The last time UCLA gymnastics was at home in Pauley Pavilion, it opened the season against Arkansas.
Four weeks and three consecutive road meets later, the Bruins are back and champing at the bit to get another shot to compete in front of a home crowd.
“The girls, their energy is bubbling up inside,” said coach Valorie Kondos Field. “They are so excited to be coming back to Pauley and competing at home.”
No. 5 UCLA (3-1, 2-0 Pac-12) welcomes Stanford (2-1, 2-0 Pac-12) to Westwood on Saturday.
The team has been hard at work, fixing the details to ensure that it does not lose points on small errors like it did in the Oregon State and Arizona State meets.
One key tool it has employed is video review.
“Looking at and reviewing video helps us understand where we are getting the deductions from,” said redshirt senior Peng-Peng Lee.
Video provides a foundation for the Bruins to work out their concerns in the gym. To add a wrinkle to their training, the gymnasts compete in games.
“We try to play games and make it fun and more goal-oriented, so we know what we’re trying to accomplish each meet,” said sophomore Katelyn Ohashi. “It’s really helpful to have those goals in mind, so we know (what) we need to do, and each time we make it harder and harder, so we can keep improving.”
The meet against the Cardinal, however, carries an added concern separate from the Saturday afternoon showdown.
It marks the beginning of a stretch where the Bruins have four meets in three weeks.
All signs point to further lineup rotation from UCLA. Senior Angi Cipra, who made her season debut last week in Tempe, Arizona, may get her first shot at floor exercise this year.
“We’re trying to get as many people as possible ready to come in,” Kondos Field said. “After this, we have three meets in eight days. We’ll definitely have to mix up the lineup at that point.”
This busy midseason run comes when the team is working to become healthier. The injury list remains a long one. Freshman Kyla Ross and junior Sonya Meraz have sprained ankles. Sophomore Madison Preston is still out, and freshman Madison Kocian has a contusion on her calf after she kneed herself falling on the uneven bars.
“We’re not getting more beat-up, which is great,” Kondos Field said.
Packed schedule and injuries aside, the team is amped up for another opportunity to compete at home.
“There’s no energy that can replicate competing in Pauley,” Ohashi said. “Everyone is super ecstatic to (be back).”
