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Monday, November 30, 1998

Fourth element adds fire to trio, power to team

W.VOLLEYBALL: Complementing power players, Nihipali serves up plays, enthusiasm to succeed

By Nick Taylor

Daily Bruin Contributor

UCLA's volleyball team has won 11 of its last 13 matches behind a powerful offense.

Ashley Bowles, Kristee Porter and Elisabeth Bachman have all won player of the week awards for their offensive exploits.

And, as the NCAA tournament approaches and UCLA gears up for an at large bid, all seems to be going the Bruins' way.

The Bruins need someone to complement the big three, however, if they want to go far in the tournament. For this reason, sophomore Amy Nihipali might be the x-factor for UCLA in the tournament.

The matches against Cal and Stanford last weekend provide a perfect example of Nihipali's importance. Against Stanford, UCLA's top trio carried the team to five games, but they wore down because they didn't get the help they required on the attack. Nihipali, who needed to step up her play, had only four kills and four blocks. She also had four errors, hitting .000 in the match.

"I felt I wasn't contributing much for the team, on the whole," Nihipali said. "Stanford had a great defense that night."

Nihipali took it upon herself to bounce back against Cal, and she did, in a big way. She had 12 kills and led the team in hitting at .400. Nihipali took over in the third game with six kills and helped reverse UCLA's lethargic play in the second game.

"Amy really put up some numbers," head coach Andy Banachowski said.

When Nihipali can step up her play, the Bruins can beat the great teams. If she can't, they struggle. Is Nihipali up to the task? Just ask her.

"We are not scared to lose," Nihipali said.

Nihipali's attitude and her inspirational team messages show her enthusiasm and determination. She will not let the team quit and feels a duty to keep its spirits high.

Nihipali earned this leadership role with a strong freshman campaign last year. It took her half a season, she said, to get adjusted to a different style of play.

Her club team in high school played a more restricted style of volleyball, and UCLA wanted Nihipali to play more athletically. She filled in for an injured Bachman at blocker, and made the Pac-10 freshman team.

Then, during the spring workouts, she really picked up her game.

"She made a huge leap because of her work in the spring," Banachowski said. "All of her skills have improved."

Nihipali also took it upon herself to be the social magnet in the Bruins' locker room. At the start of the year, she took the responsibility of taking in the Bruin freshmen and making them feel at home.

"I wanted to make them feel comfortable," she said, "to make them feel part of the team."

Nihipali has helped build a close-knit group of teammates. She knew a few of the incoming freshmen because she was their host for recruitment visits, and she was excited about all the new faces coming to Westwood.

"Practices are so much fun," she exclaims. "(The freshmen) are so easy to get along with."

Their closeness and camaraderie have played a part in their success this season. Though the Bruins struggled early in the year, they have picked up confidence and are now steamrolling the competition.

"We're playing like we're older," Nihipali said, "We've definitely proven that we belong here (at the top)."

To stay at the top, however, the Bruins must find a fourth offensive threat. As Banachowski said, "We are not diversified enough offensively."

Nihipali must be that threat; she is the Bruins' second middle blocker - along with Bachman - in the eight player rotation. She comes in three to four times a game and will remain on the floor for extended periods of time if a game goes longer than expected. Nihipali, then, must pick up the slack on offense when Bachman is not on the floor.

"She can fill that role (on offense)," Banachowski said, "and she has the attributes."

Nihipali has spent the year on offense adjusting to a new setter, Erika Selsor. While Selsor has worked well with Bachman, Bachman hits a different type of set than Nihipali does, so it has taken longer for Nihipali and Selsor to click.

Against the Washington schools, however, Nihipali and Selsor were on the same page. Nihipali had eight kills at Washington State, and against Washington she had 11 kills, hit .421 and had seven blocks.

"It's just clicking (with Erika)," Nihipali said. "Our timing has gotten better."

Nihipali is so quick on the floor that Selsor had to get adjusted to her speed. She and Selsor usually run a quick play, where Nihipali hits a lower ball over the net, and she has also opened up her skills on offense.

"She's hitting the second tempo ball (a higher set) a lot better," said Banachowski.

Because Nihipali's skills have improved, they have confidence to go to her in the clutch.

Nihipali has also become a force on defense. As middle blocker, her goal is to block the ball. If she cannot do that, she tries to deflect it as much as possible.

"I try to get as many touches as I can," Nihipali said.

She is also the Bruins' best defender in terms of moving laterally on the floor. This allows her to close the space between her and the outside blocker quickly.

"I can do lateral movement well, and if I can close the block, then I've hit my goal," Nihipali said

When she closes the hitting alley, defensive specialists Michelle Quon and Mandi Lawson can cover the crosscourt. Case in point: Jennifer Kessy, in the second UCLA-USC matchup, hit only .115 against the Bruins.

The Bruin defense as a team has gotten better as well, and Nihipali attributes this to the touches the Bruins get on defense.

"Everyone scrambles more, so the rallies have gotten longer."

While the season has gone by quickly, Nihipali looked back with some nostalgia.

"I'm sad the season is at a close," she said. "We've really put ourselves on the map."

If UCLA wants to reach the next level, Nihipali must be more involved in the offense. As Nihipali goes, so do the Bruins' chances.

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