Northridge’s Fortunes Could Hinge on the Health of Ma

Nancy Ma is playing the waiting game, while teammates and coaches anticipate the outcome.

With two key questions yet to be answered--about her right knee and her frame of mind--the bigger question may be how the Cal State Northridge women’s volleyball team can cope without Ma in early matches.

The senior outside hitter is easing into two-a-day practices and isn’t expected to play for another month after an excruciating off-season.

She endured a season-ending knee injury last September and, in March, was accused of academic improprieties by two former teammates who said they completed schoolwork for her. One of the former teammates also alleged that Ma’s roommate completed a test for her.

Ma was cleared by an in-house investigation by Northridge athletic officials. A subsequent investigation by the NCAA also found no wrongdoing.

Northridge Coach Lian Lu said Ma was angered by the allegations and their appearance in local newspapers.

“She doesn’t understand the U.S. system,” Lu said of Ma, a native of China.

“Our country [here] is democratic. People can come up and ask you questions, like they’re doing to President Clinton right now. But she’s a very quiet girl.”

How quiet?

Ma told Northridge athletic officials she will not speak to the media this season.

“She does not feel comfortable doing any interviews at all,” Northridge Athletic Director Paul Bubb said. “But I told her we have certain obligations, and being available after games is one of those.”

When Ma will play in a match is another question.

She injured her right knee last year after landing on an opponent’s foot in a match against Weber State.

She had surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament and did not participate in the team’s spring drills.

Ma has been given permission to play by the Northridge training staff--”She’s ready and rarin’ to go, as far as we’re concerned,” assistant trainer Ken Howat said--but Lu said he prefers to hold Ma out of the Matadors’ first six matches, all of them nonconference.

Ma’s targeted return date is the Big Sky Conference opener Sept. 17 at Eastern Washington.

“We need to fight for our conference,” Lu said. “We don’t want her to get hurt. We need to be careful.

“Sometimes, after a knee injury, people come back and are OK. But sometimes, people come back and still have trouble.

“Even if she comes back, she might not be full strength.”

Right now, Ma is only playing back-row defense in practice. There doesn’t appear to be a rush to put her in the front row and have her swinging at balls.

Ma’s questionable status may be why the Matadors were picked to finish fourth out of eight teams in a preseason poll of Big Sky coaches.

Ma was the main reason why the Matadors won the conference title in 1996, her last full season.

It’s understandable opposing coaches want to see Ma in action before they anoint the Matadors--an inexperienced team, even with Ma in the lineup--as the conference favorite.

She likely will be replaced in nonconference matches by freshman Alexis Cormier, but teammates think Ma will soon be ready.

“Nancy looks great to me,” said co-captain Crystal Newquist. “She looks like she’s ready to bang some balls.”