McLeod and Larsen, seniors to remember
Today at 6 p.m. the 2002 NCAA Tournament for women’s volleyball
will be announced on a selection show on ESPN News. UC Irvine can be
described as a bubble team, yet the Anteaters are against great odds
to make the tournament. Regardless of that situation, UCI seniors
Chanda McLeod and Rebecca Larsen have left a lasting impression for
the Anteaters. In addition, Coach Charlie Brande has built a team
that will hardly be described as a rebuilding squad next year. The
Anteaters, to use the proverbial, have turned the corner.
It’s been a banner year for the UCI women’s volleyball team, and
in the background McLeod and Larsen provided dramatics to close out
the season. The Anteaters finished the Big West Conference season
with two wins at Crawford Hall and finished with a 10-8 conference
record, marking the most conference wins in school history. The 10-8
finish is also the first time in 19 years of Big West action that a
UCI women’s volleyball squad has posted a winning league record.
And, check this out, Larsen leads the NCAA in hitting percentage
at .430. On Friday night, McLeod recorded 12 kills and 12 digs for
her 17th double-double this season to help lead the Anteaters to a
four-game win over San Jose State in the Thanksgiving Tournament at
Long Beach State.
She added four aces to come within three of tying UCI’s season
record holder Kim Poppa, who had 56 in 1983. The Anteaters improved
to 18-11 on the season.
McLeod and Larsen closed out their Big West careers by leading the
Anteaters to a three-game win over Utah State Nov. 23. UCI held what
was an emotional ceremony for the seniors playing in their final home
match. McLeod overcame back pains that kept her out of two matches
and played in the win over Utah State.
“It was very special,” McLeod said of the ceremony and of her
final match. “I didn’t expect it to be very emotional. But it was. I
needed one kill to get 1,000 for my career and they announced that.
Then it all sunk in that this was it. I wanted to give everything
that I had left because I wanted to end on a high note. During the
ceremony, I looked over and I saw my dad crying. That’s when I kind
of lost it. I couldn’t believe him. I’ve only seen him cry one other
time in my life.”
The setting was also emotional for Coach Brande.
“With Chanda and Rebecca, they have been here since (assistants)
Laura (Alford), Marcia (Bradbeer) and I have been here,” Brande said.
“They have worked hard. We have put up a good program because of
them. Rebecca has gone from a JC player (a Golden West College
transfer) to a dominant middle blocker. That has been exciting to
watch. It’s hard for me with Chanda, because we go way back. I
basically coached her since she was in club seven years ago.”
The promise of the Anteaters’ future is led by sophomore Kelly
Wing, who was named Big West Player of the Week after her
performances led to three-game sweeps over Idaho and Utah State. The
outside hitter put up a combined 28 kills, 24 digs, four aces and a
.410 hitting percentage over the course of the two matches.
Sophomore Sami Cash, a 6-foot-3 middle blocker, as well as 6-5
sophomore Dana Kurzbard, freshman Terbrie Taylor and sophomore setter
Ashlie Hain, and Newport Harbor High products sophomore Brenda
Waterman and freshman Christine Woller represent the core of UCI’s
future.
A reminder:
The Anteaters will only lose two players from this season’s squad
that provided such a turnaround.
* While we’re on the topic of team’s with promising futures,
don’t worry about the UCI men’s basketball team, which opened the
season with two losses in the Sooner Invitational last week. The
Anteaters won’t hit their stride until the conference season. And, if
they find momentum before that, UCI fans should find that very
fortunate. UCI senior forward Jordan Harris said there is no go-to
guy on the team this year, yet there are several scoring options.
It appears that 7-foot junior center Adam Parada would fill the
role of go-to guy, but if the game is on the line, the Anteaters will
also look to junior forward Stanislav Zuzak, who is on the verge of a
MVP-type season. Zuzak, 6-10, 235 pounds, should be a handful for Big
West teams to defend. He always could hurt you outside, and now he
has an inside game that will provide the Anteaters and Coach Pat
Douglass with their ultimate goal: Balance.
* At Vanguard University, sophomore transfer James Hartman has
won the Lion of the Week award. Hartman, who transferred from Irvine
Valley College, has stepped into a starting role for the men’s
basketball team. l
He helped the Lions get the season started with a 2-1 record,
narrowly missing a perfect beginning with a two-point overtime loss
to NCAA Division II Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Hartman, a 6-3 guard, averaged 17.5 points per game in two games
this past week.
* Also at Vanguard, Sarah Hall and Tony Magana closed out their
cross country seasons at the NAIA National Championships at the
University of Wisconsin-Parkside Nov. 23.
Both runners are from Estancia High and Orange Coast College. Hall
finished 60th among 225 runners with a 19:39 time, 24 seconds off the
All-American pace that included the top 30 finishers at the event.
Magana finished 156th overall among 252 runners on the 8,000-meter
course with a 28:00.
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