UCLA's "Irresistible Force" Keeps Post-season Hopes Alive With Three Wins In Week

This Week ... Regular-Season Finale at Pacific

Riding the momentum of a three-match win streak, the UCLA women's volleyball team travels to the 19th Annual Community Banker's Classic at University of the Pacific Thanksgiving weekend.The Bruins are looking to post another upset or two in order to improve their chances to make the 56-team NCAA field, which will be announce on Sunday.

Friday      Nov. 28 vs. No.  6  Florida                        5:00 p.m.
Saturday    Nov. 29 vs. No. 17  Pacific or No. 13 Pepperdine   5:00 or 7:00 p.m.

Milling Leads UCLA's All-Pac-10 Volleyball Selections

When the Pac-10 Conference announced its all-conference women's volleyball selections Nov. 25, senior opposite hitter Kara Milling's first team selection led the list of six Bruins garnering recognition. Receiving honorable mention All-Pac-10 status are fellow seniors Kim Coleman and Tanisha Larkin. The Bruins' three All-Freshman Team selections were led by Amy Nihipali who was chosen to the six-member squad. Receiving honorable mention All-Freshman recognition are Celeste Peterson and Michelle Quon.

The Bruins' team captain and go-to player, Milling not only leads the UCLA team and the Pac-10 Conference, but she ranks second in the nation with a 5.73 kills per game average. Milling is also the team leader in aces with 38 and ranks second in the Pac-10 with an 0.40 per game average. Also a solid defender, Milling is third on the squad and ninth in the conference with a 2.87 digs per game average. She enters the final week of the regular season with 1,607 career kills (fifth on the UCLA career list) and 953 career digs (10th on the UCLA career list). Milling is enjoying a terrific senior season and is a solid candidate for All-District and All-American selection.

The national and Pac-10 Conference leader with a 15.17 assist per game average, Coleman is also a candidate for further post-season honors. She enters this final week of the regular-season third on the all-time list with 3,180 career assists and has made her mark on the record books with numerous elite performances as the starting setter.

A starting outside hitter, Larkin is second on the UCLA squad in kills per game (3.62) and digs per game (3.00) and stands sixth in the conference in digs.

Nihipali leads the UCLA team with 117 total blocks and a 1.24 blocks per game average which ranks 10th in the conference. Nihipali is one of only three Bruins to play in every game of every match this season.

Peterson is fourth on the team with a 2.99 kills per game average and also a 2.54 digs average. With considerable starting action, she has played in 74 games during 25 matches.

Quon is a defensive specialist who has played a key starting role in the Bruin backcourt since recovering from an injury which kept her out of the lineup for the first three matches of the season. She averages 2.20 digs per game and is best known for her incredible defensive instincts and passing precision.

Next Week ... NCAA Bracket Announcement Sunday

The 56-team bracket for the 1997 NCAA Div. I Championship will be announced during a live, 30 minute selection show at 3:30 p.m. PST, Sunday, Nov. 30. The show will air on selected Fox Sports Net affiliates. Carrying the event live are Fox Net Base 2, Sports Channel Ohio and the Empire Sports Network. Satellite coordinates for those not serviced by Fox Sports are GE 2, Transponder 20 - C Band.

Last Week ... Bruins Sweep Northridge & ASU, Upset Arizona

The Bruins closed both their home and Pac-10 Conference schedules in the best possible way, posting three victories during the week. UCLA swept non-conference foe CS Northridge on Tuesday, followed with a sweep at Arizona State on Friday and capped the week with an upset of Arizona on Saturday.

Nov. 18 -- No. 25 ranked UCLA used its final home match of the season to gain some confidence for the final stretch of the regular-season. The Bruins swept CS Northridge 3-0 (15-2, 15-2, 15-8) on Tuesday, Nov. 18. Kara Milling notched a match-high 22 kills and 14 digs. Amy Nihipali hit a remarkable .727 (9-1-11) to become only the 11th player in UCLA history to hit above the .700 mark with a minimum of 10 attempts. CSUN was led by Amy Gillis with eight kills and 12 digs, while Crystal Newquist added seven kills and a match-high five block assists.

Nov. 21 -- Ranked No. 25 at match time, UCLA swept ASU (15-12, 15-8, 15-7) to start the final weekend of conference action on a high note. Kara Milling totaled a match-high 16 kills and led the team with 13 digs. Tamika Johnson hit a match-high .414 as she drilled 13 kills with only one error in 29 attempts. Tanisha Larkin also reached double figures with 12 kills. ASU was led by Laura Hibsman's 12 kills and .360 attack percentage.

Nov. 22 -- The Pac-10 Conference finale couldn't have been much better for No. 25 ranked UCLA who upset No. 9 Arizona 3-1 (16-18, 15-7, 15-8) on Saturday. Five Bruins reached double figures as UCLA out hit Arizona .287 to .159 and also held a 16-13 advantage in blocking. Kara Milling and Tamika Johnson each totaled 16 kills. Johnson hit .371 (16-3-35) and put down two solo among her four blocks. Milling hit .268 (16-5-41) collected 12 digs and had one solo among her five blocks. Tanisha Larkin added 15 kills, 11 digs and four blocks, while Celeste Peterson hit .333 with 14 kills. Amy Nihipali committed just one error in 21 attempts with 10 kills to hit .429 and assist on six blocks. Kim Coleman managed a match-high 19 digs and had three solo among her five blocks in addition to providing 57 assists in the match. Arizona's leading hitter was Erin Aldrich with 15 kills and a .367 percentage. Setter Michaela Ebben provided 55 assists and four kills as she claimed Pac-10 Player of the Week honors.

About the Banker's Classic

The 19th annual event hosted by the University of the Pacific was originally called the Wendy's Classic and changed its name to the Community Banker's Classic in 1990.

UCLA is making its 14th appearance in the tournament while host Pacific is playing in its 19th Classic. Both Florida and Pepperdine are making their first appearance.

UCLA last played in this prestigious regular-season climax in 1995. The Bruins finished second, losing to Texas in the championship match.

Bruins Kara Milling and Jenny Johnson earned all-tournament honors in UCLA's last Classic appearance

This Week's Series

vs. Florida Overall: UCLA leads 2-1
Last Met: The Gators defeated the Bruins 3-0 on September 14, 1996 in Gainesville.
Notable: UCLA and Florida faced off twice in 1992, both times at a neutral site. The Bruins defeated the Gators 3-0 in the BYU Tournament and 3-0 in the NCAA Championships.

vs. Pacific Overall: UCLA and Pacific have each won 12 games in the series.
Last Met: UCLA and Pacific last faced off in the USA Cup back on September 19, 1994. The Bruins defeated the Tigers 3-1.
Notable: The Bruins have won six of the last seven meetings, dating back to 1986.

At the Banker's Classic: Pacific owns a 7-2 record over UCLA when playing at the Banker's Classic. The two teams last met in the classic in 1993. UCLA defeated Pacific 3-1 for the championship.

vs. Pepperdine Overall: UCLA leads 38-5
Last Met: The Waves won 3-1 on November 26, 1996 in Malibu.
Notable: UCLA owns a 10-0 record when playing Pepperdine at a neutral site.

Florida Notes
Ranking: No. 6 AVCA/USA Today, No. 5 Volleyball mag
Record: 30-2 Overall; 16-1 SEC
This Week Following its match with UCLA this Friday, Florida will take on either Pepperdine or Pacific on Saturday.
Most Recent: The Gators took second in the SEC tournament held this past weekend in Athens, Ga. Florida defeated Kentucky (3-0) and Georgia (3-1) before falling to tournament champion Arkansas 0-3 in the championship game.
Player: Senior middle blocker Nina Foster leads the Gators with 386 kills for a team-leading .448 attack percentage. She also leads the team with 121 total blocks (114 BS, 17 BS).

Pacific Notes
Ranking: No. 17 AVCA/USA Today, No. 17 Volleyball mag
Record: 20-8 overall; 12-4 Big West
This Week: Pacific takes on Pepperdine in its first game in the Banker's Classic on Friday. The Tigers will play either Florida or UCLA on Saturday.
Most Recent: The Tigers lost in the quarterfinals of the Big West Conference Tournament this past weekend in Long Beach. Pacific defeated Boise State 3-0 in the opening round of the tournament, before falling to UC Santa Barbara 2-3 in the conference quarterfinals.
Player: Sophomore outside hitter Jennica Smith leads the Tigers with 355 kills, including a match-high 12 in Pacific's Big West Tournament win over Boise State She also ranks second on the team in service aces (31) and third in solo blocks (8).

Pepperdine Notes
Ranking: No. 13 AVCA/USA Today, No. 14 Volleyball mag
Record: 23-3 Overall; 12-2 WCC
This Week: Pepperdine faces Pacific this Friday in the opening round of the Banker's Classic. The Waves will take on either Florida or UCLA on Saturday.
Most Recent: The Waves improved to 12-2 in the West Coast Conference by defeating Loyola Marymount 3-1 in their regular season finale this past Saturday at LMU.
Player: Senior outside hitter Nicole Sanderson, a three-time first team All-West Coast Conference selection, leads the Waves with 423 kills and a remarkable 58 service aces. She also ranks second on the team with 71 block assists.

Check It Out ... Bruins Continue To Lead Statistics (as of 11/26)

UCLA continues to lead the nation in two major statistical categories -- kills (18.69) and assists (17.44). The Bruins rank 13th in blocks (3.18) per game after leading that category for two weeks earlier in the season.

The Bruins also continue to boast the individual statistical leader in assists per game and hold the third spot in kills. Kim Coleman tops the charts in assists with a 15.17 average. In the kill category, the Bruins' leader Kara Milling slipped to the number three slot in the country with a 5.73 kills per game average.

Hefty Schedule ... UCLA Foes Abound In National Rankings

UCLA plays one of the toughest schedules in the country year in and year out. One reason for that is the power-packed Pac-10 Conference. Six Pac-10 schools currently rank among the AVCA top-25. In addition, the Bruins play non-conference opponents who also carry large rankings.

With 10 losses this season, it is important to note nine of those were to ranked teams and the other to a team receiving votes at the time who has now moved into the rankings.

Although UCLA suffered its worse losing streak in school history this season, all five of those losses were to top-25 teams and four were to squads listed among the top-10 in the nation. The five-match slide started with a non-conference loss at No. 7 UC Santa Barbara on Oct. 14 and ended when the Bruins defeated Cal on Nov. 1.

Coleman Tallies 3,000th Assist ... Climbs To Career No. 3

Senior setter Kim Coleman became only the fourth Bruin in history to surpass the 3,000 mark in career assists when she provided 35 in a loss at USC on Nov. 14. Coleman moved into third place on the UCLA career list, surpassing Kelly Flannigan's 3,174 and enters the week with 3,180 thus far. Next on the list is Julie Bremner's 4,089. Coleman is currently the nation's assist leader in per game average and is on track to break the all-time Pac-10 Conference record for a season.

Coleman has already entered her name on the elite performance list six times for matches with 70-plus assists -- all this season. Only Ann Boyer, who set for the Bruins from 1985-88, has as many 70-plus assists matches and those were over three seasons of her UCLA career. Coleman also became only the fourth UCLA player in history to surpass the 80-mark in assists when she established a new career-high of 81 vs. Cal on Oct. 3.

Milling Notches 1,600th Kill ... Continues To Add Records

Senior outside hitter Kara Milling reached a career milestone on Nov. 7 by surpassing the prestigious 1,500 mark in career kills. She then eclipsed the 1,600 mark at Arizona on Nov. 22. Entering this week with 1,607 career kills Milling is currently listed No. 5 on the UCLA career kill list behind Annett Buckner's 1,630.

Milling became the first player in UCLA history to register 30 kills in a four game match etching her name into the history book as the record holder in that category.

The history book continues to have Milling's name added throughout as she registered the second 20/20 elite performance club entry of her career with 21 kills and 20 digs against Oregon State on Nov. 7.

The career top-10 lists now have Milling's name added in another category as she climbed past Natalie William's 931 into the No. 10 position in career digs. She enters this week with 953 career digs, right behind No. 9 Daiva Tomkus with 966. Currently third on the team with a 2.87 per game dig average, Milling has a chance to reach 1,000 before season's end.

Milling Named Pac-10 Co-Player of the Week (Nov. 10)

UCLA's senior outside hitter Kara Milling was named Pac-10 Conference Co-Players of the Week sharing the award with USC's junior middle blocker Jasmina Marinkovic. Each led their respective teams to wins over Oregon and Oregon State on Nov. 7 and 8.

Milling totaled 40 kills and 23 digs over seven games in the two matches. She notched her second 20/20 elite performance club outing of the season against Oregon State on Friday when she recorded 21 kills and 20 digs. On Saturday against Oregon, Milling hit .441, led the team with 19 kills and served five aces.

Marinkovic hit .737 (14-0-19) against Oregon State and .448 (16-3-29) against Oregon and totaled nine blocks for the week.

Milling Enters Elite Group ... Notches 34 Kills & 20 Digs

Senior outside hitter Kara Milling became only the seventh player in UCLA history to record 30-plus kills in a single match when she drilled 34 in the Bruins five-game win over Cal on Oct. 3. She is tied with Elaine Youngs for fourth on the all-time list for kills in a match behind only Natalie Williams (43 & 37) and Annett Buckner (37).

Milling also joined the prestigious 20/20 Club in the Cal match by adding 20 digs to her 34 kill outing. She is only the 13th player to add her name to this list.

Milling also became only the fourth UCLA player in history to combine the 30-plus kills and 20-plus digs in the same match. She joins the company of Liz Masakayan who accomplished this feat three times, and Jenny Evans and Elaine Youngs who both reached this standard once.

Milling added another 30-kill outing to her list of accomplishments when she led the team with 30 kills against Washington on Oct. 26. She hit .344 in the match and also added 15 digs on the night.

Sophomore middle blocker Elisabeth Bachman suffered an injury to her right wrist during the semifinal match of the World University Games. She was able to compete in six of the Bruins' 10 games during the three matches of the Wahine Classic, but underwent surgery on Tues., Sept. 9 to repair a burst tendon sheath. She is definitely out of action until November and will likely miss the entire season.

Senior setter Kim Coleman sprained her thumb during the Oregon match on Oct. 10. The injury did not force her to miss any match time, but has been cause for adjustments.

Freshman defensive specialist Michelle Quon, received several stitches in her knee prior to the Hawaii trip after falling out of bed. She did not play in Hawaii, but returned to action for the Texas match.

Junior outside hitter Chaska Potter injured her left knee on Sept. 13. Categorized as a strain, the injury forced Potter to miss the Arizona and Washington series, but returned to action in game two vs. Cal on Oct. 3.

Sophomore outside hitter Lyn Embree strained her left knee at Baylor on Sept. 14. She missed Arizona, ASU, and Washington, but returned at Washington State on Sept. 27.

Sophomore middle blocker Tamika Johnson again battles tendonitis in her knees. She missed the Washington State and Stanford matches and saw very limited action against Cal on Oct. 3. Her playing time has returned to normal in recent action.

Junior defensive specialist Mandi Lawson went down with an injury to her right knee during the Stanford match on Oct. 31. Diagnosed as a strain to her medial collateral ligament, the injury is expected to keep Lawson out of action for four to six weeks.

Junior defensive specialist Jennifer Coopman injured her knee before the CS Northridge match on Nov. 20. She will likely miss the remainder of the season.

Volleyball Hall of Fame Inducted Banachowski Oct. 24th

UCLA head coach Andy Banachowski was inducted into the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Mass. on Friday, Oct. 24.

The award is in recognition of Banachowski's lasting contributions to the history and development of the sport of volleyball.

Banachowski is the all-time winningest coach in women's volleyball history, entering his 31st season at UCLA with a record of 812-175. He has led the Bruins to six national championships, including three NCAA titles, and placed among the top-four nationally 21 times. His list of awards, recommendations and accomplishments is extensive as is the list of accolades won by his players.

The 1997 induction class also includes Pedro "Pete" Velasco as a player and Albert Monaco, Jr., as a leader.

Banachowski is the first women's coach to be inducted into the National Hall of Fame as a collegiate coach. Other collegiate coaches already inducted include UCLA's Al Scates and Ball State's Don Shondell, both men's coaches. Women's collegiate coaches already in the Hall of Fame include Kathy Gregory and Debbie Green who were both inducted as players.

Coach Banachowski was not able to attend the induction ceremony as the Bruins played host to Washington State in an important Pac-10 Conference match that night. He was represented at the ceremony by his brother, Alex.

25th Anniversary of First UCLA Women's Championship

The first UCLA women's national championship team was the 1972 women's volleyball squad that won the Division of Girls & Women's Sports (DGWS) title. In recognition of the 25th anniversary of this achievement, this team was honored at the UCLA vs. USC women's volleyball match on Oct. 17 and also at the UCLA vs. Oregon State football game Oct. 18.

The members of the 1972 National Championship Team are: Colleen Boyd Turner, Sharkie Boehnert Zartman, Laura Golub Overett, Laurie Lewis Havel, Laurie Garduque, Natasha Karazissis, Hilary Johnson and Mary Isley McCollough.

International Front ... Bruin Pair Helps U.S. Claim Silver

Two members of the UCLA women's volleyball team helped the United States bring home a silver medal from the World University Games competed in Sicily, Italy Aug. 19-29 and earlier from the Canada Cup. Senior outside hitter Kara Milling and sophomore middle blocker Elisabeth Bachman played significant roles as the United States recorded its best WUG finish since UCLA mentor Andy Banachowski coached the 1993 U.S. squad to a silver medal in Buffalo, NY. Both returned to UCLA on Sunday, unfortunately, Bachman suffered an injury to her right wrist during the WUG and probably out for the season.

Bruins' Stats from World University Games 
Kara Milling                        K   E   TA      %   D  BS  BA  TB
First Round vs. New Zealand (3-0)   2   0    2  1.000   1   0   0   0
Second Round vs. Estonia (3-0)      2   1    7   .142   4   0   0   0
Third Round vs. Russia (0-3)        5   3   11   .181   8   1   0   1
Quarterfinal vs. China (3-1)       14   7   37   .189  14   0   2   2
Semifinal vs. Canada (3-2)         13   2   25   .440  15   1   6   7
Championship vs. Russia (0-3)       8   4   23   .174   7   1   2   3
TOTALS:                            44  17  105   .257  49   3  10  13
Elisabeth Bachman                   K   E   TA      %   D  BS  BA  TB
First Round vs. New Zealand (3-0)   4   0    6   .666   0   0   0   0
Second Round vs. Estonia (3-0)      3   0    4   .750   3   0   0   0
Third Round vs. Russia (0-3)        2   2    6   .000   6   3   7  10
Quarterfinal vs. China (3-1)        6   1   14   .357   7   1   6   7
Semifinal vs. Canada (3-2)          2   4   16   .125   8   1   2   3
Championship vs. Russia (0-3)       2   1    3   .333   1   0   3   3
TOTALS:                            19   8   49   .224  25   5  18  23

Canada Cup Notes

U.S. Team Canada Cup Results: Hungary 0-3, Germany 3-2, Canada 3-1 for silver medal.

Bachman was selected to the All-Canada Cup Team and was named the top blocker in the four team field with 12 total.

During the Canada Cup, Bachman totaled 20 kills with a hitting percentage of .250

Milling recorded 27 kills and a hitting percentage of .328 during Canada Cup play.

Complete Radio / TV Schedule

UCLA will again have regular season home and road matches that will be televised and or have radio coverage, including all playoff events. UCLA has had live radio broadcasts dating back to 1984, longer than virtually any other volleyball program in the nation.

Friday, September 19    Arizona         Live TV on Fox Sports Net    7:30 pm
Friday, October 3       California      Live TV on Fox Sports Net    7:30 pm
Saturday, October 4     Cal (replay)    Delayed on Fox Sports West  10:00 am
Sunday, October 5       Stanford        Radio on KYPA 1230 AM        1:55 pm
Friday, October 17      USC             Radio on KIEV 870 AM         7:25 pm
Sunday, October 26      Washington      Radio on KYPA 1230 AM        1:55 pm
Friday, October 31      @ Stanford      Radio on KIEV 870 AM         7:05 pm
Friday, November 14     @USC            Radio on KYPA 1230 AM        7:05 pm

UCLA Lineup
Setter          - Coleman    
Opposite Hitter - Milling
Outside Hitters - Larkin / Peterson
Middle Blockers - Nihipali / Johnson
Specialists     - Quon / Morris

Pac-10 Team Records 
Entering Week
                     Conference  Overall
     School             W-L        W-L
 1   Stanford          18-0       27-2
 2   USC               13-5       21-5
     Washington        13-5       18-9
 4   Washington State  12-6       24-6
     Arizona           12-6       20-6
 6   UCLA               9-9       15-11
 7   Oregon State       5-13      14-17
 8   Arizona State      4-14      13-16
 9   California         3-15       8-19
10   Oregon             1-17       9-21

'97 UCLA WVB Honors

Pac-10 Conference
Player of the Week