will be leading the yells.
Bell and Ferris lead the team in kills while placing third and
sixth in the Pac-10, respectively. Junior setter Laura Bartsch, who
ranks 10th in the nation with 13.07 assists per game, will set up
the duo.
