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Friday, Oct. 9
#12 UCLA at Utah
5 p.m. PT
Jon M. Huntsman Center
Live TV: Pac-12 Los Angeles
Live Stats: UCLABruins.com
Twitter Updates: @uclawomensvb
Sunday, Oct. 11
#12 UCLA at RV Colorado
11 a.m. PT
Coors Events Center
Live TV: Pac-12 Networks/Los Angeles
Live Stats: UCLABruins.com
Twitter Updates: @uclawomensvb
12TH-RANKED BRUINS TRAVEL TO UTAH, COLORADO
The 12th-ranked Bruins head east this weekend to take on Utah on Friday at 5 p.m. PT and Colorado on Sunday at 11 a.m. PT. The Friday match will air on Pac-12 Los Angeles, while the Sunday contest will be on Pac-12 Networks and Los Angeles.
BRUINS ON THE NET
Both matches this weekend will feature live stats, with links available on the women's volleyball schedule page on UCLABruins.com. In addition, Twitter updates will be available @uclawomensvb.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Bruins are back home next weekend, taking on #14 Arizona on Friday at 6 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion and #5 Arizona State on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the John Wooden Center. Both matches will air live on Pac-12 Networks.
BRUINS IN THE POLLS
For the fifth straight week, the Bruins gained points in the AVCA rankings, but still fell one spot in the poll. UCLA went from 11th to 12th this week even though it received 29 additional points. Despite that, since coming in at 25th with just 88 points after the opening weekend, the Bruins have jumped up 13 spots and gained 804 points in the last five polls. UCLA is one of seven Pac-12 teams ranked inside the Top 25 (#1 USC, #5 Arizona State, #6 Washington, #7 Stanford, #14 Arizona and #25 Oregon), as well as Colorado, which is receiving votes (37th most). Other ranked or receiving votes teams on the Bruins' schedule include #8 Hawai'i, #29 San Diego and #31 Long Beach State.
BRUINS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Bruins rank in the Top 50 nationally in three statistical categories, coming into the week at 32nd in kills per set (14.00), 37th in assists per set (13.02) and 41st in blocks per set (2.53).Individually, junior Jordan Anderson is sixth in kps (4.80), 10th in points per set (5.16) and 22nd in attacks per set (11.76), while junior Jennie Frager is tied for 46th in bps (1.27).
BRUINS IN THE PAC-12 RANKINGS
UCLA comes into this week's action ranked third among conference teams in digs per set (15.84), fourth in assists (13.02) and kills (14.00) per set and fifth in service aces per set (1.22). Individually, junior Jordan Anderson is second in kps (4.80) and points per set (5.16). Junior Taylor Formico is sixth in dps (3.80), freshman Zana Muno (9.43) and redshirt sophomore Ryann Chandler (8.63) are sixth and ninth, respectively, in assists per set and junior Jennie Frager is eighth in blocks per set (1.27).
NEWS AND NOTES
The Bruins have won 59 straight matches when hitting .300 or better, including Sept. 5 against Iowa (.305), Sept. 18 at UC Irvine (.317) and Sept. 27 at California (season-best .337). UCLA surpassed the .300 mark 12 times last season and also crossed the .400 hitting plateau on three occasions ... over the last two seasons, the Bruins are 31-0 (10-0 this year) when leading the hitting percentage battle ... all 11 UCLA victories have come when hitting .200 or better ... the Bruins have held their opponents at a .202 hitting percentage or lower in 10 of their 11 victories ... junior Jordan Anderson, who leads the Bruins in kills per set (4.80) and has 13 double-figure kills contests, surpassed the 1,000-kill mark on Sept. 13 at UC Santa Barbara. Anderson, who had 889 kills in two seasons at West Virginia, leads the Bruins with 216 and has 1,105 for her career. Anderson posted her fourth match with at least 20 kills on Sunday against Washington State when she had 21 ... sophomore Reily Buechler is second on the team with 10 service aces and eight double-figure kills matches, adding three contests with at least 10 digs. Buechler hit a season-best .429 at California on Sept. 27 with 11 kills and two errors in 21 attempts ... redshirt junior Haley Lawless has at least five kills in nine consecutive matches, averaging 2.76 kills per set during that stretch. She set a new career high with 15 kills at Long Beach State on Sept. 18 ... senior Karly Drolson set a new season high with eight digs against #5 Washington last Friday ... junior Claire Felix has recorded at least seven kills and one or no errors in six contests. She also has four matches with at least five blocks ... freshman Zana Muno has a team-best five double-doubles, including one on Sept. 18 at Long Beach State (25 assists, 17 digs). The Pac-12 Freshman of the Week on Sept. 14 also has aces in three of her last six ... junior Jennie Frager notched a career-best nine blocks at Long Beach State and has a team-leading seven contests with at least five roofs. She also had a career night on offense against Washington, recording nine kills, a .529 hitting percentage and 17 attempts, all personal bests, along with two aces, which tied a career high ... junior Taylor Formico has 11 double-figure digs matches and has at least eight in every contest. The team leader in dps also has an ace in nine of 14 matches and leads the squad with 12 ... senior Rachel Inouye has five double-figure digs matches, including four in a row from Sept. 6-13. She set a new career high with three service aces against Washington State last Sunday ... redshirt sophomore Ryann Chandler posted her second double-double of the season with 29 assists and 11 digs against #5 Washington. She is averaging 11.56 assists per set over her last three contests and also has three aces.
SCOUTING THE UTAH UTES
Utah is 7-8 overall, having dropped its last three Pac-12 matches after winning its league opener over Colorado. The Utes have fallen to Washington State, Oregon State and Oregon, all on the road, including the last two in five sets. Utah is averaging 12.76 kills per set, 1.34 service aces, 14.69 digs and 2.53 blocks per set, hitting .200 as a team. Three players are averaging over 2.00 kps, led by sophomore Adora Anae's 3.98 to go with 3.08 dps, which is second on the squad. Sophomore Eliza Katoa is second with 2.91 kps and redshirt sophomore Carly Trueman is third at 2.07 kps. Redshirt freshman Jessie Jorgensen (5.39) and senior Kendall Cygan (5.34) share setting duties, with Cygan also leading the team in service aces with 15. Junior Tess Sutton is tops on the squad with 3.74 dps, while senior Brenna DeYoung (1.22) junior and Alyssa Koenig (1.11) are each averaging over a block per set.
SERIES HISTORY: BRUINS VS. UTES
UCLA leads the all-time series with Utah 13-3, including a 5-2 record as Pac-12 foes. The teams won their home matches a year ago, with the Bruins winning in five (in Malibu) on Oct. 10, while falling in three in Salt Lake City on Nov. 9. UCLA has a 3-2 mark at Utah, including a five-set win there in 2012.
SCOUTING THE COLORADO BUFFALOES
Colorado (10-6) rebounded from an 0-2 opening weekend with a pair of Pac-12 victories last weekend at Oregon (3-2) and Oregon State (3-0). The Buffaloes, who host USC on Friday, are averaging 13.17 kills, 1.12 service aces, 12.24 digs and 2.53 blocks per set, hitting .236 as a team. Senior Alexis Austin (3.95) and sophomore Gabby Simpson (3.38) are each averaging over 3.00 kps, while Simpson is first with 14 service aces. Senior Nicole Edelman quarterbacks the offense with 9.12 assists per set. junior Cierra Simpson is first in dps (3.56), while sophomore Anna Pfefferle is tops in bps at 1.19.
UCLA is 8-2 against Colorado, including a 5-2 mark as Pac-12 opponents. Last season, the Bruins dropped a four-set decision in their home match in Malibu on Oct. 12, but swept the Buffs in Boulder on Nov. 6. The Bruins are 3-1 all-time at Colorado.