One day, they are Brittanys. The next, Sophies. A week later, Lilis. On Tuesday, they may be dominant three-point shooters. On Thursday, they may be quick to drive to the basket – their purpose is adaptation. Read more...
Photo: Fourth-year Aaron Willis, third-year Preston Dillingham and third-year Winston Boyce all played high school basketball and had Division I aspirations, but found their place on the practice squad instead. (Angie Wang/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Tony Parker is the king of the press conference. After recent success at the free throw line, Parker, a 53.5 percent free throw shooter, likened himself to a hybrid mutation of NBA sharpshooting guards Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and added LeBron James to the mix as well for good measure. Read more...
Photo: Junior forward/center Tony Parker is coming into his own this season after struggling to adjust during his freshman and sophomore seasons. After winning the Georgia State championship all four years of high school, dealing with adversity in college is a new experience for Parker. (Erin Ng/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Freshman LaNiesha-Jopré Irvin twisted through the air and finished her vault routine with a solid landing, instilling a balance she has been working on all her life. Read more...
Photo: Prior to making the decision to compete for UCLA gymnastics, freshman LaNiesha-Jopré Irvin handled the balancing act of competing in gymnastics meets and pursuing an acting career. Although Irvin has taken a hiatus from the latter while she’s at UCLA, she said she is certain to resume a career as an actress once she graduates. (Aubrey Yeo/Daily Bruin senior staff)
For six years, Raymond Ajoc lived about 100 steps away from a tennis court. But, for the six years before high school, he had never used it. Read more...
Photo: Fourth-year biology student Raymond Ajoc was able to find a way to pay for his tuition at UCLA after landing a spot as a manager for the men’s tennis team and subsequently earning an athletic scholarship. Ajoc is one of the most reliable racket stringers on the team, able to complete the racket stringing process in about 12 minutes. (Owen Emerson/Daily Bruin)
The box score from any recent UCLA men’s volleyball game tells the same story: freshman Jake Arnitz has made an instant impact for the Bruins. The outside hitter already averages more than three kills per set – the most on the team – and has earned himself a recurring role in coach John Speraw’s starting lineup. Read more...
Photo: Freshman outside hitter Jake Arnitz averages more than three kills per set – the highest on the UCLA men’s volleyball team. (Heidy Cadena/Daily Bruin)
Practice was winding down. The UCLA men’s tennis team was finishing stretching and packing up. Players were talking about where they were going to eat, while others were talking about what midterms they had to study for that week. Read more...
Photo: For Joseph Di Giulio, the tennis courts are where the sophomore finds solace, a place where he escapes from problems small and large. (Jose Ubeda/Daily Bruin staff)
Alfred Aboya had never seen snow. Clad in flip-flops and shorts, the 18-year-old unfolded his 6-foot-8 frame from the confines of the minivan that transported his life to the grounds of the Tilton School in New Hampshire, landing him on a prep school campus covered in a white blanket of winter weather. Read more...
Photo: Alfred Aboya played four seasons for UCLA, a pit stop in a journey that took him from his native Cameroon to prep school on the East Coast, college in Westwood and a professional career overseas. (Daily Bruin file photo)
