Aug. 2, 2000

LOS ANGELES - Head coach Andy Banachowski will enter the 2000 women's volleyball season with the nation's top-ranked team, according to Volleyball Magazine's pre-season ranking. This is the first of the three national preseason polls to be released. The AVCA/USA Today Poll, which is voted upon by coaches, is scheduled to be released on Aug. 14, while the SI for Women Poll should be published later this month.

The Bruins return five starters from a 1999 team that finished No. 7 in the AVCA poll and lost in the NCAA Central Regional Final to eventual champion Penn State. That group includes Player of the Year candidate Kristee Porter (Jr., OH), along with All-America candidates Elisabeth Bachman (Sr., MB) and Erika Selsor (Jr., S), Ashley Bowles (Jr., OPP), and Lauren Fendrick (So., OH). Senior defensive specialist Michelle Quon is also a returning All-Pac-10 player, earning honorable mention notice in 1999.

UCLA opens its 2000 season on Friday, Aug. 25, playing in the State Farm NACWAA Classic tournament in Gainesville, FL. The Bruins open with defending NCAA champion Penn State, and all tournament matches will be televised on a tape-delayed basis by ESPN2.

Volleyball Magazine Preseason Poll
(2000 UCLA opponents indicated with **)

1. UCLA
2. Long Beach State
3. Penn State**
4. USC**
5. Hawai'i**
6. Stanford**
7. Arizona**
8. Pacific
9. Pepperdine**
10. Minnesota
11. Nebraska**
12. Michigan State**
13. BYU
14. Colorado State**
15. Texas
16. Florida**
17. Wisconsin
18. UC Santa Barbara
19. Ohio State
20. Kansas State