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Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,118
OT: Movement in the spring sports rankings
Posted Mon, Feb 17 9:46 am (Edited Mon, Feb 17 9:51 am)
Lot happened last week, a lot of it not good. The rankings have already seen some movement, with more coming up.

#2 women's gymnastics
With a pair of high scoring wins the last 2 weeks, UCLA has made the move from #5 to #2. Unlike other sports, the gymnastics rankings are based on the actual meet scores, and they automatically determine the regional sites and top 2 matchups in each region. Olympian Jordan Chiles' return has energized the team, and super seniors Chae Campbell and Brooklyn Moors have both elevated their game.

#3 men's volleyball
The Bruins got swept by #1 Long Beach State last week, so they are now 6-3 on the season and could drop behind #4 Hawaii when the rankings are updated later today. The Bruin attack is not as strong as last year, and Long Beach added a potential national POTY at setter. UCLA has a series against #2 UCI this week. Huge postseason ramifications in that matchup.

#3 women's water polo
UCLA kept pace with wins over #11 ASU and #6 UCI over the weekend. They play the Barbara Kalbus Invitational at UCI this weekend, and that group play tournament will also include #1 Southern Cal and #2 Stanford.

#4 softball
UCLA lost a wild game against UVa at the Clearwater Invitational yesterday. UCLA came back from a 5-0 deficit to take a 6-5 lead, but lost on a walkoff 2-run HR in the bottom of the 7th against ace Kaitlyn Terry, who came into the game in relief. The Bruins are now 9-1, including a win Friday against #10 OK State. The #1 rated recruiting class has lived up to its billing, as all 6 players have started games. The hitting appears to be improved over last year, and the pitching is deep. Taylor Tinsley though had a rough weekend with two bad starts after starting the season as the B1G POTW. Her ERA has ballooned to 5.83.

baseball
The Bruins started the season with a nice sweep over Cal Poly, winning the last two games by scores of 16-0 and 18-2. The starting pitching was solid, and the sophomores from last year's #1 rated recruiting class have gotten off to hot starts at the plate with 4 of them hitting over .400. Still some sorting out to do with the bullpen, but at least for now, UCLA has a good stable of arms available. Over the weekend, the Bruin bullpen did not allow a run. Freshman Wylan Moss is looking like the closer. Pitched 1 2/3 innings and struck out 5. Recall that last year, the pitching got so thin that OF (and football DB) Jon Jon Vaughns became a relief pitcher.
MR.GKD
Joined: 10/10/09 Posts: 3,721
Wow. Thank you! *
Posted Mon, Feb 17 1:01 pm
In response to OT: Movement in the spring sports rankings (Woochifer)
Nm
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,118
OT: Updated MVB Ranking
Posted Mon, Feb 17 1:43 pm
In response to OT: Movement in the spring sports rankings (Woochifer)
The coaches poll just updated, and UCLA remains at #3. #4 Hawaii has a case for moving up to #3 because they have only 1 loss compared to 3 for UCLA. UCLA though has played a tougher schedule, with their losses coming to #1 Long Beach State and #15 Ohio State. Hawaii's loss came at home to #10 Stanford.

The coaches poll is the only indicator at this point, since the RPI rankings don't come out until later in the season. Even though it's early, the non-conference matchups are huge in determining the postseason pecking order. The NCAA tournament has only 2 at-large berths. And right now, the Big West holds 3 of the top 4 positions (#1 LBSU, #2 UCI, and #4 Hawaii).

In the head-to-head matchups, the top 3 Big West teams so far are undefeated against the top 3 MPSF teams (#3 UCLA, #5 Southern Cal, and #6 BYU). UCLA plays UCI this week, while Southern Cal plays a tournament match at Hawaii next month. If that trend continues, it becomes more likely that the both NCAA at-large berths will go to the Big West. Under that scenario, the only the MPSF tournament winner will go to the NCAA tournament. The regular season winner would get left out.

Last year, UCLA lost in the MPSF final. Fortunately, they were ranked #2 in the coaches poll and #1 in the RPI. So, they got the at-large berth. If UCLA loses both matches against UCI, they will fall behind Hawaii in the ranking. Things will happen when the top Big West teams play each other. But, if UCLA has a hiccup in MPSF play, then things get more precarious with the out-of-conference head-to-head matchups.

MPSF conference play hasn't started yet, but the postseason is already getting sorted out.

https://www.avca.org/polls-awards/polls/?_season=2025&_divisions=national-collegiate-men
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,118
OT: 6 UCLA spring teams ranked in the top 4
Posted Sun, Feb 23 9:15 pm (Edited Sun, Feb 23 9:23 pm)
In response to OT: Movement in the spring sports rankings (Woochifer)
Lot of action this past week, and pending movement in the rankings as conference play looms.

#2 gymnastics
UCLA remains unbeaten in B1G meets as they beat #15 Michigan today. UCLA scored 197.550 for the 3rd time this season. Remains to be seen if this meet score is high enough to keep UCLA at #2.

#3 women's water polo
UCLA got crushed by #1 Stanford this weekend at the Barbara Kalbus Invitational. The Bruins will likely move down because were also upset by #5 Hawaii today. They're now 10-3 on the season with conference play a couple of weeks away.

#3 men's volleyball
UCLA swept the series with previously unbeaten and #2-ranked UCI. This keeps UCLA (and the MPSF) on course for a NCAA at-large berth, and will likely move them up to #2 in the AVCA poll this week. The return of Sean McQuiggan and Ido David made a big difference. And the pending return of former MPSF POTY Miles Partain, who left the team two years ago to focus on beach volleyball, could fill the Bruins' long-standing hole at the libero spot and position the Bruins well for conference play and the postseason.

#3 women's basketball
UCLA won a hard fought (and very poorly officiated) game at Iowa today. The Bruins set a new regular season win mark and at 26-1 remain in control for the B1G regular season title. They have another potential trap game at Wisconsin on Wednesday, and then it's all hands on deck for the rematch against #4 Southern Cal on Saturday at 6pm on Fox. With #1 Notre Dame losing today, UCLA will likely move up to #2 in this week's AP poll.

#3 beach volleyball
UCLA began the season in Honolulu for a weekend tournament. The Bruins went 5-1, with a loss to #1 Southern Cal on Saturday. UCLA though beat #5 Furd and #7 LMU, which both beat Southern Cal. So, despite the head-to-head loss, UCLA could move up to #1 this week thanks to their win over #2 TCU.

#4 softball
UCLA had another great weekend against ranked competition as they went 5-1 at the Mary Nutter tourney. They beat 4 ranked teams, including #5 Tennessee and #10 Arkansas. UCLA lost 1-0 today against #11 Duke, as the Bruin offense was shut down for the first time. The freshmen continue to impress, and the Bruins are now 14-2 overall and 7-1 vs ranked teams.

baseball
UCLA had their first loss of the season against TAMU-CC at the Kleberg Bank Classic. But, they rebounded with wins over WSU and MSU, including a 15-9 win that saw them down 6-0 but take the lead with 9 runs in the 4th. UCLA is now 6-1.
GOBRUINS
Joined: 1/27/05 Posts: 9,225
No one is having Spring games anymore
Posted Mon, Feb 24 11:44 am
In response to OT: 6 UCLA spring teams ranked in the top 4 (Woochifer)
NM
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,118
This thread is about spring sports
Posted Mon, Feb 24 12:46 pm (Edited Mon, Feb 24 12:48 pm)
In response to No one is having Spring games anymore (GOBRUINS)
that are played in the spring, and have championship tournaments in the spring.
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,118
OT: Spring sports update
Posted Fri, Mar 07 11:43 am
In response to OT: Movement in the spring sports rankings (Woochifer)
Busy weekend, particularly for women's hoops as they start the B1G tournament as the #2 seed.

#1 beach volleyball
UCLA plays in the MPSF Midseason Rumble at Stanford this weekend. 3 ranked teams are on tap. A lot more parity in beach VB this season, and the Bruins are breaking in some new players.

#2 men's volleyball
UCLA remains solidly at #2 as they've gone unbeaten since the consecutive losses to #1 LBSU. The Bruins began conference play with a 3-1 win over #10 Stanford last night at Pauley. Freshman Trent Taliaferro (son of Bruin great and current assistant coach Brandon) made his first start, replacing 2X AA setter Andrew Rowan who was out sick.

#3 gymnastics
The Bruins claimed the B1G regular season title with their win the Big Fours last week over Ohio State, Rutgers, and Nebraska. They will close out the regular season with meets against former P12 rivals Stanford and Utah.

#4 women's water polo
UCLA hosts #5 Cal and #15 Indiana this weekend. After dropping to #4 last week, the Bruins bounced back with a 24-11 rout over #6 Fresno State.

#4 women's basketball
With the loss against Southern Cal last week, UCLA dropped to #4 in the AP poll and the #2 seed for the B1G tourney. UCLA begins the B1G tournament with a double bye, and starts play in the quarterfinal today against Nebraska. At a minimum, UCLA will likely need to advance to the B1G final to keep a #1 NCAA tournament seed.

#6 softball
UCLA closed out the Judi Garman tournament last weekend with a 26-5 rout of Weber State and a 9-8 extra inning loss to rival #12 Arizona. The 26 runs scored were the 2nd most in program history. But, in the loss to the Cats in the nightcap, ace Caitlyn Terry gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the 7th after UCLA had scored 3 runs in the top of the inning to break a 2-2 tie. In the 10 inning, Terry gave up 3 more runs after the Bruins had taken a 2-run lead. Another busy schedule on tap this weekend.

baseball
After losing to #14 Vanderbilt 8-3 on Friday, UCLA bounced back with wins over UConn and Southern Cal. The Bruins made their B1G debut with a 22-5 mercy rule win over Michigan on Tuesday. They're at Maryland to play their first B1G series. The Bruins are off to 10-3 start. The B1G is a weak baseball conference, which is both a blessing and a curse. Easier wins, but more difficult to get a NCAA tournament berth and decent seed because of the lousy SOS.
Rabid Bruin
Joined: 9/26/23 Posts: 2,029
B10 baseball
Posted Fri, Mar 07 12:11 pm
In response to OT: Spring sports update (Woochifer)
I knew this would be a step down but it feels like the Bruins have the equivalent of 75% of its schedule vs FCS schools.
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,118
OT: Good weekend for the spring sports
Posted Sun, Mar 16 5:54 pm
In response to OT: Movement in the spring sports rankings (Woochifer)
March Madness is upon us, and the regular season has moved into conference play for the UCLA spring sports teams.

#1 beach volleyball
The Bruin beach volleyball team continues to roll as they've now reeled off 14 straight dual wins to go 19-1 on the season. UCLA hasn't been blowing teams out, as they're still trying different pairs in various spots (and there's a lot more parity this season). But, the #1 and #2 pairs have been solid.

#1 women's basketball
After beating Southern Cal to capture the B1G championship, UCLA got the #1 overall seed for the NCAA tournament, and will host the NCAA 1st and 2nd rounds at Pauley starting on Friday.

#2 men's volleyball
UCLA is now in the soft part of their schedule as they play some of the mid to lower tier teams in the MPSF. The Bruins won't play the other top 3 teams in the MPSF (BYU and Southern Cal) until the final two weekends of the regular season. UCLA is still waiting for former MPSF POTY Miles Partain to get cleared to play by the NCAA. Hopefully, that will happen in the next couple of weeks.

#4 women's gymnastics
UCLA's 9-meet win streak was snapped at a nationally televised meet at Utah. The Utes scored a season high 198.1. UCLA scored 197.475, which is a good score but lower than where they had been for the past couple of months. UCLA won the B1G regular season title a couple of weeks ago. They will next compete in the B1G championship meet as the #1 seed.

#4 women's water polo
UCLA has run their record to 16-3 with two more wins this weekend. Following an exhibition against the USWNT, UCLA will go on spring break before ending the regular season against Stanford, Hawaii, and Southern Cal -- the 3 teams that have beaten them this season.

#6 softball
UCLA swept Purdue to start B1G conference play. UCLA is now 27-4, with an opportunistic offense, great defense (something UCLA often does not have), and some occasional issues with protecting leads. The starting pitching has been strong, but not overpowering. B1G competition is weak, so it remains to be seen how they'll fare against the top teams in the postseason.

baseball
UCLA swept Nebraska this weekend, and the Bruins are now 6-1 in B1G play and 16-4 overall. They should return to the rankings this week. Baseball has the same issue with playing in a weak conference. They'll need more sweeps to ensure a favorable postseason seed and home field for the regionals.
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,118
OT: Spring sports resume after finals week
Posted Sun, Mar 23 4:16 pm (Edited Sun, Mar 23 4:27 pm)
In response to OT: Movement in the spring sports rankings (Woochifer)
Most of the Bruin spring sports teams were off this weekend because of final exams and the start of spring break. Here's some of the action that did happen.

#1 women's basketball
The Bruin women look to advance to the Sweet 16 at Pauley when they play the NCAA 2nd round game against Richmond at 7pm PT on ESPN.

#5 women's gymnastics
UCLA won the B1G Championship meet with a season high score of 198.450. That score was the 4th highest in program history, and punctuated by a pair of perfect 10s on floor by Brooklyn Moors and Jordan Chiles. UCLA could be a regional host, and is well positioned for a deep run to the Final Four meet.

#6 softball
UCLA traveled to Iowa, and split the 2-game series. UCLA shut out the Hawkeyes on Saturday, but was unable to hold a 2-run lead late and lost the Sunday game. The Bruins are now 28-5 on the season, and will travel to DC to play a midweek game against Howard and a weekend series against Maryland.

baseball
UCLA won their home weekend series against Indiana with a 6-3 victory in today's rubber match. The Bruins lost 5-1 on Friday, but rebounded to take the remaining games. In contrast to last season, UCLA's middle relief has been solid this season. Question mark remains at closer, where Justin Lee has been solid but had a couple of shaky outings this weekend. Freshman pitcher Wylan Moss has been a standout, and began the year as a closer but he's now the midweek starter and could be elevated to the weekend roation at some point. The sophomores from last year's #1 rated recruiting class are still coming through big time. SS Roch Cholowski is playing himself into a high 1st Round draft prospect. The Bruins are now 18-5 on the season.
salty
Joined: 2/07/05 Posts: 2,060

Avatars available for donors only
Thank you
Posted Sun, Mar 23 5:01 pm
In response to OT: Spring sports resume after finals week (Woochifer)
Always appreciate your updates.
Woochifer
Joined: 12/15/11 Posts: 9,118
OT: Another good week as the spring sports ramp up again
Posted Sun, Mar 30 5:24 pm
In response to OT: Movement in the spring sports rankings (Woochifer)
The spring sports teams are back in action as UCLA concludes spring break.

#1 beach volleyball
The beach volleyball team traveled to LSU for a multi-team tournament this weekend. The Bruins beat #7 Florida State, #11 LSU, and #8 Texas on Friday, but lost 3-0 against #2 TCU on Saturday. So, the Bruins will likely drop in the ranking this week.

#1 women's basketball
UCLA beat Ole Miss in the Sweet 16 and LSU in today's Elite 8 to advance to Friday's Final Four. They will play the winner of tomorrow's game between Southern Cal and UConn.

#2 men's volleyball
The Bruins swept the home-and-home series against #9 Pepperdine to remain unbeaten in MPSF conference play. UCLA plays Grand Canyon next weekend before the season-concluding series against BYU and Southern Cal. Those last two series will decide the MPSF regular season title.

#3 women's water polo
UCLA resumes action next weekend against #1 Stanford after a three-week break for finals and spring break.

#5 women's gymnastics
UCLA begins competition in the NCAA regional prelims on Thursday in SLC. They are in a group with #12 Minnesota, Boise State, and Southern Utah. The top two teams in prelims will compete in Saturday's regional final with the top two in that meet advancing to nationals.

#7 softball
UCLA completed a sweep over Maryland earlier today. The Bruins won 2 games by mercy rule and only allowed 2 runs while scoring 25. UCLA is now 32-5 on the season.

#24 baseball
The Bruins completed a sweep of Purdue with a 16-3 mercy rule win today. The Bruins also won a wild 13-12 game on Saturday and an 8-5 game on Friday. UCLA is now 22-5 on the season. Still some issues with the closer and starting rotation spots. But, the middle relief has held strong and allowed the Bruin bats to win games.