#12 Bruins Host #3 Stanford, California

Friday, October 13

Los Angeles, CA

6:00 PM

UCLA

Stanford

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Junior Kyra Rogers has an ace in eight matches, including five of her last eight.

#12 Bruins Host #3 Stanford, California

October 10, 2017 | Women's Volleyball

Match Notes

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Match 16
Friday, October 13
6 p.m.
#3 Stanford at #12 UCLA
Pauley Pavilion
TV: Pac-12 Networks National and Los Angeles
Live Audio
Live Stats
Tickets

Match 17
Saturday, October 14
6 p.m.
California at #12 UCLA
Pauley Pavilion
TV: Pac-12 Networks Bay Area
Live Audio
Live Stats
Tickets

#12 UCLA BACK HOME AGAINST #3 STANFORD, CAL
The 12th-ranked Bruins return to Pauley Pavilion this weekend, hosting #3 Stanford on Friday and California on Saturday. Both matches start at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks (National and L.A. Friday, Bay Area on Saturday). In addition, free live audio and live stats will be available at UCLABruins.com.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Bruins begin a four-match road trip one time zone to the right next weekend, traveling to #13 Utah on Friday, Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. PT before heading to Colorado for a 6 p.m. PT matchup on Saturday, Oct. 21. Both contests will air on Pac-12 Networks.

BRUINS IN THE POLLS
In the previous seven AVCA polls in 2017, the Bruins had been ranked 11th three times and 13th four times. This week, the voters split the difference, as UCLA moved up one spot to 12th in this week's rankings, earning 89 additional points. Seven teams ranked in the current Top 25 are on UCLA's schedule (#3 Stanford, #4 Nebraska, #13 Utah, #14 Washington, #15 Oregon, #18 San Diego and #19 USC), with Colorado and Marquette also receiving votes. In the Pac-12 Conference Preseason Poll, the Bruins are fifth, receiving 83 points.

NEWS AND NOTES
Senior Sarah Sponcil comes into this week's play ranked 21st in the nation in assists per set (11.27), with the Bruins as a team ranking 28th in hitting percentage (.264), 32nd in aps (13.13) and 36th in kills per set (13.93) ... junior Zana Muno is second among Pac-12 liberos in digs per set at 4.62. Sponcil is second in aps, sophomore Madeleine Gates is eighth in blocks per set (1.25) and senior Reily Buechler is ninth in kps (3.25) and 10th in points per set (3.69). As a team, the Bruins are second in dps (16.09), fourth in aps and fifth in hitting and kps ... on 14 occasions this season, a Bruin has served at least two aces in a match. Freshman Mac May, the team leader in aces, has done it six times, junior Kyra Rogers three times, sophomore Savvy Simo twice and Buechler, Sponcil and freshman Jenny Mosser have done it once ... the Bruins are 9-1 when winning the opening set, with the only loss coming against Washington (Sept. 29). UCLA is also undefeated when winning a fourth set (5-0) ... the Bruins are 10-1 when leading their opponent in hitting percentage and 8-0 when holding their foe under a .200 clip ... UCLA is 8-0 when out-acing its opponent ... Rogers has hit over .400 in five matches this season, setting a career high with a .588 percentage at Hawai'i on Aug. 27. She has four double-figure kills matches for her career, all this year, posting a season-best 14 at Long Beach State on Sept. 15. Rogers also has an ace in eight matches, including five of her last eight ... Buechler, whose next start will be the 100th of her career, surpassed the 1,300-kill mark at Arizona and now has 1,324 as a Bruin to put her 19th in UCLA history. Next up on the list are Lauren Fendrick (18th, 1,356) and Jeanne Beauprey/Dicey McGraw (16th, 1,365). Buechler, who leads the team with 12 double-figure kills matches, has eight in a row, including a season-best 21 with a .465 hitting percentage against Washington State (Oct. 1). She then hit a season-best .500 at Arizona last Wednesday, giving her 36 kills and just two errors in a combined 71 attempts. Buechler, who served a career-high four aces at UA, recorded her sixth double-double of the season at Arizona State on Friday with 12 kills and 16 digs ... Mosser has double figures in kills in seven of her last eight matches, including a career-high 17 against WSU. She is averaging 3.19 kps in her last eight contests. Mosser also has a pair of double-doubles during that span, posting 1.90 dps ... Muno has double figures in digs in five in a row, registering at least 20 in three straight. She has at least six digs in every contest this season. Muno had 23 digs against WSU, 20 at Arizona and 24 at ASU, with her career high being 34 at Hawai'i ... Simo has at least six digs in nine matches in a row, reaching double figures for the fifth time this season at ASU with 11. She produced a career-high 20 digs against USC on Sept. 20 ... Sponcil leads the Bruins with seven double-doubles and has at least 35 assists and eight digs in seven matches in a row. She had season bests in assists at Hawai'i (58) and digs against Oregon (19) on Sept. 22. Sponcil also has at least three kills in four of her last five contests and has not committed a hitting error in her last 46 attempts (19 kills) ... May has hit over .400 in three matches in a row, recording 27 kills (2.45 per set) and a .460 hitting percentage. She reached double figures in kills for the seventh time with 13 at ASU. The team leader in aces with 15 has multiple aces in a contest six times ... Gates, who had a match-best 15 kills at ASU, has at least seven kills in nine matches in a row, including 17 against Oregon. She did not commit a hitting error versus UO in 29 attempts for a .586 percentage. Defensively, Gates has a team-best seven matches with at least five blocks, including a career-high 10 against San Diego (Aug. 25).

SCOUTING THE STANFORD CARDINAL
Stanford (13-2, 6-0 Pac-12) enters Friday's contest on an eight-match winning streak, winning seven of them in sweeps. The only two losses for the Cardinal this season have come at the hands of #2 Penn State. Stanford is averaging 14.18 kills, 1.56 aces, 11.74 digs and 3.08 blocks per set, hitting .309 as a team. Sophomore Kathryn Plummer leads the offense with 4.76 kps, redshirt senior Merete Lutz is second at 2.75 and sophomore Audriana Fitzmorris is third with 2.20 kps. Sophomore Jenna Gray handles the setting duties and is posting 11.82 assists per set to go with a team-high 25 aces. Sophomore Morgan Hentz is tops with 3.58 dps, while junior Tami Alade (1.48) and Fitzmorris (1.44) are each averaging over a block per set.

THE SERIES: BRUINS VS. CARDINAL
Stanford leads the all-time series against UCLA 49-40, but the Bruins swept the eventual national champions last season, winning in four in L.A. and in five up north. Prior to 2016, the Cardinal had won seven in a row against the Bruins. UCLA has not defeated Stanford three straight times since 1993. The Bruins are 18-22 at home versus the Cardinal.

SCOUTING THE CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS
California (11-6, 2-4 Pac-12), which is at USC on Friday, is 0-4 on the road in league play, getting swept at the Oregon schools last weekend. The Golden Bears have won both of their Pac-12 home matches against the Arizona schools. California is averaging 12.84 kills, 1.19 aces, 13.24 digs and 1.73 blocks per set, hitting .246 as a team. Four players are recording at least 2.00 kps, led by senior Antzela Dempi's 2.89. Freshman Mima Mirkovic is second (2.63), followed by junior Carmen Annevelink (2.53) and senior Christine Alftin (2.10). Junior Mackenzie Albrecht (6.00 assists per set) and freshman Isabel Potter (4.82) are splitting the setting duties. Senior Jessica Gaffney is first with 3.54 dps, while senior Caihla Petiprin is tops with 0.83 bps.

THE SERIES: BRUINS VS. GOLDEN BEARS
UCLA leads the all-time series with California 61-8 and has won five in a row (three sweeps, two in four). The Bruins are 29-4 at home against the Bears. The last victory for Cal against UCLA was a five-setter in Berkeley in 2013.