Three Triton athletic programs are entering NCAA post-season championships and you can be there every step of the way. Check back daily for photo updates, blogs and your inside look as to how the teams are doing in their quest for a National Championship.
NCAA WOMEN'S WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS - Ann Arbor, MI
Question of the Day - Friday, May 13
Question: Where did today rank on your list of water polo experiences and what made it special?
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Sarah Lizotte
Freshman from Riverside, CA
"Playing Cal is definitely up there. As a team, we need to play teams with great talent--that will only make us better. Being my freshman year, I've never played against a team with that much talent and it was nice to share that experience with my team."
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Natalie Peng
Freshman from Bellflower, CA
"It was definitely a highlight. Being at a national tournament, the whole atmosphere is completely different. It's more exciting, just the way everything is set up, and playing such a high-ranked team like Cal."
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Championship Report - Thursday, May 12
At tonight's NCAA Women's Water Polo Banquet, held at University of Michigan's Ross Business Center, representatives from each of the eight participating teams were selected to make a brief presentation. UC San Diego's speaker was junior Kelsey Schultz who, ironically, hails from Ann Arbor, MI. Here's what she and two of her teammates had to say about her performance at the dais.
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Kelsey Schultz
Junior from Ann Arbor, MI
"It was a bit overwhelming. I usually very comfortable with public speaking but I don't think I've ever been so nervous. Looking out over the audience and seeing people like Matt Anderson (Michigan coach) and Betsy Armstrong (USA Olympic goalie) looking up at me was a little surreal. I just tried to take calming breaths, look up every once in a while and have fun. I think I did OK. I hope my personality came through despite my nervousness."
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Stephanie Sasaki
Senior from Anaheim, CA
"Kelsey was amazing. It was cool to hear how she represented her hometown and the pride she has in the team. It was almost a little emotional. It made me feel proud to be part of the UCSD family."
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Kristen Ostosh
Senior from La Jolla, CA
"I really like it and I thought it was the best because it was so sincere. She was also different because she's from Ann Arbor and it provided a different point-of-view."
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NCAA WOMEN'S WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS - Ann Arbor, MI
The Question of the Day - Wednesday, May 11
Question: "For you, what was the best part of making the NCAA Championship field?"
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Felicia Orozco
Senior from Sylmar, CA
"Winning WWPA's and getting the bid to NCAA's was the best because our win was a total team effort. We endured many hardships this season, but we persevered, and we peaked when it counted most. I feel so privileged to have qualified for NCAA's and to have the opportunity to compete against the nation's best. Making it to NCAA's in my senior year is a wonderful way to finish out my athletic career."
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Jessica Tran
Junior from Irvine, CA
"I feel like the best part of making NCAA's this year was the feeling of accomplishment and finally realizing that we are capable of playing at this high a caliber. After all the games that didn't swing in our favor, we still fought and worked even harder year-after-year. Now, in my third year as a Triton, we finally accomplished one of our biggest goals, which was to beat our conference rival LMU and made it to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 11 years. Beating them by two goals and with all the adversities during the game, made the win that much sweeter; and at that point, I realized that we've come so far as a team and that we have so much more to accomplish next year."
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Kirsten Bates
Junior from Reedly, CA
"For me, the best part of making it to NCAA's is knowing all of our hard work has paid off in success, which gives us a chance to show our stuff on the biggest stage possible for collegiate water polo."
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NCAA DIVISION II MEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS - Altamonte Springs, FL
The Question of the Day - Wednesday, May 11
Question: "What do you think will be the key for your team in its opening round match-up against No. 13 Columbus State?"
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Jason Wall
Junior from Long Beach, CA
"I believe if we just play our game, do what we do best, and grind for our lives we will be successful. We did these things during season and look what happened-we were very successful. With our team being so close we will rely on each other and push each other to win! I don't think it will be just a single player that will come through for us. We just need to play a solid match, make shots and understand that we are going to miss."
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Junya Yoshida
Sophomore from Irvine
"The key for us against Columbus State is to play as competitively and confidently as we have in our past 20 matches. We must also keep our composure no matter what happens throughout the course of the match. We all work and play as a team, so EVERYONE is poised for a big performance. No one individual is going to have a big performance, because there is no "I" in team, but there's a "Me" ;)"
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Erik Elliott
Senior from San Juan Capistrano, CA
"It will be absolutely key for us to have a strong start in doubles, because it's always tough to come back from a 3-0 deficit in any match. Vince (Nguyen) will come through in the clutch when it's tied 4-4."
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The Question of the Day - Tuesday, May 10
Question: "What's it like traveling with the UCSD Men's Tennis team and what was the most interesting thing that happened on this trip to Florida?"
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Sam Ling
Junior from Los Altos, CA
"Traveling with my team is always really fun, because I'm basically traveling with my best friends. Since we were all separated on the flight to Orlando, I sat next to an interesting pilot from Hong Kong. He told me that he would give me a free flight to Australia if I came to visit Hong Kong this summer, which I am. I'm going to go see the kangaroos!" |
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Chapman Chan
Junior from Westlake Village, CA
"UCSD Men's Tennis team travels are great because all of your expenses are paid for. That includes not only my flight, but also my lunch and dinner and snacks. When we landed in Orlando, we walked away from our coaches because they were getting our rental cars while we were picking up our bags. We got a little lost but one of those Disney representatives using his giant Mickey Mouse hand helped point us in the right direction."
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