Bruins must shine against Arizona teams

Friday, November 21, 1997

Bruins must shine against Arizona teams

PREVIEW: Team needs a sweep to keep NCAA playoff hopes alive

By Jennifer Kollenborn

Daily Bruin Staff

UCLA goes to the desert this weekend hoping to soak up the sun’s
rays. The Bruins hope to be as hot as the sun this weekend, as they
face the Sun Devils and Wildcats, but with much more energy and
purpose.

No. 25 UCLA (13-11, 8-9 Pac-10) challenges unranked Arizona
State (13-14, 4-12) and 10th ranked Arizona (19-5, 11-5) in its
final league matches of the season this weekend.

As it stands now, the Bruins maintain the sixth slot in the
Pac-10 standings with only two games remaining, and it looks like
UCLA will stay at No. 6 for the remainder of the season.

With Washington State (10-7 Pac-10) at No. 5 owning a three-game
win advantage over the Bruins at the start of the week, UCLA has
run out of time on the season’s clock to beat out Washington State
for the No. 5 spot to up its chances of qualifying for the NCAA
playoffs.

But, there is still a chance.

Since the Pac-10 conference added another team, rumor has been
spread that the NCAA committee may pick six teams from the
Pac-10.

And the Bruins’ final opportunity to look good is with a sweep
over both Arizona and Arizona State.

"Right now it looks at though we are solid in sixth place," said
UCLA head coach Andy Banachowski, who has led the Bruins to six
National Championships and owns more victories than any other NCAA
Division I women’s coach.

"Washington State has 10 wins right now, and the most we can get
is nine. But with a sweep this weekend, our chances of going to the
playoffs are good. Arizona is in the top 10, and we have proved
that we can play with them."

Last time UCLA played the Arizona teams, the Wildcats outlasted
the Bruins in a 3-2 victory on Sept. 19, and UCLA swept the Sun
Devils 3-0 on Sept. 20.

Only time will tell if UCLA will overshadow Arizona and return
to the Bruin homestead refreshed, ending the season with three
wins.