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Friday, Oct. 16
#14 Arizona at #12 UCLA
6 p.m.
Pauley Pavilion
Live TV: Pac-12 Networks/Los Angeles
Live Audio/Stats: UCLABruins.com
Twitter Updates: @uclawomensvb
Sunday, Oct. 18
#10 Arizona State at #12 UCLA
1:30 p.m.
John Wooden Center
Live TV: Pac-12 Los Angeles
Live Audio/Stats: UCLABruins.com
Twitter Updates: @uclawomensvb
TOP 15 TEAMS DESCEND UPON WESTWOOD
A pair of ranked against ranked matches will take place in Westwood this weekend, as the 12th-ranked Bruins host #14 Arizona on Friday at 6 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion and #10 Arizona State on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the John Wooden Center. Both matches will air on Pac-12 Los Angeles, in addition to Pac-12 Networks on Friday.
TICKETS AND PROMOTIONS
Tickets for this weekend's matches can be purchased in advance online or at the Pauley Pavilion (Friday) or John Wooden Center (Sunday) ticket offices starting one hour before the match. This Friday is the Bruins' Breast Cancer Awareness match, with fans wearing pink gaining free admission to the contest.
BRUINS ON THE NET
Both matches this weekend will feature live audio and 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 begin a four-match road trip next weekend in the Beaver State, facing #24 Oregon on Friday, Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. and Oregon State on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 12 p.m.
BRUINS IN THE POLLS
For the sixth straight week, the Bruins gained points in the AVCA rankings and maintained their position at 12th in this week's poll. UCLA received 32 additional points this week, and since coming in at 25th with just 88 points after the opening weekend, has jumped up 13 spots and gained 836 points in the last half dozen polls. UCLA is one of seven Pac-12 teams ranked inside the Top 25 (#1 USC, #4 Washington, #6 Stanford, #10 Arizona State, #14 Arizona and #24 Oregon). Other ranked or receiving votes teams on the Bruins' schedule include #8 Hawai'i, #26 San Diego, #27 Ohio, #33 Long Beach State and #37 SMU.
BRUINS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Bruins rank in the Top 40 nationally in three statistical categories, coming into the week at 24th in assists per set (13.19), 25th in kills per set (14.13) and 39th in blocks per set (2.54). Individually, junior Jordan Anderson is sixth in kps (4.88), 11th in points per set (5.21) and 23rd in attacks per set (11.77), while junior Jennie Frager is 49th in bps (1.25).
BRUINS IN THE PAC-12 RANKINGS
UCLA comes into this week's action ranked third among conference teams in digs per set (15.62), fourth in assists (13.19) and kills (14.13) per set and fifth in service aces per set (1.19). Individually, junior Jordan Anderson is second in kps (4.88) and points per set (5.21), and also ranks first in kps (5.21) during conference-only matches. Junior Taylor Formico is seventh in dps (3.83) and 10th in service aces per set (0.27) and redshirt sophomore Ryann Chandler (9.62) and freshman Zana Muno (9.13) are sixth and eighth, respectively, in assists per set. Junior Claire Felix is fifth in hitting percentage (.379) and junior Jennie Frager is eighth in blocks per set (1.25).
NEWS AND NOTES
The Bruins have won 60 straight matches when hitting .300 or better, including Sept. 5 against Iowa (.305), Sept. 18 at UC Irvine (.317), Sept. 27 at California (.337) and Oct. 11 at Colorado (season-best .343). 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 33-0 (12-0 this year) when leading the hitting percentage battle ... all 13 UCLA victories have come when hitting .213 or better, while each of the three losses have come when the hitting percentage was .110 or below ... the Bruins have held their opponents at a .202 hitting percentage or lower in 12 of their 13 victories ... UCLA is 11-0 in matches away from Westwood this season (7-0 on road, 4-0 at neutral sites) ... junior Jordan Anderson hit the 20-kill mark for the fifth time this season when she hit the number on the nose at Colorado on Sunday. Anderson, who leads the Bruins in kills per set and has a team-high 15 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 254 and has 1,143 for her career ... sophomore Reily Buechler posted 20 kills in six sets last weekend, including 11 at Colorado for her ninth double-figure kills match this season. Second on the team in kps (3.18), she has at least eight kills in 13 of 16 contests ... redshirt junior Haley Lawless has at least five kills in 11 consecutive matches, averaging 2.67 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 had a season-best two aces at Colorado on Sunday, recording six digs in each of last weekend's matches. Her season high in digs is eight against #5 Washington on Oct. 2 ... junior Claire Felix has recorded at least six kills and one or no errors in eight contests and had a great performance last weekend, posting 17 kills and just one error in 26 swings (.615 percentage). She also has five matches with at least five blocks, including twice in the last four contests ... 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, the Bruin leader in bps (1.25), has a team-leading seven contests with at least five roofs. She also got on the offensive last weekend with 14 kills in 26 attempts (.385 percentage), and back on Oct. 2, she had personal bests in hitting (.529), kills (9) and attempts (17) vs. UW ... junior Taylor Formico has 13 double-figure digs matches and has at least eight in every contest. The team leader in dps (3.83) also has an ace in 10 matches, including two on four occasions ... senior Rachel Inouye has five double-figure digs matches, producing at least four in all but one contest this season. She set a new career high with three service aces against Washington State on Oct. 4 ... redshirt sophomore Ryann Chandler has started the last four matches and is averaging 12.46 assists and 2.08 digs per set during that stretch. She also has four aces and nine blocks in that quartet of matches.
SCOUTING THE ARIZONA WILDCATS
Arizona (13-5, 3-3 Pac-12) has alternated losses and wins since conference play began, losing to Arizona State, Stanford and Washington, while beating Oregon, California and Washington State. The Wildcats are averaging 14.39 kills, 1.03 aces, 16.51 digs and 2.25 blocks per set, hitting .242 as a team. Junior Kalei Mau is one of three posting at least 2.00 kps, coming in at 4.60. Freshman Tyler Spriggs is second (2.51) and senior Nikki Attea ranks third (2.48) to go with a team-best 19 aces. Junior Penina Snuka quarterbacks the offense and is averaging 11.10 assists per set, as well as a team-high 3.18 dps, while senior Halli Amaro is tops on the squad with 1.07 bps.
SERIES HISTORY: BRUINS VS. WILDCATS
UCLA leads the all-time series against Arizona 53-22. The teams played just once in 2014, with the Wildcats posting a sweep in Malibu on Sept. 26. UCLA has swept Arizona in the two most recent matchups in Westwood (2012-2013) and is 28-9 at home against the Wildcats. Arizona's last win at UCLA was a sweep in 2011. Each of the last six meetings between the two teams have gone three sets (Arizona 4-2).
SCOUTING THE ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS
Arizona State (15-2, 4-2 Pac-12) headed into last weekend's play undefeated, however came away with not only setbacks to Washington and Washington State on the road, but also the loss of its top producer on offense in senior Macey Gardner. Gardner, the leader in kills per set at 3.73, was injured during last Friday's match in Seattle and did not play in Pullman. Arizona State, which is averaging 13.31 kills, 0.93 aces, 14.93 digs and 2.85 blocks per set with a .233 hitting percentage, turns to the triumvirate of junior Cassidy Pickrell (2.77), senior Whitney Follette (2.11) and junior BreElle Bailey (2.07). Senior Bianca Arellano (6.10 assists per set) and freshman Kylie Pickrell (5.27) split the setting duties. Sophomore Halle Harker is tops on the squad with 3.64 dps, while Follette (1.32) and Bailey (1.12) are each averaging over a block per set.
UCLA leads the all-time series with Arizona State 67-10, but the Sun Devils have won the last two meetings, both in five sets. The teams met just once last season, as Arizona State won in Tempe (Nov. 26). The Sun Devils also defeated the Bruins in Westwood on Nov. 22, 2013. The Bruins had won six straight matchups prior to ASU's two-match winning streak (five sweeps).