Gauchos too much on road as UCLA’s magic season ends

Thursday, December 10, 1998

Gauchos too much on road as UCLA’s magic season ends

RECAP: Debatable call, UCSB’s Katie Crawford

catch Bruins off-guard

By Nick Taylor

Daily Bruin Contributor

As the ball tumbled gently to the ground out of reach, the
Bruins saw their glorious season, filled with peaks, valleys and
comebacks, reach a bitter end.

They fought, clawed, struggled, hit and dug all match long, and
in the end it was just not enough. UC Santa Barbara finished a
comeback to defeat the Bruins three games to one (8-15, 15-8,
13-15, 11-15).

UCLA walked off the court angry, frustrated and disappointed.
They had lost a match that in their minds they should have won.

"We had opportunities to win that match in four," said American
Volleyball Coaches Association District VII Coach of the Year Andy
Banachowski. "But it slipped away."

Victory may have slipped from the Bruins’ hands, but they felt
they were not fully responsible for losing their hold on the match.
They were tied, one game all, in the third game and led 13-10, when
they served. A scramble on the play produced a UCLA hit that
reached the ground. Point, Bruins. But the ball was still in play.
The head official looked to the side official, to make sure the
side official was sure of his call. He demonstrated his
assurance.

Santa Barbara had dug the ball, and they kept it in play. The
ball went over to UCLA’s side of the court, and then All-AVCA
District VIII selection Elisabeth Bachman passed the ball to set
the offense. The referee’s whistle blew. They ruled that Bachman
had lifted the ball. Sideout, Santa Barbara. The Bruins looked
around in disbelief.

"We did our best to question the officials," Banachowski said.
"At least we made them slow down and discuss the play."

UCLA’s protests were to no avail. Santa Barbara had the serve
and caught a UCLA squad now shaken and off guard, and proceeded to
reel off five straight points to win the match. The Gauchos led two
games to one in their own home court (the Thunderdome) and all
looked lost for the Bruins.

The powerful Gauchos (28-5), led by Robi Gehlke, Katie Crawford
and Charlene Corley were older and more experienced in tournament
play. They had all beaten UCLA in the very same situation in 1997;
a second-round match in Santa Barbara with a stronger Gaucho team.
UCLA would just have to shrink away quietly as the Gauchos would
establish themselves as queens of their court.

Except that it didn’t happen that way. All year long, UCLA had
come back from deficits. All year long they had fought through
adversity. Injuries could not hold them back; nor would their
inexperience.

Not the devastating losses to Stanford earlier in the year, or
to USC and Stanford later in the year, would discourage the team.
Not even a 0-6 start could shelve the team, for they still made
post-season play. Just when the Bruins seemed down for the count,
they came roaring back.

They forged an 11-5 lead in the fourth game, with key spikes,
passes and digs. Their blocking was exceptional in the fourth game.
Amy Nihipali, who had six total blocks, came up with two block
kills. Freshman Kristee Porter, also an All-AVCA District VII
selection, had five blocks, and Bachman had four. UCLA had
momentum, and a game five seemed imminent. Then, the unthinkable
happened. Santa Barbara found a way to get the serve back. They
followed by throwing the Bruins a curveball.

Role player Heather Hutchison came in to serve for them. UCLA
was ready for her entrance, as they had practiced for her serves.
Chaska Potter would take the serve and pass it to begin the
offense.

"We were positioned for her serve," Banachowski said, "But then
she mixed it up."

Hutchison did not serve it to the corner like the Bruins thought
she would. Instead, she went to the middle, where Porter was. But
UCLA had practiced for Potter to get the serve. What resulted were
two players, both wanting to make the play, unintentionally getting
in each other’s way. They both hustled after the ball, but the
miscommunication proved fatal. Hutchison ran off three straight
service aces. An error, a kill down the line from Conley, a
Crawford block on Bachman and UCLA had lost its lead.

They had one final chance, as Ashley Bowles had sided out to
UCLA with a kill. The officials, however, snatched away their
opportunity again. At 13-11 in favor of the Gauchos, UCLA served
and forced Santa Barbara to just hit the ball over defensively. The
Bruins set up the offense, readied for a kill and then the whistle
blew.

A lift on UCLA, they ruled, and it was Santa Barbara side out.
The Bruins screamed. Play stopped. Santa Barbara served for the
match, UCLA miraculously saved one match point, but then the
Gauchos won as UCLA could not scramble and return the serve. Game,
match, season.

All year long, UCLA looked to its outside hitters for the
answer. And all year long their freshman outside hitters, Porter
and Bowles (neither of them 20 years old), had delivered.

Porter had 24 kills, and Bowles was right behind her with 19.
They each shouldered over 50 attempts in the match. But their
efforts were not enough. Bachman, while dominating the last two
months in the year, had an off game in the middle.

While they beat Santa Barbara in five thrilling games in
October,UCLA did not have to face an injured Katie Crawford. This
time, she was healthy. Her quirky shots and play were effective
enough to knock UCLA off just slightly, and she was the difference
in the match.

While UCLA’s season reached its climax, albeit too early for
them, there is much to look for next year. The Bruins had a
resurgent second half of the season, and leave their fans impatient
for next season to begin.

"I’m bummed that it’s over," said Bowles.

So are the Bruin fans.

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