When UCLA dropped a heartbreaking five setter to Washington on Wednesday night, losing 14-16 in the final set, feelings of frustration and disappointment were inevitable.
But the Bruins didn’t dwell on those for long.
“After the initial disappointment in the locker room, we kind of figured out that we didn’t do our best, and we were still really close with a solid team, which showed us that we have the potential to be really good,” said sophomore middle blocker Zoe Nightingale. “That’s what (coach Michael) Sealy was talking about. (He told us) Our upside is so much more than a lot of other teams’, but we just need to figure all that out.”
Junior middle blocker Mariana Aquino also embraced the loss as a necessity.
“We worked really hard during the entire (Washington) game, and I feel like we battled,” she said. “Obviously, it’s not good to lose. But we have a goal to win the national championship, and I feel like that’s a part of our journey.”
That journey will now take No. 4 UCLA (9-3, 1-2 Pac-12) to Washington State (10-4, 0-2) tonight.
The Bruins’ toughest challenge will be Washington State’s stifling defense.
The Cougars are holding their opponents to an abysmal .121 hitting percentage.
The UCLA offense appears ready, though, as it seemingly added another dimension in its loss to Washington. The middle blockers for the Bruins, Nightingale and Aquino, both played their best games of the season in the Wednesday match.
Nightingale had nine kills and four blocks while Aquino had seven kills and two and a half blocks. Both also had the top two hitting percentages on the team.
Even though the middles were more involved in the offense than in previous games, Sealy is still looking to get them even more touches.
“Setters set middles more than we have in the last weeks, but it’s probably still not enough,” Sealy said.
“We have to establish the middles as part of the offense, and we haven’t really done that.”
While it’s early in the season, UCLA has already lost three matches.
Last year’s squad lost a total of just six matches throughout the entire year.
However, for Sealy, the team’s record isn’t a concern.
“Losses don’t mean squat,” he said. “This team may lose 10 matches. It makes no differences in comparing to last year’s team.”
Despite early season struggles for the Bruins, the coach still has high expectations for this year’s team.
“I don’t think we are good (right now), and I don’t think we are up to my standards,” Sealy said. “But I think we have the potential to be better than last year’s (national championship winning) team when it matters.”