Volleyball: Gottlieb to compete in Maccabiah Games
Steve Virgen
If at first you don’t succeed ... be like Rebecca Gottlieb.
The Newport Beach resident, who will compete in the Maccabiah Games in
Israel, July 16-26, has showed no signs of surrender throughout her
volleyball career.
When she tried to walk on to the UCLA women’s volleyball team, she was
denied. Gottlieb, who coaches for the Orange County Volleyball Club,
tried again her sophomore year. There was no Bruins’ uniform for her
again.
The third time would have to be the charm. But, luck does not come too
often for 5-foot-5 volleyball players like Gottlieb.
For the third straight year she went back to the UCLA marching band
and played her piccolo.
Her senior year, she gave it one more final go. Maintaining her love
for the sport, Gottlieb remembered the lessons learned from her aunt,
Sharon McAlexander, who played for the Bruins and worked as an assistant
coach for the team later.
Gottlieb also knew she had improved greatly from her playing days at
Carpinteria High. Yet, she would have to prove it. She did. This time
Rebecca Gottlieb’s name made the UCLA roster.
Gottlieb didn’t mind being used mostly for training purposes. She took
pride just in being a part of the team. When she went on to graduate
school, still at UCLA for electrical engineering, she became the
volleyball team’s manager.
“I’m really short,” she said. “I’m always the underdog. Basically, I
was there to practice and support the team. I’m like this little runt. At
a Division I school, there are all these girls that are so tall.”
Gottlieb’s relentless, Rudy-like pursuit at UCLA is a bit similar to
the manner she made the U.S. Maccabiah women’s volleyball team. The
Maccabiah is a quadrennial athletic competition for Jewish athletes.
Back in January, Gottlieb worked her way to a spot on the team at the
tryout at her alma mater. But, she made it as an alternate. Gottlieb was
regulated to the role of on-call athlete. She would have to stay in shape
just in case a spot would open up for her.
Gottlieb continued to coach her OC Volleyball Club team of
12-year-olds and she trained with the 18s squad just to stay in shape.
A little more than two weeks ago, a member of the U.S. squad failed to
meet eligibility requirements. Gottlieb would be going back to Israel,
where she and her husband, Jay, spent their honeymoon, two and a half
years ago.
“I went to my boss and told him I had to have five weeks off,” said
Gottlieb, 26, who works as a database administrator for a major cellular
phone company. “I was so excited.”
Her story of success has been a great example for the volleyball team
she coaches.
“I love to be around the girls,” said Gottlieb, who volunteers as a
coach and her would-be paychecks assist those whom have trouble with
costs on the club. “They have so much energy.”
Fortunately, for Gottlieb and her girls, she won’t miss any time from
her coaching.
For the season finale, the team of 12-year-olds will compete in The
Volleyball Festival at UC Davis, which features 900 teams in various
tournament competition. Two days after the team returns from their trip
to northern California, Gottlieb will begin to train with the U.S.
women’s volleyball team.
On July 2, she will begin two-a-days in preparation for the Maccabiah
Games.
Gottlieb’s husband will be able to attend the opening ceremonies in
Israel, but he has to fly back soon after for finals. He is a graduate
student at USC. Gottlieb also has a cousin, Nancy Kline, in Israel to
keep her company.
Though she’ll miss some summertime in Newport Beach, she’s willing to
take advantage of the opportunity in Israel.
“I can always come off the bench and make a positive impact on the
court,” said Gottlieb. “And even from the bench I can be a positive part
of the team.
I’m hoping I get a chance to play, meet some new faces and meet other
athletes from other countries.”
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.