Before last season’s NCAA Tournament, junior setter Ashley Lee was just beginning the early stages of rehabilitating a torn posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in her right knee.
This time around, Lee will be on the floor and a key component as the Long Beach State women’s volleyball team travels to Pauley Pavilion to play the UCLA Bruins in the first round Friday at 8 p.m.
“It’s gonna be extremely fun,” Lee said. “Last year it was hard being on the sidelines.”
The 5-foot-8 La Habra Heights native, who switched from outside hitter to setter at the beginning of the season, averaged 10.69 assists per set to help guide the 49ers to a 22-8 record and back-to-back Big West Conference titles.
“Long Beach has a very good offense and it threw us off a bit last time,” UCLA head coach Andy Banachowski said on Wednesday.
“Last time” resulted in a three-set sweep over the Bruins at the Cal State Fullerton tournament in mid-September.
“I know we’re a lot better going through the [Pacific-10 Conference] season,” Banachowski said, “but I’m sure Long Beach has gotten better, as well.”
Instead of a neutral site, this meeting will occur on the Bruins’ home court, where they are 14-0 all-time in first and second round matches since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1998. This season, UCLA (23-8) is 7-2 at home.
“I hope it’s a big advantage for us,” Banachowski said. “I’m sure the Long Beach faithful will come out in full force … but it’s got to help us being at home.”
The 43-year head coach wasn’t too concerned with the early-season defeat, adding that it’s not easy to duplicate against an evenly matched team.
UCLA will be without freshman outside hitter Mari Hole, who broke her pinky on a blocking drill in practice on Tuesday and will miss the entire postseason, according to the Daily Bruin Twitter feed.
“[Hole] worked her way in the starting lineup and was contributing a bit,” Banachowski said. “Going to need more from outside hitters Bojana Todorovic and Dicey McGraw.”
Hole appeared in 28 of the Bruins’ 31 matches — starting in 11 matches — and 69 of 114 sets. She ranked fourth on the team with 2.09 kills per set, and recorded six kills but seven hitting errors against the 49ers in the first meeting.
The winner will advance to face the Baylor/Georgia Tech winner on Saturday at 7 p.m.