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.”