Watching the 34 members of UCLA’s women’s swimming and diving team go through their afternoon practice at Spieker Aquatics Center is quite different from watching most other sports’ practices.

Senior team captain Ting Quah glides through the water. Photo by David Black

For one thing, there are no whistles, grunts or shoes squeaking — just the sound of soft splashing as the swimmers slice effortlessly through the water, completing lap after lap. Or the reverberation of the springboards as the divers execute graceful somersaults, pikes and tucks. The only sounds interrupting this peaceful scene are occasional shouts of encouragement or instruction from Head Swimming Coach Cyndi Gallagher and Head Diving Coach Tom Stebbins.

Don’t let the tranquility fool you, though.

On this gorgeous October afternoon at Dirks Pool, there’s a feeling of anticipation in the air, heightened by the news that UCLA’s 2013 recruiting class was ranked among the top 12 classes in the country by SwimSwam.com, a popular swimming website.

Late last summer, SwimSwam.com reported that UCLA had earned the No. 9 ranking for its recruiting class by fighting off perennial California powerhouses Stanford, UC Berkeley and USC and grabbing not just one, but two, of the top five recruits in the state.

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