UCLA hopes to take shot at title win
By Daily Bruin Staff
May 16, 2002 9:00 p.m.
JONATHAN YOUNG/Daily BruinJunior Rodrigo Grilli
plays in last weekend’s match in the second round of the NCAA
tournament. The Bruins are in Texas now for the Sweet 16.
By Greg Schain
Daily Bruin Reporter
[email protected]
Junior Rodrigo Grilli has heard many times about his
team’s debacle at the NCAA Championships last year.
He didn’t play for UCLA in the 2000-01 season, but his
teammates talk constantly about how they got upset by Southern
Methodist University in a tight 4-3 nailbiter in the Elite
Eight.
“They told me they really learned a lot from what happened
last year,” Grilli said. “The main thing is to keep
focused.”
Focus is the key word for the No. 4-seeded Bruins, who, like in
most years, have the talent to win it all.
But every year, something seems to go wrong. They haven’t
won the tournament since 1984, despite getting to at least the
Elite Eight in every year but one during the 17-year period.
The Bruins’ quest to break the title drought continues
Saturday in College Station, Texas, where they will face No. 13
Florida in what looks to be an easy Sweet 16 matchup for UCLA.
Florida (16-6) barely beat lowly South Florida, 4-3, in the
second round of the tournament. UCLA crushed South Florida, 4-0, in
the same round last year.
“We can’t let them get into a couple of
matches,” said head coach Billy Martin. “We have to
discourage them, not encourage them.”
Martin was upset with UCLA’s second-round matchup last
Sunday, when San Diego State took the doubles point and then gave
the Bruins a rigorous challenge in singles before eventually losing
the match.
In response to the lackluster performance, Martin preached all
week in practice about the importance of coming out strong and
winning the doubles point.
“It’s good that San Diego State gave us a
scare,” Martin said. “We know we can’t let our
guard down.”
If the Bruins beat Florida, they were on pace to play No. 5
Stanford in the quarterfinals on Sunday. But Stanford was upset by
Washington in the second round, so if the Bruins win on Saturday,
the highest seed they could play is No. 12 Auburn.
Therefore, the coast looks pretty clear for the Bruins to go to
the Final Four, if they can avoid a Southern Methodist-like
upset.
“Everyone is a little more experienced than last
year,” said junior Lassi Ketola. “And we are peaking
right now, so I think we have a good chance.”
The semifinals, if the Bruins make it, will be held on Monday,
with the championships to take place Tuesday.
UCLA is in the same half of the draw as top-seeded Georgia
(25-3), so the Bulldogs are a likely opponent for the Bruins on
Monday if they survive.
“I’ve never played Georgia, but I don’t think
they are that special,” Ketola said. “I’ve seen
their results and they’ve lost a couple of
matches.”
