Road to 111: An outlook on UCLA’s next championship title
The new quarter marks the start of new seasons for many UCLA teams. After women’s soccer won their first national title, the UCLA’s teams are now focused on winning the university’s 111th NCAA championship. The Daily Bruin looks ahead to the title hopes of this quarter’s teams.
Baseball: The reigning College World Series champions return to the diamond this season minus their top two starting pitchers from a year ago. With Adam Plutko and Nick Vander Tuig gone via the MLB Draft, more weight falls on the shoulders of junior pitcher Grant Watson and sophomore pitcher James Kaprielian, who will likely switch from the bullpen to the starting rotation. With talent remaining on the pitching staff, particularly in the arm of junior closer David Berg, and an extra year of development for a young group of hitters, the Bruins have a shot to reach the College World Series for the fourth time in five years.
Men’s basketball: Men’s basketball has proven its offensive talent early in the season, but in a difficult conference that features No. 1 Arizona, along with challenging opponents like Oregon, Colorado and Arizona State, repeating as regular season Pac-12 champions could be an uphill battle for UCLA. With a 12-2 record early on, the Bruins appear to be on track to earn a berth to the NCAA tournament, although their weak nonconference schedule hurts their RPI ranking. But while making the Big Dance seems likely, advancing to the Final Four could be a long shot in coach Steve Alford’s first season at the helm.
Women’s basketball: This year’s women’s basketball team is 7-8 as the team nears the halfway point of its season. Marred in mediocrity and struggling with depth, the Bruins are fighting just to make the NCAA tournament. A Final Four appearance and national championship hopes are a ways off.
Softball: The Bruins return all but two players from last season’s 40-win squad that fell in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. This year’s group figures to go even further as the team features three quality pitchers in senior Jessica Hall, junior Ally Carda and sophomore Paige McDuffie as well as a number of quality hitters. As always the team must traverse a loaded Pac-12 and find a way to replace B.B. Bates, who led the team in batting average and home runs a year ago, if they are to capture the program’s 12th national championship.
Track and field: UCLA track and field may have a few standout individuals, but as a whole will need to build itself up more if it hopes to make an NCAA title run. Athletes like Julian Wruck, a redshirt senior discus thrower, will likely pose strong performances considering his NCAA outdoor championship last year. Other athletes like senior decathlete Marcus Nilsson will also stand out, having placed third in NCAAs last year. Overall, however, the team will need a little more development.
Gymnastics: Last year, an injury-plagued UCLA gymnastics team overachieved to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA championships. This year, a healthy, refreshed squad, aided by the return of former Olympian, redshirt junior Samantha Peszek, looks poised to make a run for an NCAA championship. And if coach Valorie Kondos Field, a former dance coach, has her way, it’ll be in style.
Men’s volleyball: In what was supposed to be a rebuilding year in coach John Speraw’s first season last year, the Bruins surged to a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament semifinal appearance, nearly beating eventual NCAA runner-up BYU. This year’s team returns most of its starters from last year, including three of their four best players. Add in the fact that their best player, senior outside hitter Gonzalo Quiroga, should be in the race for AVCA national player of the year, and UCLA has its perennial superstar. They’ll be in the thick of the hunt for the school’s 111th championship, and could very well win it all.
Women’s water polo: Finishing third in both the NCAA and MPSF tournaments last year puts UCLA women’s water polo in a strong position this season. With redshirt junior Sami Hill in the cage, who trained with the USA women’s senior national team for two summers, and sharp attackers like Emily Donohoe, women’s water polo appears to have a chance. Additionally, whereas last year the team struggled with its youth, this year’s team sports quite a few sophomores who have been acclimated to college play.
Women’s tennis: Boasting the No. 1 player in the nation in both singles and doubles in Robin Anderson, the Bruins have the talent to make a title run this season. With a doubles win at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships and singles and doubles titles at the USTA/ITA Southwest Regionals in October, they have some proven success with this year’s team as well. Add Anderson reaching the singles final of November’s USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships and the Bruins look poised for a strong season.
Men’s tennis: Last year’s team came within one point of a national title, only to suffer a heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Virginia in the NCAA finals. Now, the Bruins return every player but one, and start the season ranked No. 2. Their best player, senior Clay Thompson, is the No. 1 ranked singles player in the nation, and the Bruins are set on taking care of some unfinished business. They’ll have as good a chance as any UCLA team to capture national championship No. 111.
Swim and dive: The chances of an NCAA title for UCLA swim and dive are expectedly slim. The team is currently ranked 19th – far from being near the top – although it ended last season on a high note. Last year, swim and dive finished 17th in the NCAA, its highest finish since the 2006-2007 season. The team boasts strong swimmers like senior freestyler Ting Quah and junior fly/IM Noelle Tarazona, but overall the team will need some stronger swimmers in its ranks before it can expect a title.
Sand volleyball: UCLA went 3-7 in its first-ever season and so a national championship in year two might be a little too much to ask. However, the team figures to return nearly every player from a year ago and this season will offer the Bruins a shot at redemption after an up-and-down season on the conventional hardwood court.
Rowing: Rowing finished ninth in the NCAA championship last year despite a No. 6 ranking – one spot worse than its performance two years ago. If this trend continues, it is unlikely rowing will make a huge NCAA impact, although the team will likely continue placing in the top 10.
Women’s golf: If early results are any indication, the Bruins may very well have their best opportunity for a title since 2011’s National Championship team. UCLA had strong outings in all of their preseason showings, including a victory in the Betsy Rawls Invitational. Freshman additions Allison Lee and Bronte Law each had impressive preseason outings as Lee, the No. 1 overall women’s college golfer according to Golfweek.com, was named the Pac-12 Golfer of the Month for October after winning the Betsy Rawls Invitational and the Stanford Intercollegiate, while Law won the Pac-12 Preview.
Men’s golf: UCLA boasts a top-15 ranking but had an up-and-down preseason performance, placing second, fifth and sixth, respectively, in its three tournaments. The Bruins must contend with a strong Pac-12, as California, Stanford and Washington all enter the season ranked ahead of UCLA,’ however, experience figures to be on the Bruins’ side as they return every player from last year’s conference runner-up.
