After a two-win week, the Bruins have been dealing with a new goal over the last few days: keeping their confidence in check.
The No. 6 Bruins (11-8, 7-6) take on the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (6-11, 4-9) tonight at the John Wooden Center after two straight showings, against USC and Pepperdine, in which they didn’t drop a set.
They might be heavily favored to continue their winning streak against a team they’ve already beaten twice this season, but coach John Speraw knows his team can’t afford to take any team lightly, or get too confident.
“Most importantly, it’s about respect and discipline for us. We need to make sure that we respect every opponent’s ability to come here and beat us,” Speraw said. “We need to continue to be professional in the way we handle ourselves in preparation for matches.”
It’s been a tumultuous season so far, but things are finally looking up for the Bruins. They’re playing their best volleyball of the season at the moment, thanks in large part to some much-needed technical improvements.
“(Serving and passing) have been a big part of our success over the last couple of matches,” Speraw said. “With the shot selection and the choices our hitters are making, I think we’re just doing a real nice job in those areas of the game right now.”
They said that they are trying to avoid a letdown after their recent big win in Malibu, Calif.
“(Pepperdine) was a huge win for us,” said freshman setter Steve O’Dell. “Now we’re just going to try to keep improving every play, every set and every match.”
According to the players, the team has a new attitude that will help prevent the letdown. In fact, it’s this new mentality that has helped the team make the technical advancements it has been able to make recently.
“What changed recently was our mindset and focus on game days and in the way we practiced,” said junior middle blocker Spencer Rowe. “We realized we really needed to tighten up as a team and be more businesslike in the way we handle ourselves.”
Enacting this new businesslike approach is probably a result of several changes. For one, the Bruins were not playing consistently earlier in the season. But now that the team has reached the latter part of the season, the stakes are going up and the pressure is mounting with every match as it gets closer to tournament time.
“I want (the players) to have fun but I don’t want them to get loose,” Speraw said. “I think the last couple games they’ve been quite focused in the way that they’ve been handling themselves both on and off the court.”