Friday, November 7, 1997
Beavers, Ducks round out UCLA season
PREVIEW: Bruins need killer performance to reach NCAA
tourney
By Jennifer Kollenborn
Daily Bruin Staff
Prior to this week, UCLA’s lack of vigor appeared to be
reflected in its play as the Bruins’ accumulation of losses moved
UCLA right out of the American Volleyball Coaches Association
(AVAC) top 25 poll. This constant slippage in the rankings left
little chance for the Bruins to make any appearance in the NCAA
tournament, which is only three weeks away.
But still, the Bruins (5-8 in the Pac 10, 10-10 overall) may be
able to recover from its wayward season, which includes losing five
of its last six matches and 10 total.
As of Monday, UCLA jumped back on AVCA poll at No. 25, just
after sweeping UC Berkeley 3-0 on Sunday.
As the season is drawing to a close, the Bruins will finish
their final Pac-10 home matches this weekend, entertaining unranked
Oregon State (5-7, 14-11) tonight in Pauley Pavilion, and then
unranked Oregon (0-12, 8-16).
UCLA leads the series against Oregon State 24-0. The Bruins also
defeated the Beavers 3-2 in Corvallis, Ore. on Oct. 11. The
Beavers’ senior setter Miya Malauulu is just the third Pac-10
setter to record 5,000 career assists and is the first to do so in
the ’90s. Malauulu now has 5,150 assists joining Rehina Stahl of
Arizona State University (5,180) and Holly McPeak of Cal/UCLA
(5,421) on the illustrious list of record assists.
UCLA leads the series against the Ducks 26-1, and the Bruins
defeated the Ducks earlier this season in Eugene, Ore., and have
only dropped five games to the Ducks in 10 years. Oregon’s top
player Tia Stewart has hit .450 or better in three of the last four
matches with an average of .455, while Madeline Ernst has posted
her fifth straight 13 plus kill performance.
UCLA continues to hold its own as the Bruins threaten the
Conference and NCAA record books this season. UCLA averages 18.47
kills per game which tops the conference mark of 18.15 set by UCLA
in 1992 and is the fourth highest ever in the NCAA. Senior Captain
Kara Milling is a big reason for the Bruins high mark as she
averages 5.80 kills per game, which is second all-time in the
Pac-10. Feeding the ball to her teammates is senior setter Kim
Coleman who averages 15.07 assists per game, well above the Pac-10
record of 14.25 by ex-Bruin Julie Bremner in 1992.