Thursday, 5/8/97 The art of dominance Bruins prepare to defend
their national championship
By Tim Yun Daily Bruin Contributor As the women’s water polo
team prepares to defend its national championship this weekend in
Ann Arbor, Michigan, 11 other schools will have the daunting task
of upsetting the most dominating team in the country. Playing in
the shadow of the major sports such as basketball and football, the
women’s water polo team has quietly become the most dominant
program in the UCLA athletic program. In just three short seasons
of existence, the team has ascended into the top ranks of the water
polo world. By outscoring their opponents 533-205, the Bruins have
amassing an impressive 56-2 record over the past two seasons. Head
Coach Guy Baker credits the team’s success to a tremendous work
ethic and excellent team chemistry. "This is the most fun that I
have ever had coaching a team," Baker said. "Team chemistry is not
a problem on this team. All of our players gel well together. The
cohesiveness of the group is tough to break." A relatively youthful
bunch, the team is entirely composed of under classmen. However, a
number of team members have experience outside of collegiate ranks
– eight squad members have played on either the U.S. National or
Junior National Teams. Although the team has a wealth of talent,
its junior goalie Nicolle Payne and sophomore driver Coralie
Simmons who have emerged as the leaders of the team both in and out
of the pool. "You see a lot of the older players, which in our case
are the juniors and sophomores, helping out the younger players,"
Baker said, referring to the likes of Payne and Simmons. Payne, who
played in goal for the U.S. national team, is the foundation on
which the team’s success is built. Her play in the goal has been
nothing short of exceptional, as indicated by the team’s success
during her tenure, punctuated by the winning of the 1996 national
championship. While Payne stars at the defensive end of the pool,
Simmons provides the offensive firepower for the team. Drawing from
her time with the U.S. National team, Simmons has continued her
torrid play and currently leads the team in goals, with 56.
Although the team has seen tremendous success, it has not come
without hardship. During the middle of this past season, the team
suffered a setback when Payne missed several weeks due to a severe
back injury. But instead of folding under duress, the team did not
miss a beat as it put together a string of ten consecutive
victories before Payne returned. The team’s current winning streak
stands at 25 games. Along the way, the Bruins have won the Mountain
Pacific Sports Federation championship title and the Western
Regionals, garnering them the No. 1 seed for the weekend
competition in Ann Arbor. Barring a tremendous upset this weekend,
the UCLA women’s water polo team should continue its winning ways
and safely bring back the national championship trophy to Westwood.
Coralie Simmons’ team-leading 56 goals have helped to make the
Bruins the heavy favorite at this weekend’s national
championships.