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Here is your UCLA Bruins Olympic Sports recap for the first two weeks of January 2020.
#7/8 Women’s Basketball
The UCLA women’s basketball team is now the only undefeated team left in Division I and the Bruins are now up to #7 in the AP Poll and #8 in the Coaches Poll.
Last Sunday, the Bruins took down previously undefeated Arizona 70-58 and, then, they went on the road and beat Utah on Friday night, 84-54, in their first real road test of the season. After Friday’s victory, the team traveled to Boulder to take on the Colorado Buffaloes and narrowly escaped with a 65-62 victory. UCLA is off to the best start in history, going 15-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play. Highlights include outscoring Arizona 22-3 off the bench and a whopping 21 points off of turnovers against Utah.
#2 Men’s Volleyball
On Monday, the #2 UCLA men’s volleyball team defeated #10 Princeton in five sets. Set #1 went to the Bruins in a solid 25-17 victory, followed by a nail biting 26-24 win in set #2. Princeton was able to take set #3 35-33. but UCLA came back to take set #4 25-16. In the final set, UCLA sealed the victory 15-10. Cole Ketrzynski finished the match with 17 kills and six blocks, while Daenan Gyimah added 14 kills and five blocks of his own. Kyed Jensen racked up five aces and also earned the Off the Block’s National Setter and Freshman of the Week. Finally, Alex Knight capped the day with 11 kills.
#4 Women’s Tennis
The UCLA women’s tennis team captured the Flamingo Cup in Nassau, Bahamas, defeating the University of Texas, the University of Miami, and the University of Florida. On day one, the Bruins swept their three doubles matches against Florida. In singles play, UCLA won four of six matches against Texas. On day two, UCLA also won four of six singles matches against Miami and two of three doubles matches against Florida. UCLA then won seven on nine matches on Sunday. Overall, UCLA won 21 matches in the tournament.
#11 Men’s Tennis
The UCLA men’s tennis team sent four players to La Quinta, CA for the National Collegiate Tennis Classic. Sophomore Roscoe Bellamy, junior Connor Hance, redshirt freshman Blaine Hovenier and redshirt junior Connor Rapp represented UCLA in the tournament. The doubles teams each made it to the semifinals, with Hance/Hovenier falling to Boise State’s top-seeded Simon Arca Costas and Blake Bayldon, and Bellamy/Rapp withdrawing from the contest. Bellamy would advance the furthest in singles play, but would wind up losing to Kyryll Kryvchun of Boise State. UCLA begins the season ranked #11 nationally.
#14 Track and Field
Junior Alyssa Wilson was the only Bruin to attend the Northern Arizona University Friday Night Duals in Flagstaff, Arizona, and she walked away from the event with her first victory of the season. Wilson threw 16.85m (55-03.50) on her fifth attempt, good enough to take the title for the second year in a row at this event. She also took third place in the weight throw with a distance of 18.97m (62-03.00).
Swimming and Diving
The UCLA swimming and diving team traveled north to take on the Washington State Cougars in a swim-only dual meet, topping the Cougars 145-109 and staying a perfect 7-0 so far this season. The Bruins took 10 of the 14 team events and 9 of the 12 individual events. Freshmen Gabby Dang and Daniella Hawkins each had multiple wins for the day, with Dang taking first in the 100 fly and 100 backstroke, and Hawkins winning both distance freestyle events. UCLA will return to meet action this weekend in the Bruin Diving Invitational at Spieker Aquatics Center.
Go Bruins!