University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
#25 UCLA Heads to Honolulu
September 02, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
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Friday, Sept. 4
#25 UCLA vs. American University
7:30 p.m. PT
Saturday, Sept. 5
#25 UCLA vs. Iowa
7:30 p.m. PT
Sunday, Sept. 6
#25 UCLA at #17 Hawai'i
8 p.m. PT
Matches at Stan Sheriff Center (Honolulu, Hawai'i)
Live Stats (All Matches) and Live Video (UCLA-UH Match)
Twitter Updates: @uclawomensvb
25TH-RANKED BRUINS TRAVEL TO HONOLULU FOR THREE MATCHES
The 25th-ranked Bruins head to Honolulu for their first regular-season tournament, taking part in the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic. UCLA faces American University on Friday at 7:30 p.m. PT, Iowa on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PT and 17th-ranked Hawai'i on Sunday at 8 p.m. PT.
BRUINS ON THE NET
Live stats for all matches, as well as a live video stream of Sunday's contest, will be available, with links on the women's volleyball schedule page on UCLABruins.com. In addition, Twitter updates will be available @uclawomensvb.
WHAT'S NEXT
The Bruins head up the coast for the UCSB Tournament next weekend, facing #23 San Diego on Friday, Sept. 11 (4 p.m.), SMU on Saturday, Sept. 12 (7 p.m.) and UC Santa Barbara on Sunday, Sept. 13 (2 p.m.). Free audio, with Darren Preston at the call, will be available for Friday and Sunday's matches.
BRUINS IN THE POLLS
UCLA is ranked 25th in this week's AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving 88 points. The Bruins are one of eight Pac-12 teams ranked inside the Top 25 (#2 Stanford, #7 Washington, #8 USC, #11 Oregon, #15 Arizona State, #16 Arizona and #21 Colorado), with Utah (33rd most) and Oregon State (40th most) also receiving votes. Other ranked or receiving votes teams on the Bruins' schedule include #17 Hawai'i, #23 San Diego, #26 Long Beach State and #35 Loyola Marymount.
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) in 2014 when leading the hitting percentage battle and were 18-1 when holding their opponent under a .247 hitting percentage.
SCOUTING THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES
American University went 3-1 last weekend, defeating Howard, Georgetown and George Mason, before falling in four sets to fourth-ranked Florida on Sunday. The Eagles averaged 13.00 kills, 1.43 aces, 16.00 digs and 2.46 blocks per set, hitting .265. Three players are at 2.00 kps or more, led by senior Sarah Katz's 2.91. Senior Allison Cappellino is second (2.86 kps), followed by senior Kristyna Lindovska (2.57). Senior Monika Smidova quarterbacks the offense at 9.07 assists per set and is second with 3.36 digs per set. Defensively, sophomore Hoakalei Dawson is first with 4.14 dps, while sophomore Erin Swartz is averaging 1.38 blocks per set. The only matchup between the Bruins and the Eagles occurred in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Dec. 3, 2010 in Austin, Texas. UCLA found themselves down two sets to one before winning the next two to advance.
SCOUTING THE IOWA HAWKEYES
Iowa was 2-1 at the Northern Illinois Invitational last weekend, sweeping South Dakota State, beating Pacific in five and losing to the host team in four. The Hawkeyes averaged 13.75 kills, 1.92 aces, 13.25 digs and 1.50 blocks per set, hitting .263. Three players posted at least 2.00 kps, led by junior Lauren Brobst's 4.25. Sophomore Jess Janota is second (3.00) and senior Mikaela Gunderson is third (2.42). Junior Loxley Keala handles the setting duties with 11.17 assists per set. Sophomore Annika Olsen is tops with 4.08 digs per set, while Brobst is first with 0.83 bps. The only meeting between the Bruins and the Hawkeyes was on Sept. 1, 2000 in Honolulu, as UCLA swept Iowa.
SCOUTING THE HAWAI'I RAINBOW WAHINE
Hawai'i won all three matches at its home tournament last weekend, sweeping Idaho and Oregon State and defeating Wichita State in four. The Rainbow Wahine averaged 15.80 kills, 1.20 aces, 14.80 digs and 2.95 blocks per set, hitting .325. Junior Nikki Taylor posted 5.20 kills per set last weekend. Senior Olivia Magill was second with 3.40 kps, followed by senior Tai Manu-Olevao (2.67) and sophomore Kalei Greeley (2.10). Junior Tayler Higgins quarterbacks the offense at 11.50 assists per set and is also first with 3.20 digs per set. Three players, Taylor (1.50), sophomore Emily Maglio (1.43) and Magill (1.30) are averaging over a block per set.
SERIES HISTORY: BRUINS VS. RAINBOW WAHINE
The Bruins and the Rainbow Wahine have played each other at least once a season since 1974, the first year of women's volleyball at Hawai'i. The Rainbow Wahine leads the series 37-35, but the Bruins swept them last season on Sept. 12 (25-23, 25-23, 27-25). Hawai'i holds a 28-23 advantage in matches played in Honolulu.
