University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
20th-Ranked Bruins Open Season at Home
August 25, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
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Saturday, Aug. 29
Virginia at #20 UCLA
6 p.m.
John Wooden Center (Collins Court)
TV: Pac-12 Los Angeles
Live Audio
Live Stats
Twitter Updates
Sunday, Aug. 30
Loyola Marymount at #20 UCLA
5 p.m.
John Wooden Center (Collins Court)
Live Video
Live Stats
Twitter Updates
20TH-RANKED BRUINS OPEN 2015 SEASON AT HOME
The 20th-ranked Bruins begin their 2015 campaign this weekend at Collins Court in the John Wooden Center, facing Virginia on Saturday at 6 p.m. and Loyola Marymount on Sunday at 5 p.m. Saturday's UCLA-UVA contest will air on Pac-12 Los Angeles (Anne Marie Anderson, play-by-play; Holly McPeak, analyst), Sunday's UCLA-LMU tilt will have a live video stream on UCLABruins.com and both matches will have live stats on UCLABruins.com.
BRUINS ON THE NET
Both matches this weekend will have free streams on UCLABruins.com, with Darren Preston at the call, with audio only on Saturday and video on Sunday. Live stats will also be available on UCLABruins.com, as well as Twitter updates @uclawomensvb.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Bruins travel to Honolulu next weekend for the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic. UCLA will face American University, which is receiving votes in the preseason AVCA poll, on Friday, Sept. 4 at 7:30 p.m. PT, Iowa on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. PT and 18th-ranked Hawai'i on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m. PT.
BRUINS IN THE POLLS
UCLA was ranked 20th in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving 316 points. The Bruins are one of nine Pac-12 teams ranked inside the Top 25 (#2 Stanford, #10 Washington, #13 Oregon, #16 Arizona State, #17 Arizona, #22 USC, #23 Utah and #24 Colorado), with Oregon State also receiving votes (29th most). Along with #18 Hawai'i, UCLA also faces Long Beach State (26th-most votes) and American University (42nd most), who both received votes.
NEWS AND NOTES
The Bruins have won 56 straight matches when hitting .300 or better. UCLA surpassed that mark 12 times last season and also crossed the .400 hitting plateau on three occasions ... the Bruins went undefeated (21-0) when leading the hitting percentage battle and were 18-1 when holding their opponent under a .247 hitting percentage.
SCOUTING THE VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
Virginia posted a 17-14 record last season (10-8, T-6th in the ACC) and returns 12 letterwinners and six starters from last year's squad. The Cavaliers lose their kills per set leader from last year (Tori Janowski, 3.00), but bring back the next four on the list. Junior Jasmine Burton averaged 2.87 kps in 2014, senior Kayla Sears was at 2.80, junior Haley Kole added 2.66 kps and senior Natalie Bausback recorded 2.31 kps and a team-best 0.96 blocks per set. Senior setter Lauren Fuller (10.72 assists per set) returns, as does the leader in digs per set a year ago, junior Lexi Riccolo (3.02).
SERIES HISTORY: BRUINS VS. CAVALIERS
The Bruins have won all three meetings with the Cavaliers, with all of them coming at neutral sites. The last matchup was Sept. 11, 2009 in Lincoln, Neb., a 3-1 victory for UCLA. That match marked the second straight season the Bruins faced and defeated the Cavaliers, also winning a sweep on Sept. 19, 2008 in Evanston, Ill. The first meeting came in the first round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament (Dec. 5), which UCLA won in four sets in Santa Barbara.
SCOUTING THE LOYOLA MARYMOUNT LIONS
Loyola Marymount is coming off a 23-8 season, finishing fifth in the WCC last year (11-7). The Lions return 10 letterwinners and five starters from their 2014 squad. LMU lost its top two offensive producers from last season, with sophomore Sarah Sponcil carrying the title of top returner after posting 3.04 kills per set. Senior setter Hannah Tedrow comes back to run the offense after notching 11.54 assists per set a season ago, while sophomore Kristen Castellanos (4.13 digs per set) and senior Rachelle Suaava (1.02 blocks per set) help anchor the Lions' defense.
SERIES HISTORY: BRUINS VS. LIONS
The Bruins lead the all-time series with the Lions 10-2, but Loyola Marymount snapped a seven-match losing streak to UCLA with a sweep last season (Aug. 30) at Gersten Pavilion. UCLA's seven previous victories over LMU included five sweeps and two four-set wins. It marks the third straight year the Bruins and the Lions will face off, with UCLA claiming a four-set triumph at LMU on Aug. 31, 2013. The Bruins and the Lions have met three times in Westwood, with UCLA winning in four in 2004 (first round of NCAA Tournament) and three in 1987, and LMU claiming a five-set triumph in 1986 (first round of NCAA's).
