A splashy seventh place finish at the NCAA Championships last year has the UCLA women's swimming team eager to build on its success.

It won't be easy.

Seven seniors who played a key role on that team have graduated, leaving the Bruins a bit short-handed as they prepare to open the season at home against UC Santa Barbara and Oregon State on Saturday.

"This team is very different from teams I've had in the past," said coach Cyndi Gallagher. "But we're still going to be in the top five in the Pac-10, and we're going to compete in the NCAAs."

Saturday's meet will likely serve as more of a warm-up than a true test of how the Bruins compare to the elite. Last season, the Bruins defeated UC Santa Barbara 152.5-102.5 and beat Oregon State 148-108. However, it will have to be some of the incoming swimmers who secure the points this year around.

Nevertheless, even without last year's seniors, Gallagher believes this year's squad is capable of another top-ten finish. Stanford, Cal, Arizona, and USC all figure to be strong this year, so the Bruins will need to perform well just to finish in the top half of the Pac-10.

Because this year's team is so inexperienced, UCLA does not have the same strengths as it has had in the past. The sprint relays, where the team receives double points and where the Bruins have historically been strong, are still untested.

"We have to find out who is going to be a part of these relays," Gallagher said. "But we're expecting people to step up. We're hoping Amy Thurman, Kim Vandenberg, and Katie Arnold will do well."

Vandenberg, who nearly made the U.S. Olympic team over the summer, appears primed to be one of those people who will step up. The junior is the most talented swimmer on the team and should continue her growth as a swimmer this year.

"Kim Vandenberg is swimming fast," Gallagher said. "She has the opportunity, talent, and competitiveness to set herself apart this year. She needs to dedicate herself to training and getting enough sleep. Nearly everyone that beat her in the [Olympic Trials] is still in college."

Vandenberg is expected to perform especially well in the sprints, and butterfly in particular. Other swimmers who appear likely to have good years are Katie Arnold in backstroke, Nicolette Teo in breaststroke, and Kim Scarborough in the individual medley. Katie Nelson, who competed in the Olympic Trials over the summer, is just a sophomore and should also swim well this year in the freestyle.

The Bruins will use this weekend's meet to get their first look at star newcomers Teo and Chiemi Yamamoto. Teo is a two-time Olympian from Singapore and Yamamoto is a top swimmer from Japan.

"It's going to be really good to see how they perform," Gallagher said. "We're going to know more about our team after this week."