Sand volleyball entrenched in team focus before season opener vs. CSUN

UCLA sand volleyball may be playing its first opponent of the season on Thursday, but the team’s focus remains internal.

So much so that a typical practice up in Sunset Canyon Recreation Center almost takes the appearance of a Bruins vs. Bruins scenario. The team prepared for its Thursday afternoon matchup with California State University, Northridge by revving up its number of inter-squad scrimmages.

“We’ve been doing a lot of competition amongst all our teammates and everyone’s been pushing each other pretty hard so it’s been a pretty competitive environment,” said junior Julie Consani. “I think we’re all ready to see some new faces and compete against another school.”

Although No. 7 UCLA will be opening its season against Cal State Northridge for the second straight year, 2015’s version of the meeting is likely to be different, particularly on the Bruins’ side.

UCLA has added seven new personnel to its squad since its 3-2 win over Cal State Northridge in 2014, and only six of the 10 players who featured in that victory will be available when the Bruins attempt to repeat the feat. In terms of sorting through the old and the new to pick a lineup of five pairs of partners to face the Matadors, coach Stein Metzger said that endeavor has been accomplished, save one caveat.

“There’s one last question that we have to answer over the next two days,” Metzger said on Monday. “But for the most part we know how we’re going to start the season. It doesn’t mean it’s going to stay there, but we pretty much know what we’re going to do.”

The Bruins also feature a change in the coaching staff as the volunteer assistant coach from last year, Sarah Straton, has been replaced with Sean Fallowfield, who has introduced a new philosophy for the team.

“The addition of Sean Fallowfield has been huge in our development,” said sophomore Laurel Weaver. “Something that he’s really helped us learn is it’s always what we do on our side of the court, so although we can prepare against certain teams, at the end of the day as long as we’re taking care of what we do, there aren’t a lot of teams that can stop us.”

As UCLA walks into its audition for its 2015 season, the spotlight – in Metzger’s eyes – remains focused on what his team does.

“I think we’re in a good spot,” Metzger said. “I’m less concerned with what Northridge is going to do at this point and more concerned with us just maintaining our own strength and stillness within our partnerships and just being as even-keeled as possible.”