During practice, the men’s water polo team can be heard heard before one can see the entrance to Speiker, bantering and discussing plays in the midst of scrimmages.

From the sidelines during games, their voices are audible over the lapping water, over the cheers of the crowd.

It wasn’t always so. When asked why the team is so communicative, junior Josh Samuels has a simple answer:

“Last year.”

The 2010 water polo team was gifted, but they failed to go all the way. According to Samuels, this was simply due to an inability to communicate. The many returnees from last year’s team do not want to see 2011 end in the same disappointment.

“Last year, we were really talented but when we’d get in situations in games, the communication would stop, individuals would take over, it didn’t work,” Samuels said. “That’s not the case this year.”

Many on the team agreed that the team’s ability to talk and work together is what has gotten them to the number one spot and is what will carry through the small but tough stretch of season they have left.

This week, UCLA plays two vital away games. Today, they face No. 7 Long Beach State, and on Saturday, No. 9 Pepperdine.

Coming off a weekend which brought forth two wins, the Bruins are still working to improve.

“We’re trying to get better each week,” coach Adam Wright said. “We’re trying to sharpen up the things we’ve been working on since the first week of the season.”

The team’s focus this year has been defense. They have not been reaching their defensive aim–their objective is to limit opponents to six goals per match.

Their games against top teams have been back-and-forth, won only by one or two goals. Many goals that have gone in were not the goalie’s responsibility, but rather should have been simple field blocks.

Redshirt junior goalie Matt Rapacz has been working with the defense to improve that area of the game, and thinks they have reached a good medium.

“It’s a two way street, I talk to them they talk to me… we go back and forth and spitball it.”

With a Thursday game comes a shortened work week. The team only had Tuesday and Wednesday to prepare, but coach Wright is not worried.

“We have two hard games, but the best time to get better is in the live game,” Wright said.

Although the team is not taking its ranking for granted, they are happy with the position it puts them in. Samuels said it is a positive place to be in at this point in the season with a tough schedule coming up against conference foes.

The team is looking towards two of those foes, Long Beach and Pepperdine, with a good outlook on what the competition will bring them.

“If they get a few goals, they’ll build off that, if they see a light at the end of the tunnel, they’ll keep charging,” Rapacz said.

“We have to stomp them early and let them know we aren’t messing around.”