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Women's Volleyball, Women's Basketball, Men's Soccer - Sunday Olympic Sports Game Thread

Women's Volleyball

Opponent: California

When: Sunday, November 16, 11:00 AM PT

Where: John Wooden Center, Los Angeles, CA

Video: Free Online Video

Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast

Official Preview: Here

The #18 Bruins (17-9, 8-7) face Cal (9-16, 1-14) this morning in a match that is bound to have significant consequences for UCLA as it tries to hang on to a spot in the top half of the conference standings. Heading into Utah a week ago, UCLA was in sole possession of third place. After being swept by the Utes and the Cardinal in its last two matches, UCLA has dropped into a tie for fifth place, and a loss could extend the Bruins' slide to seventh place.

The good news is that the Bruins' opponent this morning is the toothless Cal Golden Bears. The bad news is that Cal won its first Pac-12 game of the season against the Trojans on Friday, so they'll be full of confidence against the Bruins today. Since UCLA struggled to put away Cal in Berkeley earlier this season, and given the Bruins' propensity to play to the level of their opponents, this match will probably be a lot tighter than it should be.

Although I have a lot of respect for the Daily Bruin's coverage of UCLA women's volleyball, their takeaway from UCLA's loss to Stanford is simply wrong:

No. 18 gave the No. 1 team in the country a run for its money in a hard-fought 3-0 defeat to Stanford.

The key here is "3-0 defeat." It may seem harsh, but the fact is that sets are often determined by a few points. The fact that the Bruins lost those sets by 4, 2 and 3 points isn't what matters; what matters is that UCLA failed to win a single set. And when UCLA got a lead late in those sets, the Bruins wilted under pressure. It's another indication that Coach Sealy hasn't yet remedied the problem he identified in the offseason: the Bruins' lack of mental toughness. The Bruins can make a little bit of progress in addressing that problem with a convincing, straight-set victory against Cal today.

One final observation: the 11 AM start time for this game doesn't do the program or the team any favors. It's almost as if the athletic department has no interest in promoting our women's volleyball program or, alternatively, that the athletic department is incompetently managed.

Go BRUINS!

Women's Basketball

Opponent: #13 North Carolina

When: Sunday, November 16, 11:00 AM PT

Where: Carmichael Arena, Chapel Hill, NC

Video: GoHeels.Com

Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast

Official Preview: Here

Although the women's basketball team opened the 2014-15 season with a tough 91-87 overtime loss to James Madison University in Virginia, the news wasn't all bad. Freshmen Jordin Canada (15 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists) and Lajahna Drummer (15 points, 9 rebounds) made very impressive collegiate debuts, and junior guard Nirra Fields (26 points, 6 rebounds) again showed that she is one of the best players in the Pac-12. Ultimately the Bruins were undone by turnovers (26!) and their inability to cope with foul trouble caused by incredibly tight officiating (5 Bruins fouled out). The other problem that became apparent early in the game was the Bruins' struggle to contain a powerful low post player. The UCLA forwards kept getting sealed deep by JMU's center, and the young Bruins never successfully adjusted to deny the entry pass.

A lot of these issues will addressed as this young team gains experience and Coach Close defines roles for her 7 freshmen. However, the Bruins' challenging nonconference schedule doesn't give Coach Close the opportunity to ease the newcomers into their collegiate basketball experience. Today's opponent--the 13th ranked Tar Heels--are a clear step up from JMU, so it will be another case of trial by fire for the UCLA freshmen.

Here are a few things I'll be watching for against North Carolina:

  • Will Coach Close use an 11 player rotation again or will minutes dry up for a couple of the freshmen that haven't made an impact?
  • Will North Carolina use a press against freshman Jordin Canada?
  • Will highly regarded UCLA freshman Recee Caldwell finally assert herself on the court?
  • Will the Bruins find a way to slow down North Carolina's interior scoring?
  • Will the young Bruins show more poise in their second road game against a tough opponent?

Go BRUINS!

Men's Soccer

Opponent: San Diego State

When: Sunday, November 9, 1:00 PM PT

Where: Drake Stadium, Los Angeles, CA

Video: Pac-12 Los Angeles

Audio: Bruins Live Audio

Live Stats: UCLA StatBroadcast

Official Preview: Here

I have to admit that it has been difficult to be excited about the men's soccer team this season. Part of the reason is that, unfortunately, they suffer in comparison to our amazing women's soccer team. When I make that comparison, I'm not referring to results, but to performances. With each game, the women's team consistently demonstrates outstanding discipline, organization and teamwork; it's a group of tremendously talented individuals that have come together in common purpose. The men's team has no shortage of elite talent, but sadly that's where the similarity to the women's team ends.

Or at least that's as far as the similarities extend going into the final game of the regular season for our men's soccer team. With a victory against San Diego State today, the #6 Bruins keep alive their hopes of claiming the Pac-12 title. Unfortunately, those hopes rely upon the outcome of the Stanford-Cal match. Stanford will win the Pac-12 title with a victory over the Golden Bears; any other outcome coupled with a UCLA win will hand the Bruins the conference championship.

It didn't have to be this way, with the Bruins relying on Cal to help them capture the Pac-12 title. But the Bruins have been consistently inconsistent this season, and that inconsistency has led them to drop points throughout the season. UCLA's offense has been surprisingly anemic, and although the defense hasn't been bad, they've conceded some soft goals at inopportune times. Most telling, the men's soccer team doesn't have an identity: they too often look like a collection of incredibly talented strangers playing in a pickup game. That may be good enough against second- and third- tier teams, but it's not good enough in the Pac-12, and it certainly won't be good enough in the NCAA tournament.

Let's hope that Coach Salcedo can pull this team together and get it firing on all cylinders for the remainder of the season. He has a terrific group of players, and they deserve a coach who will bring the best out of them.

Go BRUINS!

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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