Victories required to keep UCLA competitive in NCAA

Friday, November 6, 1998

Victories required to keep UCLA competitive in NCAA

PREVIEW: Young players must step up, lead Bruins to overall
winning record

By Kimberly Edds

Daily Bruin Contributor

It’s now or never for the No. 23 UCLA women’s volleyball
team.

After coming off a close loss to No. 11 USC last week, the
Bruins have a tough conference weekend ahead of them when they host
Arizona State (10-10 overall, 7-6 Pac-10) and No. 18 Arizona (18-4
overall, 9-4 Pac-10).

UCLA hopes to come away from the weekend with a winning overall
record.

The Bruins (9-10 overall, 8-4 Pac-10) need to step up if they
want to be competitive.

It should be no problem if freshman standout Kristee Porter
continues to play the way she has been playing all season long:
phenomenally.

In her last match Porter had 36 kills while hitting .321. This
was Porter’s second 30-plus outing.

For the Bruins to even have a chance at beating Arizona, they
need to have their star rookie perform the only way it seems she
knows how.

However, the weight of the world isn’t entirely on Porter’s
shoulders. UCLA boasts an impressive roster, full of young,
energetic players ­ which are hard to come by.

One of these standouts, sophomore middle blocker Elisabeth
Bachman, will have to help Porter out to get the best of the two
Arizona teams.

Bachman had an outstanding showing against USC last week,
matching her career highs in both blocks and kills and hitting an
amazing .524.

UCLA needs Bachman to lead the team against two strong teams in
Arizona and ASU.

If one word can describe what the Bruins need to defeat the two
Arizona teams this weekend, it’s defense.

UCLA has an excellent chance of beating Arizona if they can
bring their defense together to keep Arizona middle blocker Keisha
Johnson and outside hitter Raelene Morton at bay.

The matches this weekend have a huge bearing on the NCAA
Tournaments, with both Arizona and Arizona State being listed ahead
of UCLA in the NCAA District rankings.

Pac-10 rankings will also be affected by this weekend’s
match-ups because Arizona, UCLA and Arizona State are holding slots
three through five in the conference. USC, who also plays the two
Arizona schools, is ranked second in the Pac-10, behind undefeated
Stanford.

UCLA will meet the Arizona State Sun Devils at 7 p.m. tonight in
Pauley Pavilion. The Arizona Wildcats scamper into Westwood at 1
p.m. Sunday at the Wooden Center.

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