POSTMATCH QUOTES – UCLA vs. Fairfield
POSTMATCH QUOTES
UCLA 3, Fairfield 0
December 3, 2021
UCLA Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Michael Sealy
opening statement
“First and foremost, congratulations to Fairfield on a great season. That’s one of those well-coached teams that you knew was going to execute really, really well and that they were going to come out on fire. And I think, in all honesty, they probably outplayed us in almost all facets of the game. I think we have some height advantages and I think we have some physical advantages that allow us to get through that, but I think they were well-prepared, well-coached and that they were pretty darn impressive tonight.”
on battling from being down late in the first and third sets
“We’ve done that a lot this year where we’ve been in situations where we’re down 22-24 (and) make some plays at the end. I don’t love the fact that you need something so drastic to create a sense of urgency. And look, this is the first round of the tournament. It’s nerves. You’re across the country and there’s going to be a million matches like this, so to get a win 3-0, you just have to get excited about that and move on. But I think until we’re willing to have a vision of what it looks and feels like to play at the level of what we want to play and then do whatever you have to do to play at that level, I think you’re going to find yourself in some situations of having to tune off, find it and push. I’m very thankful that some people made some great plays that were tough in the last moments, but we all know in this tournament, you just can’t wait ‘til the last minutes to get points.”
on navigating nerves in the tournament
“The challenge for me is that this team is really connected with this collective effort. So, unfortunately, it’s like when things are amazing or connected, boom, we’re all together. When things aren’t going well, and someone’s having a rough time and gets timid, we will tend to all become that. It’s a personal responsibility – we just talked about it in the locker room – it’s someone’s personal responsibility to find that badass self and go be it. People may have different ways of finding it. There is ways to hijack the brain to get out of – because once you’re in fight or flight, different parts of your brain work. So how do you get the right part working so you can get back on track. It may be different for a lot of different people, but they can’t sit and wait. They can’t wait and (be) like, ‘Hey, Mac’s nervous. Oh, cool. I’m going to sit back and wait.’ No, I’ve got to get myself going. I can’t worry. I’m rowing the boat (and) she’s got to catch up. Too many times we’ve waited to so that everybody can get in the boat before we get going.”
graduate outside hitter/opposite Mac May
on the team’s performance tonight
“I think the same thing. We just had a lot of nerves coming out in the first round. NCAA (Tournament) is intimidating, honestly. For us to kind of work through the nerves and uneasiness of it, I’m proud of our team for just sticking through that. And Fairfield is an incredible team. They had a great game, so I’m glad that we just fought through the awkwardness and nerves and happy that we were able to finish strong.”
on Fairfield’s early blocks in the first set
“I think we came in thinking and wanting to really blast the first round (and) had this expectation that we would be able to do that and I think it just turned into a lot of reaching at balls into their well-formed block and getting a little to eager to score when we should probably have been making smarter plays.”
on navigating nerves in the tournament
“Nerves are tricky because when you’re feeling them yourself, it’s kinda hard to be convincing. But I think just for me, I like to breathe though it and try to keep a calmness to myself and try to help radiate that, but when things start to get a little tense and you’re feeling the tense nature of everyone else and you want to do more, sometimes more is not the answer. I think, as a leader, just continue to calm down the nerves and have teammates’ backs and go play.”
redshirt sophomore middle blocker Anna Dodson
on Fairfield’s early blocks in the first set
“I think Fairfield put up a really great block, first and foremost. And I think it was navigating around that and adjusting which I think we eventually did do. I think we’re just trying to fine tune everything right now and prepare for the next game.”
on navigating nerves in the tournament
“I think along the same lines, it’s getting everyone to be bought in. Everyone feeling that we are all there for each other throughout the entire game, the entire match.”
UCLA 3, Fairfield 0
December 3, 2021
UCLA Women’s Volleyball Head Coach Michael Sealy
opening statement
“First and foremost, congratulations to Fairfield on a great season. That’s one of those well-coached teams that you knew was going to execute really, really well and that they were going to come out on fire. And I think, in all honesty, they probably outplayed us in almost all facets of the game. I think we have some height advantages and I think we have some physical advantages that allow us to get through that, but I think they were well-prepared, well-coached and that they were pretty darn impressive tonight.”
on battling from being down late in the first and third sets
“We’ve done that a lot this year where we’ve been in situations where we’re down 22-24 (and) make some plays at the end. I don’t love the fact that you need something so drastic to create a sense of urgency. And look, this is the first round of the tournament. It’s nerves. You’re across the country and there’s going to be a million matches like this, so to get a win 3-0, you just have to get excited about that and move on. But I think until we’re willing to have a vision of what it looks and feels like to play at the level of what we want to play and then do whatever you have to do to play at that level, I think you’re going to find yourself in some situations of having to tune off, find it and push. I’m very thankful that some people made some great plays that were tough in the last moments, but we all know in this tournament, you just can’t wait ‘til the last minutes to get points.”
on navigating nerves in the tournament
“The challenge for me is that this team is really connected with this collective effort. So, unfortunately, it’s like when things are amazing or connected, boom, we’re all together. When things aren’t going well, and someone’s having a rough time and gets timid, we will tend to all become that. It’s a personal responsibility – we just talked about it in the locker room – it’s someone’s personal responsibility to find that badass self and go be it. People may have different ways of finding it. There is ways to hijack the brain to get out of – because once you’re in fight or flight, different parts of your brain work. So how do you get the right part working so you can get back on track. It may be different for a lot of different people, but they can’t sit and wait. They can’t wait and (be) like, ‘Hey, Mac’s nervous. Oh, cool. I’m going to sit back and wait.’ No, I’ve got to get myself going. I can’t worry. I’m rowing the boat (and) she’s got to catch up. Too many times we’ve waited to so that everybody can get in the boat before we get going.”
graduate outside hitter/opposite Mac May
on the team’s performance tonight
“I think the same thing. We just had a lot of nerves coming out in the first round. NCAA (Tournament) is intimidating, honestly. For us to kind of work through the nerves and uneasiness of it, I’m proud of our team for just sticking through that. And Fairfield is an incredible team. They had a great game, so I’m glad that we just fought through the awkwardness and nerves and happy that we were able to finish strong.”
on Fairfield’s early blocks in the first set
“I think we came in thinking and wanting to really blast the first round (and) had this expectation that we would be able to do that and I think it just turned into a lot of reaching at balls into their well-formed block and getting a little to eager to score when we should probably have been making smarter plays.”
on navigating nerves in the tournament
“Nerves are tricky because when you’re feeling them yourself, it’s kinda hard to be convincing. But I think just for me, I like to breathe though it and try to keep a calmness to myself and try to help radiate that, but when things start to get a little tense and you’re feeling the tense nature of everyone else and you want to do more, sometimes more is not the answer. I think, as a leader, just continue to calm down the nerves and have teammates’ backs and go play.”
redshirt sophomore middle blocker Anna Dodson
on Fairfield’s early blocks in the first set
“I think Fairfield put up a really great block, first and foremost. And I think it was navigating around that and adjusting which I think we eventually did do. I think we’re just trying to fine tune everything right now and prepare for the next game.”
on navigating nerves in the tournament
“I think along the same lines, it’s getting everyone to be bought in. Everyone feeling that we are all there for each other throughout the entire game, the entire match.”