Quest for Title #108: Women's Volleyball vs. Florida State NCAA Semi-Final Open Thread
by Bellerophon on Dec 15, 2011 3:30 PM PST
in Other Sports
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Once again, UCLA's hopes for a fall season national title fall squarely on the shoulders of one of our women's teams, as once again, under Chianti Dan's Reign of Error, the men's squads have come up a few steps short. This time, Coach Michael Sealy leads his #9-seeded women's volleyball team to San Antonio to take on the #12-seeded Florida State Seminoles in the NCAA tournament semi-final match.
Winner of the match will square off against the winner of the Illinois vs. U$C semi-final (read: winner gets to play U$C). Yesterday the ladies had their official pre-game practice and met the press. A recap of comments from Coach Sealy, phenomenal junior outside hitter Rachael Kidder, and seniors Lainey Gera and Lauren Van Orden can be found on the official site here. Photographs from yesterday's practice are here.
The game preview on the official site is here. The game gets underway at 4 p.m. PST and will be broadcast on ESPN2. It's also available online at ESPN3.com, or if you're unable to watch it online, you can track it with Gamtracker here.
Let's go get 'em ladies. Time to cut down the Tomahawk Chop Nation.
GO BRUINS.
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Mike Sealy Named AVCA COY
story link
This is coach Sealy’s 2nd year as UCLA coach. I briefly met him after a match at the Wooden Center last year through a mutual friend. Nice guy and glad to see how he’s gotten the women’s team this far. Good fortune today, ladies!
Go Bruins!
Love that photo. When I can wrench my eyes off Zoë, I am on awe thinking of the block that Tabi Love (#3) can put up. Imagine hitting past that!
Go get ’em, Bruins!
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
If FSU's last match is indicative,
I expect UCLA to cruise to a win and to make the championship game, barring an unexpected meltdown. Of course, nothing is guaranteed.
UCLA jumped out to a fast 8-2 lead
before FSU went on a mini run to make it 8-6
Kidder is hammering early
5 kills so far. Bruins up 14-9
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
15-9 now
Bruins looking good.
This is much more lively than last night’s hoops fiasco.
That's one reason I think volleyball is an underrated sport
Extremely fast-paced, games go quickly, the action goes quickly. Love it during Olympics and whenever a rare UCLA game is on.
I miss the old sideout scoring
Matches were grueling, but a lot more dramatic. Rally scoring is def easier for TV though.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
Sideout scoring is when you can only get points on your serve, right?
I love watching volleyball, but I never get the chance to watch it. I know so little about it.
Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I tweeted my followers to ask which I should take
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Dec 15, 2011 4:45 PM PST up reply actions
yup
Other change to the game: almost anything thing is legal on the first hit returning an attack or serve. I think that was “borrowed” from the beach game.
Yup, can only score when you serve
Back before jump serves, it was pretty easy to pass and attack as the receiving team, so points were tougher to score. Matches could be epic struggles because of how precious points were.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
I really enjoyed watching it when I was at UCLA
all action, very little dead time, easy to get good seats (especially when I was playing with the band).
I really like volleyball, because it truly is a team sport
gotta get the pass, set and hit from three people. Everyone has to play defense, no time to mope around and pout. Meanwhile in basketball, one guy can just hog the ball, while everyone else just watches.
I've passed a few like that
right at her setter’s shins. Oops.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
Go Bruins!!!
Most of my excitement for Bruin sports over the last couple of years has been provided by the women’s teams.
sjh
Lot of errors this set
But the Bruins are up 10-7
FSU Timeout
They’ve called three so far, the Bruins none.
I think I just decided that when the Pac-12 Network is up
and I can regularly watch all of our non-revenue sports, volleyball is the sport I’m going to try and watch a lot of and follow our Bruins intently in.
Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I tweeted my followers to ask which I should take
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Dec 15, 2011 4:47 PM PST reply actions
Hadn't watched very much...
…and I’m pleasantly surprised how exciting it is. Indeed, looking forward to the Network.
Nice to see this domination
but I hope it doesn’t hurt us mentally assuming we keep it up and make to the championship. It’s likely we’ll see sc in the championship game (their game is the other semifinal vs. Illinois). sc’s last two matches were 5-setters against tough competition: Pepperdine and Hawaii and in a crazy venue in Hawaii (10K partisan crowd). We’ll have the revenge factor, I guess, since sc beat us 3-1 in the last match of the regular season (we swept them earlier in the season on their floor).
13-11
My feed’s working again! I had to close and reopen it.
Great point, but
FSU takes it. Bruins time out, first of the match
If he were in the kind of shape she is in
hed be THE best player on the country.
greg in denver, U.C.L.A. guy for life - BruinsNation.com
Moron Center
One hour after the women make it to the championship and the website still hasn’t been updated.
Now an hour and 15 minutes
…still nothing.
Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I tweeted my followers to ask which I should take
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Dec 15, 2011 6:41 PM PST up reply actions
Now 90 minutes later
It’s like they want to see how incompetent they can be before Block takes notice.
Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I tweeted my followers to ask which I should take
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Dec 15, 2011 6:56 PM PST up reply actions
Where the Credit is Due
Hats off to the student-athletes on this team.
My son played a non-revenue sport. The time commitment for these student-athletes is phenomenal, and they do it for love of the game, for their teammates, and for their school.
These athletes wear the 4 letters with pride, and make us proud.
Go get ‘em.
And nowhere should DG be mentioned in the same breath with these student-athletes’ accomplishments.
Seminole County
Did my favorite group make it to San Antonio?
Just another KD memory I can’t shake.
Illinois makes two late errors
bad serve and over the net violation and end up losing first set 25-27
They needed to get this first set
as best hitter Jupiter of the $ucsters hasn’t gotten untracked yet.
What a great team
I have been following this team since I fell in love with Nellie Spicer the first time I laid eyes on her. The current team has been such a joy to watch all year. I only missed one home game, and I am thrilled that they are having this success.
Kidder is a perfect combination of size, athleticism, effort, and intelligence.
I would love for them to win it all.
Nellie graduated a few years ago
But I started watching UCLA volley b/c of her. She’s on the national team now.
She was a 3x 1st team All-American at setter. Took UCLA to the Final Four as a freshman in 2006.
Here she is as a Bruin:
And now:
They are all incredibly hot
I can say this because I’m an immature, single 19-year old. And I don’t even care that they are all at least a foot taller than I am. Plus, seriously, they are very good at volleyball.
I have the Sons of Westwood on my iPod in my "favorites" playlist ...
http://sonsofwestwood.wordpress.com
UCLA's Women's Volleyballers have always been and attractive and athletic bunch.
At least going back to the late 80s and early 90s. Do the name Samantha Shaver and Laurie Jones ring a bell?
by orlandobruin on Dec 16, 2011 5:54 AM PST up reply actions
Remember the name but not the face . . .
by orlandobruin on Dec 16, 2011 8:07 AM PST up reply actions
I think she was on the team right after you left
Started around 1991 but transferred out after 2 years IIRC.
Speaking of volleyball players...
Karch Kiraly would make a great AD….that guy is one competitive motherf**cker!!!
Clarification
I should have written “may make” …. I have no idea what kind of management skills he has. I’ve always looked up to him for his competitive spirit.
Laurie Jones is still a looker
She was at a game earlier this season when they were honoring the 20th anniversary of the 1991 NCAA championship team.
John, you and I don't always agree.
In fact, we rarely agree. This time, I have to say that you are absolutely right. I am of the same opinion, but as an immature 64- year old.
That's funny...
I don’t agree with him either but I think he’s one of the most entertaining members on here.
Two more sets for Illini and we would have the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl VB Final
Illinois vs. U.C.L.A.
Jupiter gets untracked in the third set
but Illinois comes back to win the 3rd set 25-22 and a 2-1 lead.
I just took Fox's advice
and turned off the sound. The u$c fight song is driving me crazy!
Congrats to the Ladies and Coach Sealy
I got a chance to watch the replay last night. Great job!!!!!
Been a Bruin since birth
Let's go Bruins!!!!
Everyone should be watching this Saturday 5:30pm ESPN2. This team is an example for other sports teams at UCLA to follow. They live in the JRW’s Pyramid.
GO BRUINS!
Morgan Center FAIL
http://happenings.ucla.edu/sports
No mention of the Volleyball team for Nov 17.
Morgan center asleep again
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Kelly Reeves is following in the footsteps of her mother,
Jeanne Reeves, at UCLA. Kelly is looking to lead the Bruins to their first national title since 1991, when Jeanne was an assistant coach and also pregnant with Kelly.
Morgan Center... still FAIL
I know when and where our V-ballers are playing FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP today.
But why is it that the official UCLA site doesn’t mention it, when they should be
FRONT PAGE HIGHLIGHTING the broadcast on ESPN2?
Oh, I know, the public face of UCLA is the med center.
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