UCLA Women’s Volleyball Can’t Stop Gators’ Block, Falls to Florida in 4 Sets

Things started off promising today in the first set for the UCLA Women’s Volleyball team. But, things headed south pretty quickly after the first set.

The first set was a seesaw battle with neither team ever leading by more than two points. With the score tied 23-23 in the first, UCLA was able to score the next two points to take the first set.

Unfortunately, that was the end of UCLA’s highlights.

In the remaining three sets, UCLA could not figure out a way to stop the Gators’ blocking and it took the Bruins totally out of each set as they have relied on Sarah Sponcil setting up the Bruins’ outside hitters, who would hammer it home to score. But, with the Gators’ blocking as well as they were, the Bruins’ attack was reduced to an afterthought while the second, third and fourth sets all ended the same way: 25-17.

Overall, it’s yet another disappointing finish for the program as head coach Michael Sealy seems to get outcoached on a regular basis and hasn’t been able to recruit well enough to re-establish the team as the power it was under Bruin legend Andy Banachowski.

It’s enough to leave one wondering how much goodwill Sealy built up with Dan Guerrero by winning one national championship six years ago. After all, Guerrero seemed to shorten the leash with the coaches for several of the Spring Olympic Sports programs last year when he replaced both Track & Field and Women’s Water Polo coaches.

Will Sealy and Jorge Salcedo be the next to feel Dan’s wrath?


Go Bruins.