The journey to the top of UCLA athletics can never be accomplished by ordinary people. Read more...

Photo: Krsto Sbutega shoots on the UCSD defense during the Nov. 9, 2008 match in which the Bruins were victorious 11-8. Sbutega will graduate as a member of the class of 2009.

To know anything about Nellie Spicer's volleyball career at UCLA, one need not look beyond UCLA women's volleyball coach Andy Banachowski. Read more...

Photo: Nellie Spicer hoots in triumph during a heated match against Oregon on Nov. 1, 2008 in Pauley Pavilion.

When the UCLA women's tennis team was tied 3-3 against Arizona State on May 10, all eyes were on Court No. 4 at the Los Angeles Tennis Center, where UCLA freshman Nina Pantic and ASU senior Laila Abdala were battling in the deciding match of the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Read more...

Photo: Freshman tennis player Nina Pantic plays during a Mar. 6 match against Oregon at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. Pantic was later dominant in the NCAA Tournament.

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Photo: It seems difficult to fathom that a team coming off of four consecutive national championships would be overlooked to win a fifth, but that’s precisely the situation that the UCLA women’s water polo team found themselves in entering the 2009 season. With USC, Stanford and Hawaii boasting some of their strongest teams in recent memory, combined with the graduation of five senior leaders, it seemed doubtful that the Bruins could pull off a fifth straight title. However, anchored by a group of seniors finding themselves in new leadership roles, and a plethora of young and talented players, the Bruins entered the NCAA Tournament as the third seed, but managed to turn the tables on the Cardinal and the Trojans, upsetting them both on back-to-back days to claim an unprecedented fifth straight NCAA championship.