Sand volleyball to rest before tense rematch against Long Beach State

The general consensus within the UCLA sand volleyball team is that the players just need a little rest and relaxation before Wednesday’s game.

Prior to No. 8 UCLA’s midweek matchup with No. 6 Long Beach State, the Bruins managed to bolster their record with three wins and by sweeping all three divisions in the Stanford Invitational Pairs Tournament.

But all that success came with three straight days of nonstop volleyball over the weekend – add to that the long hours on the road driving to Stanford and back.

“I think we just need to focus on resting up these next couple days,” said junior Kamila Tan. “(We’re) going hard, hydrating well, eating well, giving ourselves a little break and then being ready to play 100 percent come game time.”

Although rest might seem like a luxury in the quick two-day turnaround between the Stanford Invitational and UCLA (8-1) hosting Long Beach State (10-4) Wednesday afternoon, coach Stein Metzger said the string of matches that his players competed in over the weekend will have a readying effect of its own.

“There’s no preparation for a competition that’s better than matches – and especially close matches – and we really closed them out,” Metzger said. “We’re about as ready as we’re going to get.”

One of the UCLA pairs that featured in close matches over the weekend is the No. 1 doubles team of senior Zoë Nightingale and Tan. Even though Nightingale and Tan went undefeated against their California, Stanford and St. Mary’s College opponents in last weekend’s invitational, the duo had to claim all three of their victories against their Northern Californian opponents in three sets. With those close wins in the bag, the pair improved to 5-2 on the season since making its debut as a pairing on March 28.

“I think we’re improving every day,” Nightingale said. “The whole team – especially Kamila and I because we just got partnered.”

Although UCLA has managed to bounce back from a 5-0 loss to Long Beach State on April 4 with a series of weekend victories, Wednesday’s rematch against the 49ers will reveal if the Bruins have made the necessary improvements to contend with the 2013 national champions – a team that Metzger said UCLA will need to find a win against to solidify its position as a national championship contender.

With contributing reports by Alexis Williams, Bruin Sports reporter.