Bruins rally from behind to win

Friday, October 16, 1998

Bruins rally from behind to win

W.VOLLEYBALL: Team benefits from Porter’s never-say-die
attitude

By Kimberly Edds

Daily Bruin Contributor

Heard the name Kristee Porter lately?

You have if you were at the UCLA women’s volleyball game on
Wednesday.

Freshman outside hitter Porter turned in an amazing performance
in the Bruin (5-10 overall, 4-3 Pac-10) come-from-behind win
against No. 4 UC Santa Barbara (16-2, 5-1 Big West).

‘It was phenomenal,’ said UCLA women’s volleyball head coach
Andy Banachowski of Porter’s showing.

After dropping the first two matches to the UCSB Gauchos 13-15
and 9-15, UCLA stormed back to win the next three games 15-10, 15-3
and 15-11 to take the match.

‘It was really exciting to be able to watch a match like this,’
Banachowski said.

Outside hitters Roberta Gehlke and Charlene Conely had to step
up for the Gauchos to make up for the absence of starting middle
blocker Katie Crawford, sidelined with an injury. Gehlke had 26
kills and 17 digs. Conely boasted impressive numbers with 72 total
attacks, 29 kills and a hitting percentage of .347, but their
efforts weren’t enough to overcome the Bruins.

Porter finished the night with 38 kills and 24 digs. Freshman
Erika Selsor also made her presence known with 89 assists.

With her 38 kills in Wednesday’s match, Porter becomes the first
freshman in UCLA history to surpass 30 kills in a single match.
This mark also puts her second on the all-time-best list for kills,
falling just shy of the single-match record of 43 set in 1991.

Despite UCLA’s early struggles this season, the team has been
constantly improving. The Bruins have proved that they are capable
of competing with top-ranked opponents. UCLA barely missed
defeating No. 18 Arizona in five games over the weekend at
Arizona.

While UCLA’s youth, with a roster of nine freshmen, has cost
them games in the past, freshman enthusiasm and a never-say-die
attitude pushed them over the Gauchos on Wednesday.

‘We’re just really excited to be out here,’ freshman setter
Erika Selsor said. ‘We know we can compete with these teams.’

Next up for the Bruins are the University of Washington Huskies
(4-7 overall, 3-4 Pac-10) and the Washington State Cougars (7-6
overall, 4-3 Pac-10) this weekend at Pauley Pavilion.DAVE HILL

Freshman outside hitter Kristee LaBell Porter goes up to fire
the ball back at UCSB during last night’s intense game ­ a win
for UCLA.

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