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Freshmen help UCLA beat Gauchos

By Daily Bruin Staff

Oct. 1, 1996 9:00 p.m.

By Grace Wen
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

Outside hitters are the name of the game according to UCSB head
coach Kathy Gregory.

For UCLA, however, a balanced attack was the name of the game.
The UCLA women’s volleyball team defeated the Gauchos of Santa
Barbara 15-9, 15-7, 15-17 and 15-4.

Four Bruin hitters had over ten kills with middle blocker Kim
Krull leading all attackers with 22.

"Having no outside hitters that could compete with UCLA put us
at a disadvantage," she said. "We had problems siding out from the
outside. Our outside hitters were negative in the first two
games."

The Bruins can sympathize. UCLA is down to its fifth outside
hitter this season. Freshman Jennifer Wittenburg, who started the
match last Saturday against USC, injured her knee during practice
on Monday. Not having played a game all season, redshirt freshman
Lyn Embree was forced to start for UCLA.

"I thought Lyn Embree did a great job tonight coming into her
first outing," UCLA head coach Andy Banachowski said. "Not playing
before, she held her own out there and did a nice job of playing.
She stayed nice and calm."

It looked like UCLA was going to roll to a quick three-game
sweep of UCSB. In a game where freshmen and injuries were themes
for both teams, UCLA appeared to have the advantage.

After all, the UCLA women’s volleyball team have some of the
best freshmen in the nation. With several Santa Barbara players out
of the lineup, and a two-game lead to start game three, it seemed
like Santa Barbara was getting ready for a long bus ride home.

But you can’t count the Gauchos out. With 5-foot, 4-inch setter
Vicki Viso leading the Santa Barbara attack, the Gauchos jumped to
a quick 3-0 lead to start game three. The Bruins caught up to the
Gauchos on a Viso setting error and took the lead with a kill by
Kim Krull. UCSB, however, just wouldn’t go away. A couple of errors
by UCLA, and UCSB was back on top.

The teams were tied at 11 when freshman outside hitter Lyn
Embree crushed the ball to give UCLA a one-point lead. Santa
Barbara sided out on the next play and a kill by Hilary Gunsaulus
made the score 13-12. After a block by the Gauchos, UCLA was faced
with game point.

UCLA fought off two game points and took the lead with a kill by
Krull. UCSB sided out on a put away by Erin McCown. The
inexperience of Bruin freshmen in clutch situations would give
Santa Barbara the game, Freshman Tamika Johnson made two hitting
errors to conclude the game.

The Bruins rebounded and took game four easily.

"In the fourth game UCLA just served tough and we couldn’t
sideout," Gregory said. "To beat UCLA you have to have a little
quicker attack and serve better."

"I don’t think from someone in the stands’ point of view, it
looked all that great," setter Kim Coleman said. "The fact is that
we’re on our fifth-string outside hitter. Everyone’s coming
together. We’re just hanging in there."

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