Foursome fuels UCI’s rise

Barry Faulkner

The ranks of players who have come and gone through the UC Irvine

women’s volleyball program the last four seasons could fill a

classroom.

But those most responsible for the Anteaters’ rise from a 4-21

campaign in 2001 to their second straight NCAA tournament appearance

-- tonight at 5:30 against Arizona at the University of San Diego --

can all fit comfortably next to one another on a single sofa.

Seniors Kelly Wing, Ashlie Hain, Sami Cash and Dana Kurzbard are,

as one would expect, proud of the impact they have had on fifth-year

coach Charlie Brande’s program.

UCI went 19-11 in 2002 and 24-10 last year, capping the school

single-season win record with the program’s first NCAA tournament

triumph (a five-gamer over Missouri). The ‘Eaters are 18-10 as they

meet the 18-10 Wildcats.

But the veteran quartet will, perhaps, treasure even more, the

impact they have had on one another, after arriving together as

impressionable freshmen.

“Once in a while, you see groups in athletics go through

experiences together where you know, 30 years from now, they’ll all

be the best of friends,” Brande said. “These girls are all going to

be in each other’s weddings and on each other’s Christmas card lists

forever.”

Wing, who became the program’s first All-American last season, is

the most physically gifted of the bunch. A 5-foot-11 outside hitter,

her 2,246 career kills are tops in UCI annals and No. 2 in Big West

Conference history. The Big West Player of the Year this season, she

also ranks No. 1 at UCI in career aces (171), and needs just four

digs to move atop the school career list in that category.

“She’s the first person people see when they watch us play,”

Brande said. “She does things most people can’t do. Her

sideline-to-sideline movement is so fast and here arm-swing is so

quick, it makes her very exciting to watch.”

Hain, a four-year starter at setter, is tops at UCI and No. 2 in

Big West annals with 5,676 career assists. A cerebral player who was

first-team all-conference as a junior, she’s the team’s stabilizing

force.

“She’s the engineer who distributes the ball and she’s uncannily

smart about where to put it,” Brande said.

Cash, a 6-3 middle blocker, is a repeat first-team all-conference

honoree. Her .477 hitting percentage led the Big West and ranks third

in the nation.

“She sees the block and the defense and puts the ball where

they’re not,” Brande said. “She has really come so far and worked so

hard to strengthen her body and refine her game.”

Kurzbard, a 6-5 middle, is the least statistically obvious. But

Brande said her contributions are anything but underrated by opposing

coaches.

“I think the player other teams are most affected by is Dana,”

Brande said. “Because of what she can do with her blocking, other

teams have to alter their game and their lineup.”

Kurzbard’s personality, however, may have an even more dynamic

effect on those who share her side of the net.

“Dana gives the team life,’ Hain said. “She’s just vibrant and is

always doing something to pick everyone else up.”

Wing’s aforementioned athleticism was lauded by all three of her

senior teammates, who universally regard the four-time all-conference

performer as a caring friend.

“She has saved our butt on the court a few times,” Hain said. “She

just gives and gives and gives to the team.”

Hain’s leadership and competitive drive are intangibles her

teammates believe complement her ample setting skills.

Cash’s kind-hearted personality and her relentless work ethic

generated praise from her three fellow seniors, who also believe her

improvement as a player has mirrored the progress of the program.

“They’re all unique, but they are one,” Brande said.