Charlie’s Angels

Roger Carlson

Turnaround is the buzzword for UC Irvine’s women’s volleyball team,

but no one is expecting the metamophosis to include championships this

fall.

Nevertheless, there is a confidence oozing from the UCI camp where

second-year women’s coach Charlie Brande is putting together a seniorless

squad which may well give nearly all of its foes all they want before

it’s over.

To set the scene, the first order of business is the competition,

which includes six of the nation’s Top 10-rated teams - nonconference

duels with USC, Penn State and Wisconsin, as well as Long Beach State,

Pacific and UC Santa Barbara in the Big West.

“It’s exciting,” said Brande. “This is an extremely talented and

charismatic group.”

Among the options Brande finds himself with is the presence of two

returning All-Big West selections in Chanda McLeod and Brenda Waterman,

as well as a setter with NCAA record-holding laurels who will be in a

daily duel for starting honors with prep phenom Ashlie Hain, a 5-foot-10

standout from La Reina High in Thousand Oaks who is considered by her

coach as “the most polished out of our recruiting class.”

McLeod, a junior who transferred from Arkansas after her freshman

season, would best be remembered in these parts when she was a one-girl

wrecking crew for Marina High School in Huntington Beach.

As a sophomore at UCI she was a second-team All-Big West selection

after recording 314 kills, 294 digs, 328 set assists, 37 blocks and a

team-high 36 service aces.

She was eighth in the Big West with an average of 0.35 service aces

per game and she’s the team captain.

Waterman, a 5-7 sophomore out of Newport Harbor High, was named to the

Big West All-Freshman Team after leading the Anteaters with 351 digs. She

had 175 kills, 17 blocks and 17 service aces. Pressed into front row

service as a freshman, she has moved to the back row where Brande wanted

her to play all along.

Now, Brande feels he has the strength up front to make the move.

Pilbeam, who set an NCAA record 107 set assists in a four-game win

over Texas-San Antonio last year, broke her hand in the 11th match of the season and missed the rest of the campaign.

She returns for her junior season and gives the Anteaters a great 1-2

punch at setter.

It’s the other half of the Anteaters’ lineup, however, which really

gives Brande some luxury

Hain could conceivable set every match of her four-year career for the

Anteaters, and has unlimited potential.

“I really feel we’re turning the program,” said Brande. “We’ve got two

outside hitters in (5-11 freshman) Kelly Wing and (6-1 junior) Rebecca

Larsen (aside from the ax, McLeod), and three who are very close at

middleblocker.”

Up front is the imposing middle-blocking presence of 6-5 freshman Dana

Kurzbard and 6-3 freshman Sami Cash, with 6-2 junior Erika Denison

pressing the issue.

The Anteaters were 1-15 in the Big West a year ago and when you say

“turnaround,” fourth place in Big West circles is a lofty attitude.

“We really feel we have some potential with three, maybe four,

freshmen in the starting lineup,” said Brande.

The Anteaters will be hosting their alumni Saturday evening at 7 in

Crawford Hall, then get the season under way officially Sept. 1 when they

host their “Sunset Showcase,” when over the course of two days, they will

battle Wisconsin, USC and Manhattan College.

The double-barreled Saturday schedule (Sept. 1) finds UCI meeting

Wisconsin at 1 p.m., then four hours later going up against USC.

The Anteaters

1 Chanda McLeod, oh, 5-11 Jr.

2 Dana Kurzbard, mb, 6-5 Fr.

4 Brenda Waterman, oh, 5-7 So.

5 Ashlie Hain setter, 5-10 Fr.

6 Erika Denison, mb, 6-2 Jr.

8 Rebecca Larsen, mb, 6-1 Jr.

9 Jamie Pilbeam, setter, 5-10 Jr.

10 Kelly Wing, oh, 5-11 Fr.

13 Erika Ranes, oh, 5-7 Fr.

14 Sami Cash, mb, 6-3 Fr.

17 Nicole Nelsen, oh, 6-0 Fr.

Head coach: Charlie Brande

Associate head coach: Laura Alford

Assistant coach: Marcia Bradbeer