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Team Name: Psychos
Captains: Brittany “Agave” Cabriales & Sarah Skye “Joule” McNees
Coaches: Shar Stuht & Vivi Mai
2010 Record: 29-21
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Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get involved with Ultimate at UCSD?
Brittany “Agave” Cabriales: I met a few of the girls my freshman year and they would always talk about how fun Ultimate was. And so, I decided to go out for my second year. I ended up falling in love with the sport and my teammates…. I was immediately hooked!
What was the highlight of your season?
Brittany: Beating UCLA on universe point at Sectionals. Or winning the Stanford Open and “champ-ing” it up for several days thereafter. Too close to call.
Who is your favorite team to play against?
Brittany: Oregon because they’re cute and always so nice. Plus, at Stanford Invite, we played amazing against them.
Tell us about your coaches and captains. What do they bring to your team?
Michelle “Chip” Chang: Our coaches this year definitely bring a lot of experience to our young team and we will definitely grow. And along with the strong leadership they bring, our captains also bring a strong work ethic that our team respects and looks up to. But in the end, it’s all about having fun, working hard, and being the life of the party. Oh and more Ultimate, less not Ultimate.
Are there players on your team who deserve consideration for Callahan, All-Region, or Freshman of the Year?
Michelle: This past year Natalie “Imli” Halstead won Freshman of the Year for the Southwest. We also have Joule, one of the captains this year, who will also be a huge threat for our team. She brings speed on both offense and defense that will help win games.
Photo by Michelle "Chip" Chang
Without giving too much away, what does your team like to do on offense and on defense?
Brittany: This year is going to bring a lot of change… with new coaches and only several girls returning, we’re ready to experiment with new offenses and defenses to see what works best. I guess we won’t know any specifics until our roster has been set and season rolls in.
Has your team set any goals for this season?
Brittany: We know it’ll be hard and we’re a really young team, but we would love to make Nationals. We also know that the new college region restructuring will make this even more difficult, but we are ready to work hard and show everyone that UC San Diego should be a threat throughout the season.
What has your team been doing this fall to prepare for the spring season?
Brittany: We’ve really been focusing on the basics. Throwing, marking, continuation cuts, etc. We really want to teach our rookies the fundamentals and when season comes around, it’ll be easier to transition into the more difficult concepts.
What tournaments do you plan to attend in the spring? Which one are you most looking forward to?
Brittany: We usually always go to the Santa Barbara Invite, Pres Day Invite (which we host), Stanford Invite, and Centex just to name a few. I always really look forward to Centex because we get to travel and play a lot of teams who we don’t usually see on the west coast. Plus, it’s spring break, so it’s always a fun time.
What does your team do to get pumped up for a big game?
Brittany : We love chanting and blasting jams.
What do you think about the USA Ultimate college restructuring?
Brittany: The restructure definitely makes our region a very competitive one. With so may strong programs competing for just a few bids, Regionals is sure to include some exciting match-ups with some of the best teams from around the nation. Making Nationals will for sure be a challenge for us, but we’re ready and excited to practice and train even harder to be a nationally competitive team.
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