Anteaters earn NCAA berth

Barry Faulkner

The most successful season in the history of UC Irvine women’s

volleyball gained an extension Sunday, when the Anteaters were

selected to the 64-team NCAA tournament field.

The Anteaters (23-9), who set a school single-season record for

victories, will meet Missouri (19-10) in a first-round match Friday

at UCLA at 5:30 p.m.

“We were all watching [television] when it came on and I screamed

when I saw us in,” UCI Coach Charlie Brande said. “But my scream was

nothing compared to the rest of the group. Everyone was very, very

excited.”

The excitement replaced the disappointment of not making the

tournament after last year’s 19-11 record.

UCI, winners of seven of its last eight matches, finished tied for

second in the Big West Conference. The Anteaters’ only previous trip

to the NCAA tournament was in 1988, when they were eliminated in the

first round.

Brande, however, believes his team has a chance to advance to the

second round, where the UCLA-University of San Diego winner will

await.

“Our girls are absolutely ready to compete,” Brande said. “They’re

so excited and so ready to move to this level. There was so much

disappointment after last year, the realization that we are in the

tournament and playing in an environment in which, with some hard

work, we can be successful, has rejuvenated [the players].”

Brande said his team is not completely unaware of the talent

possessed by Missouri, making its fourth straight NCAA appearance and

looking for its fourth straight 20-win season. The Tigers were 12-8

in Big 12 Conference play. They have five freshmen, four sophomores,

two juniors and one senior on fourth-year coach Susan Kreklow’s

roster.

“We played them in a spring tournament,” Brande said of the

Tigers. “I think it will be a very competitive match. We hoped we’d

be somewhere in the middle [of the bracket] and we’d draw someone

comparable to us. We know we’ll have a great fan base and that we

don’t have far to travel [to UCLA].

“I’m so proud of these girls. To look back at where they were two

years ago [a 4-21 season in 2001] and to see how far they’ve come

with a lot of hard work and desire, to be where they are now ...”

UCI is led by 5-11 junior outside hitter Kelly Wing, a two-time

first-team All-Big West performer, as well as first-team

all-conference honorees Ashlie Hain, a junior setter, and Sami Cash,

a 6-3 junior middle blocker.

Additional UCI standouts include 6-5 junior Dana Kurzbard, 6-2

sophomore middle blocker Terbrie Taylor and 5-7 senior libero Brenda

Waterman, a product of Newport Harbor High.

“When we beat San Jose State Friday, I felt very confident we’d be

in,” Brande said. “And finishing strong [including a four-game

triumph over Texas Christian Saturday in a tournament at Long Beach

State] helped us tremendously.”