Bruins Face Texas in Regional Semis
December 10, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
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Friday, Dec. 11
#11-seed Florida vs. #6-seed Wisconsin - 2:30 p.m. PT
#14-seed UCLA at #3-seed Texas - 5 p.m. PT
Live Video: ESPN3
Saturday, Dec. 12
Friday Winners - 6 p.m. PT
Live TV: ESPNU
All Matches at Texas' Gregory Gymnasium
Twitter Updates: @uclawomensvb
Texas Regional Central
BRUINS HEAD TO AUSTIN REGIONAL
The 14th-seeded Bruins travel to Texas for the Austin Regional this week, first hooking up with the host and third-seeded Longhorns on Friday at 5 p.m. PT. That match will air live on ESPN3.com. Friday's first contest features #6 Wisconsin and #11 Florida at 2:30 p.m. PT, with the winners of Friday's matches playing at 6 p.m. PT on Saturday on ESPNU.
WHAT'S NEXT
The winner of the Austin Regional will be one of the four teams advancing to Omaha, Neb. for the National Semifinals and Championship, Dec. 17 and 19. The Austin Regional champion will play either #2 Minnesota, #7 Penn State, Hawai'i or Illinois in one National Semifinal.
BRUINS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
UCLA, which is making its 33rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament, improved to 85-29 (.746) with last weekend's victories over Lipscomb and Michigan. Since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1998, the Bruins are 29-5 (.853) in the first and second rounds of the tournament, including a perfect 17-0 in the opening match. A list of the Bruins' past performances in the NCAA Tournament is on page 22 of this release.
BRUINS IN THE NCAA REGIONALS
UCLA is making its 26th appearance in the NCAA Regional round and holds an all-time record of 33-13 (.717). On 12 occasions, the Bruins have gone 2-0 during the Regional round to advance to the National Semifinals (2011, '06, '94, '88-'92, '83-'85, '81).
BRUINS IN THE LONE STAR STATE
The Bruins are 8-3 all-time in the state of Texas during the NCAA Tournament, with nine of the contests coming in Austin (6-3) and two in San Antonio (2-0) during UCLA's last title season. The Bruins went 2-0 in the Regional round in 1984 and 1985, defeating Texas in the final both years. In 1994, the Bruins traveled to Austin for the Final Four, besting Penn State in the National Semifinal before falling to Stanford in the championship match. In 2008, UCLA lost in four sets to the Longhorns in the Regional semifinal. In 2010, the Bruins beat American in five in the first round at Gregory Gym, but lost in four to the Longhorns. A year later, UCLA defeated Florida State and Illinois at The Alamodome to win the program's fourth NCAA Championship.
BRUINS IN THE NATIONAL RANKINGS
The Bruins rank in the Top 50 nationally in three statistical categories, coming into the Regional round at 26th in assists per set (13.24), 39th in digs per set (16.65) and 43rd in kills per set (13.98). Individually, junior Jordan Anderson is 16th in kps (4.39) and 40th in points per set (4.67), while junior Claire Felix is 37th in hitting percentage (.380).
BRUINS IN THE PAC-12 RANKINGS
UCLA comes into this week ranked second among conference teams in digs per set (16.65), third in opponent hitting percentage (.177) and fourth in assists (13.24) and kills (13.98) per set. Junior Jordan Anderson is second in kps (4.39) and fourth in pps (4.67), junior Taylor Formico is third in dps (4.51), freshman Zana Muno is fourth in aps (10.10), junior Claire Felix is fifth in hitting (.380) and junior Jennie Frager is 10th in bps (1.09).
THREE BRUINS NAMED TO AVCA ALL-REGION TEAM
Three Bruins were named to the AVCA Pacific South All-Region Team on Tuesday, as juniors Jordan Anderson, Claire Felix and Taylor Formico each earned First Team accolades.
Anderson received her third straight All-Region honor after being named First Team at West Virginia last year and Honorable Mention in 2013. Formico picked up her initial First Team award and her second career accolade (Honorable Mention in 2012 at UCSB), while Felix earned her first All-Region selection.
The three All-Region awards were the most for the Bruins since 2006 and the three First Team honors were the most since 1999. UCLA has earned 59 All-Region awards and 46 First Team nods.
Anderson, who was named All-Pac-12 Conference First Team, leads the Bruins with 4.39 kills and 4.67 points per set, ranking second among conference players in kps and fourth in pps. She is also 16th in the nation in kps and 40th in pps, adding 0.93 digs and 0.41 blocks per set. Anderson has double figures in kills in 29 of 32 matches, getting to at least 20 on nine occasions. Her season high in kills is 25, coming at Oregon on Oct. 23 and against Utah on Nov. 6. Anderson has led the team in kills in 24 contests and was named Most Valuable Player for pre-conference tournaments at Hawai'i and UCSB.
Felix, an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention honoree, leads all Bruin hitters with a .380 hitting percentage and is also first with 27 block solos. She is second with 0.97 blocks per set, adding 2.03 kills, 2.67 points and 0.53 digs per set to go with five aces. Felix has recorded at least four kills and one or no errors in 14 contests. She has eight double-figure kills contests, including four of her last five. Felix ended the regular season with 16 against Stanford on Nov. 27 and then set a new career high with 17 kills versus Michigan last Saturday with a .500 hitting percentage. Defensively, she has 10 matches with at least five blocks.
Formico, the Pac-12 Libero of the Year and an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention honoree, has started all 32 matches and is tops on the squad with 4.51 digs per set and tied for first with 21 service aces. Formico has 29 double-figure digs matches, including eight in a row entering the Regional Round, surpassing 20 on 10 occasions this year. Her season best came at Arizona on Nov. 22 when Formico posted a UCLA career high and conference-best 35 digs. She added 28 digs in an upset win at #1 USC on Nov. 25 and recorded her first career double-double with 20 digs and 10 assists against Michigan.
FORMICO NAMED LIBERO OF THE YEAR
Junior Taylor Formico was named Pac-12 Libero of the Year on Dec. 1, as announced by the league, and was one of six Bruins recognized on the All-Conference Teams. Junior Jordan Anderson was named All-Pac-12 First Team, while Formico and fellow juniors Claire Felix and Jennie Frager, sophomore Reily Buechler and freshman Zana Muno all earned Honorable Mention accolades. Muno was also named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team.
The six Bruins honored are tied for the most All-Conference awards in school history. The 1999 squad also had six players.
The Pac-12 Libero of the Year award has been handed out since 2011 and Formico's honor is the first for the Bruins. It is Formico's second straight year she has been named All-Pac-12, earning Honorable Mention accolades in 2014.
Buechler was also named All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for the second year in a row, while Anderson, Felix, Frager and Muno picked up their first awards.
NEWS AND NOTES
After playing in only one five-set match in their first 24 contests, the Bruins have gone the distance in six of their last eight (3-3 record) ... UCLA's comeback from 0-2 down against Michigan last Saturday was its first since Sept. 27, 2007 when it dropped the first two sets at California before winning. The only time the Bruins previously accomplished the feat in the postseason was in the 1991 National Championship match versus Long Beach State ... UCLA is 16-2 in matches away from Westwood (12-2 on road, 4-0 at neutral sites), with the only losses coming at Washington (Nov. 1) and Arizona (Nov. 22) ... the Bruins have won 63 straight matches when hitting .300 or better after posting a .494 mark against Lipscomb on Friday. UCLA has surpassed the .300 mark seven times this year. The .494 percentage versus Lipscomb was the highest for the Bruins since Nov. 15, 2012 against California (.537) ... over the last two seasons, UCLA is 44-0 (23-0 this year) when leading the hitting percentage battle ... the Bruins have held their opponents at a .202 hitting percentage or lower in 22 of their 25 victories ... UCLA is 23-1 (only loss vs. Oregon, 11/12) when winning the opening set, 16-1 when serving more aces than its opponent and 17-0 when winning the blocking battle ... the Bruins are 11-2 on Fridays and 4-0 on Saturdays ... junior Jordan Anderson has double figures in kills in nine of her last 10 and has reached the 20-kill mark nine times. She leads the team with 29 double-figure kills contests, including 19 of her last 21. Anderson, who had 10 kills in the first-round match against Lipscomb last Friday, has season bests with 25 kills against Utah (Nov. 6) and Oregon (Oct. 23) ... sophomore Reily Buechler has three straight matches with 14 kills and posted a career high in hitting versus Lipscomb, with only one error in 20 attempts for a .650 percentage. Buechler, who posted a career-high 26 kills at Arizona on Nov. 22, has 21 double-figure kills matches and is second on the team with five double-doubles ... senior Karly Drolson recorded a season-best 20 digs against Michigan in the second round last Saturday, the eighth time in her career she has posted a 20-dig contest. Drolson has all nine of this season's double-figure digs matches in her last 13 contests ... junior Claire Felix set a new career high with 17 kills against Michigan, the second time in three matches she set a new personal best. Felix hit .500 and added seven blocks, which tied a career best. Felix has double figures in kills in five of her last six, ending the regular season with an error-free night at #1 USC (10-0-15) and 16 kills versus #6 Stanford. Defensively, she has at least one block solo in 12 of her last 16 matches and has 10 contests with at least five roofs ... freshman Zana Muno has double-doubles in 12 of her last 14 matches and leads the team with 17 double-doubles. The two-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week has surpassed 40 assists in six of her last nine and also has three contests this season with at least 20 digs ... junior Jennie Frager had 11 kills and just one error in 24 attempts last weekend in two matches for a .417 hitting percentage. She has 13 matches with at least four kills and one or no errors, while defensively, Frager has at least five blocks in a team-high 12 matches ... junior Taylor Formico has at least 20 digs in seven of her last eight matches and became the 23rd Bruin to reach 1,000 career digs when she had 20 against Michigan (1,009 at UCLA). Formico has 29 double-figure digs contests and has surpassed 20 on 10 occasions. She set a UCLA career high with 35 at Arizona, adding 28 at top-ranked USC. Formico also had three aces last weekend and is tied for first on the team with 21 ... senior Rachel Inouye is the other Bruin with 21 aces and also has 10 double-figure digs matches. She posted a career-best 21 digs at Arizona and added 13 against Michigan ... redshirt sophomore Jessyka Ngauamo has double-doubles in four of her last five matches, going for 17 kills and 13 digs against Michigan. She has nine double-figure kills matches (career-best 19 against Colorado), while her career high in digs came against Stanford with 17. She also has nine aces, producing at least two in four matches, including a career-high three versus Michigan ... redshirt sophomore Ryann Chandler returned to the lineup against Lipscomb after missing 11 matches (injured Oct. 23 at Oregon). She played three sets last weekend and recorded 18 assists, seven digs and an ace.
SCOUTING THE TEXAS LONGHORNS
Texas (27-2) beat Fairfield in three sets and Purdue in four last weekend in Austin to extend its winning streak to nine. The Longhorns' lone losses have come at TCU on Oct. 28 (3-0) and at home against Florida on Sept. 5 (3-1). Texas is averaging 14.22 kills, 1.27 aces, 14.32 digs and 2.51 blocks per set, hitting .311 as a team. Four players are averaging over 2.00 kps, led by senior Amy Neal's 4.29. Junior Paulina Prieto Cerame is second with 2.98 kps, while junior Chiaka Ogbogu is third at 2.80 with a team-best 1.24 bps. Junior Chloe Collins runs the offense and is posting 11.29 assists per set. Sophomore Cat McCoy is tops on the squad with 4.12 dps.
SCOUTING THE WISCONSIN BADGERS
Wisconsin (26-6) ran its winning streak to 14 with a four-set victory over Oregon and a sweep of Iowa State in Madison last weekend. The Badgers are averaging 14.32 kills, 0.92 aces, 15.54 digs and 2.77 blocks per set, hitting .270 as a team. Five players are recording at least 2.00 kps, led by sophomores Lauryn Gillis (3.12), Kelli Bates (3.08) and Haleigh Nelson (2.63). Junior Lauren Carlini quarterbacks the offense and is averaging 11.92 assists per set. Senior Taylor Morey is first on the squad with 4.54 dps, while freshman Tionna Williams (1.36) and Nelson (1.27) are each averaging over a block per set.
SCOUTING THE FLORIDA GATORS
Florida (24-6) defeated New Hampshire in three and Florida State in four last weekend in Gainesville. The Gators are averaging 14.28 kills, 1.26 aces, 14.19 digs and 2.81 blocks per set, hitting .316 as a team. Five players are averaging at least 2.00 kps, led by junior Alex Holston's 3.25. Sophomore Rhamat Alhassan is second at 3.07 kps, while senior Ziva Recek is third (2.76). Senior Mackenzie Dagostino handles the setting duties and is recording 11.45 assists per set. Senior Nikki O'Rourke leads the team with 4.30 dps, while Alhassan is first with 1.64 bps.
BRUINS VS. TEXAS, WISCONSIN AND FLORIDA
The Bruins are 16-8 all-time against Texas, with the teams splitting six postseason matches. In the most recent contest, UCLA earned a trip to the National Semifinals with a four-set victory in Lexington, Ky. on Dec. 10, 2011. The Bruins have dropped their last two to Texas in Austin, including a four-set loss in the NCAA Second Round on Dec. 4, 2010 ... UCLA and Wisconsin have split four previous meetings. The Badgers have won the last two in Madison in 2000 and 2005, with the 2000 matchup being a five-set victory in the Regional Final, the lone meeting in the NCAA Tournament. UCLA claimed a road victory in 1990 and a neutral-site win in 1994 ... UCLA and Florida have split six previous matchups. The Bruins won the most recent meeting in Honolulu, a sweep in 2006. Florida had won the previous three prior to that match. In the lone NCAA contest, the Bruins swept the Gators on Dec. 17, 1992 in the National Semifinals in Albuquerque, N.M.