WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL NCAA TOURNAMENT : UCLA Streaks Past BYU, Advances to Final Four

There was no stopping top-ranked UCLA in the NCAA Division I women’s volleyball West Region final on Saturday night in Pauley Pavilion.

Not when the Bruins’ five starting seniors were making their final appearance on their home court. And not with the chance to win an unprecedented third national championship only one week away.

UCLA defeated Brigham Young, 15-5, 15-8, 15-9. The Bruins (32-0) advance to the final four in Albuquerque, N.M., Dec. 17-19.

Natalie Williams led UCLA with 21 kills, breaking by 19 kills UCLA’s former record of 2,044 held by UCLA assistant coach Liz Masakayan.

UCLA ended Brigham Young’s 28-match winning streak. The Cougars (29-4), Western Athletic Conference champions, lost three matches in the beginning of the season to UCLA, Florida and Stanford.

When Tea Nieminen, the Western Athletic Conference player of the year, collided with teammate Michele Fellows on a dig and left the court holding her knee during the first game, Brigham Young seemed to let down.

Nieminen, who has been recovering from knee surgery this season, returned to the game, but with UCLA leading, 12-3, it was too late.

UCLA’s five starting seniors are middle blockers Marissa Hatchett and Lisa Hudak and outside hitters Elaine Youngs, Jenny Evans and Williams. The Bruins’ only non-senior starter is junior setter Julie Bremner, who played for the United States national team in 1989-90.

“This is, I think, the greatest collection of talent that I’ve ever seen,” said Elaine Michaelis, 31-year veteran Brigham Young coach.

At the final four, UCLA will play fifth-ranked Florida (34-1), South Region champion, in the semifinal. Third-ranked Cal State Long Beach (30-2), Northwest Region champion, will play second-ranked Stanford (29-2), Mideast Region champion, in the other semifinal.