Youngs’ Return Gives No. 1 Bruins a Boost : Volleyball: Outside hitter, back after suffering knee injury, leads UCLA into Final Four match against Nebraska.

When Elaine Youngs tore a knee ligament during warmups last month, her first thoughts were of herself.

“I thought my season was over,” she said.

Youngs was not worried about the UCLA women’s volleyball team. The Bruins, with the NCAA playoffs just a few weeks away, were expected to keep rolling with or without Youngs.

“It didn’t really slow us down that much,” Coach Andy Banachowski said, “because with (Jenny) Evans and (Samantha) Shaver we were able to utilize our depth, and those players came through.

“Everybody kind of took up the slack of not having Elaine out there and upped their level of performance a little bit, and I think it brought the team a little closer together because everybody realized they had to contribute a little bit more and they did.”

Said senior middle blocker Daiva Tomkus: “Our team is so good depth-wise and power-wise, but it’s kind of sad but true that if somebody gets injured, we’re not really in that crucial a situation.”

Youngs said that with the exception of the middle blocker--considered a tougher position and one filled exceptionally well by Tomkus--losing a player for a few games should not adversely affect the talent-laden Bruins.

“If an outside hitter gets hurt, we’re OK,” she said. “We have a deep bench; everybody’s ready to play.”

But Youngs, by far the team leader with an average of 4.6 kills a game, was missed after all. The top-ranked Bruins lost to No. 3 University of the Pacific in five sets as she watched from the sideline.

“It was hard for me to watch that,” Youngs said of the Nov. 26 match. “I feel I could have made a difference.”

But now the 6-foot sophomore outside hitter, named a first-team All-American along with Tomkus on Wednesday, is making a difference.

Having returned ahead of schedule, with the help of six hours of daily rehabilitation under trainers Val Girand and Lorita Granger, Youngs helped propel the Bruins into the Final Four, which begins tonight in Hawaii.

UCLA (30-2) plays Nebraska (28-3) after the 8 p.m. (PST) match, which pits Cal State Long Beach (30-5) against Texas Arlington (31-3).

What does the presence of Youngs, who missed six matches after her injury, give the talent-rich Bruins?

“She’s an excellent passer and she gives us more blocking and more hitting power,” Banachowski said. “And she’s a good defensive player. . . . Her game is complete.”

Youngs played for the first time since the Nov. 11 injury on Friday in a West Regional semifinal against Arizona.

With the Bruins trailing in the first game, 12-11, Youngs was called on, and she put away the first ball she was set. “I kind of felt into it,” she said. “I was watching the game and saw that one of the girls didn’t start off too hot, so I thought there could be a chance at any time that I could be in there. I was ready.”

Youngs, from El Toro High sparked the Bruins to victory, 15-11, 16-14, 16-14. UCLA then defeated Wyoming in three sets to advance to the Final Four.

In her limited time in two postseason matches, Youngs hit .378 and had 22 kills. Throughout the course of the season, she hit .292, well above outside hitters Shaver (.207) and Evans (.188).

“We figure she has given us almost 100 more points than any other outside hitter, with the exception of Natalie Williams,” Banachowski said.

But is Youngs fully recovered?

“Right now, I’m about 85% and I think me at 85% is still better than some people at 100%,” she said. “As long as I’m not getting blocked off the court, I can handle it.”