A UCLA LEAP YEAR.Byline: Lee Barnathan University Beat While wandering around a club volleyball tournament in Colorado two years ago, UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX coach Andy Banachowski happened upon a corner court. There he saw a player with raw skills and solid athleticism. Then he saw Kristee Porter jump. Banachowski stuck around. ``You could see her quickness and you could see her athleticism and you could see her jumping ability,'' Banachowski said. ``It was probably (30 inches).'' Because this was an out-of-the-way tournament, not many college coaches witnessed Porter, then playing for Texas Juniors. Besides, Porter had just started playing volleyball. Those that saw her immediately saw potential. Banachowski won her services, and the Bruins are thankful. UCLA is 22-2, 14-1 in the Pac-10 and ranked seventh in the nation. The Bruins' first conference title since 1993 is theirs if they win their final three Pac-10 matches, starting with tonight at home against Oregon. Porter, just a sophomore, already has 1,000 kills in her career, reaching that plateau in just 50 matches. Only George Washington's Svetlana Vtyurina (1992-95) reached 1,000 faster, and Vtyurina is the NCAA's career kill leader with 3,043. Banachowski likens Porter's leaping abilities to that of Pepperdine's George Roumain, the two-time men's Player of the Year. Roumain simply leapt above the block and hit has hard as he could. Banachowski says Porter does the same. ``It's amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. she's accomplishing what she is,'' Banachowski said. Not to Porter. ``I don't have a secret. I jump up and hit the ball as hard as I can,'' she said. ``If it works, even better.'' Water polo water polo, swimming game encompassing features of soccer, football, basketball, and hockey. The object of the game is to maneuver, by head, feet, or hand, a leather-covered ball 27 to 28 in. showdown: It's very simple: If UCLA (16-2, 7-0, No. 1-ranked) can beat USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. on Friday at 3 p.m. at the Sunset Canyon Recreation Center, the Bruins win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is a college athletic conference whose member teams are located in the western United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I. regular-season title and earn the top seed in the MPSF MPSF Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament. If USC (14-3, 5-1, No. 3-ranked) wins, it can clinch Clinch, river, c.300 mi (480 km) long, formed by the junction of two forks in SW Va., and flowing generally SW across E Tenn. to the Tennessee River at Kingston. a share of the title with a victory over Long Beach State on Sunday. If USC wins, the Trojans, Bruins and Stanford would share the title, with conference tiebreakers determining the seeds in the MPSF tournament. The first tiebreaker tie·break·er n. An additional contest or period of play designed to establish a winner among tied contestants. Also called tiebreak. tie is head-to-head, and each went 1-1 against the other. The second is goal differential, so a USC victory would allow the Trojans to know by how many goals they need Sunday to secure the top seed. CAPTION(S): photo PHOTO UCLA sophomore Kristee Porter is the second-fastest player to get to 1,000 career kills. Photo courtesy of UCLA |
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