#13 Bruins Travel to Arizona, Arizona State

Wednesday, October 4

Tucson, AZ

7:00 PM

UCLA

Arizona

Junior Zana Muno has at least 20 digs on four occasions this season.

Photo by: Han Duong (herewegobru.com)

#13 Bruins Travel to Arizona, Arizona State

October 03, 2017 | Women's Volleyball

Match Notes

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Match 14
Wednesday, October 4
7 p.m.
#13 UCLA at Arizona
McKale Center
TV: Pac-12 Networks National and Los Angeles
Live Stats

Match 15
Friday, October 6
8 p.m.
#13 UCLA at Arizona State
Wells Fargo Arena
TV: Pac-12 Networks Los Angeles
Live Stats

BRUINS ON THE ROAD FOR FIRST TIME IN PAC-12 PLAY
The 13th-ranked Bruins head out on the road for the first time in Pac-12 play, facing Arizona on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Arizona State on Friday at 8 p.m. Both matches will air on Pac-12 Networks Los Angeles (National broadcast on Wednesday).

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Bruins return home next weekend to host the Bay Area teams at Pauley Pavilion. UCLA entertains #2 Stanford on Friday, Oct. 13 at 6 p.m. and California on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast by Pac-12 Networks and will feature free live audio on UCLABruins.com.

BRUINS IN THE POLLS
Out of seven AVCA polls in 2017, the Bruins have been ranked 11th three times, and now this week, UCLA is ranked 13th for the fourth time this season and second in a row. The Bruins lost 75 points in the standings. Eight teams ranked in the current Top 25 are on UCLA's schedule (#2 Stanford, #4 Nebraska, #9 Washington, #15 USC, #16 Oregon, #17 Utah, #19 San Diego and #25 Colorado). In the Pac-12 Conference Preseason Poll, UCLA is fifth, receiving 83 points.

NEWS AND NOTES
Senior Sarah Sponcil comes into this week's play ranked 24th in the nation in assists per set (11.19), while sophomore Madeleine Gates is 32nd in blocks per set (1.39). As a team, the Bruins are 42nd in hitting percentage (.256) and 45th in aps (12.96) ... junior Zana Muno is second among Pac-12 players in digs per set at 4.36. Sponcil is third in aps, Gates is sixth in bps and senior Reily Buechler is ninth in kills per set (3.17). As a team, the Bruins are second in dps (15.83) ... a dozen times this season, a Bruin has served at least two aces in a match. Freshman Mac May has done it five times, junior Kyra Rogers three times, sophomore Savvy Simo twice and Sponcil and freshman Jenny Mosser have done it once ... 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 seven matches, including four of her last six ... Buechler is three kills away from 1,300 for her career, and she currently sits 20th in UCLA history in kills (1,297). Next up on the list are Elisabeth Bachman (19th, 1,308) and Lauren Fendrick (18th, 1,356). Buechler, who leads the team with 10 double-figure kills matches, has six in a row, including a season-best 21 with a .465 hitting percentage against Washington State on Sunday. Buechler has double-doubles in four of her last five to give her 21 for her career ... Mosser has double figures in kills in six straight matches, including a career-high 17 against WSU. She is averaging 3.25 kps in her last half a dozen contests. Mosser also has a pair of double-doubles during that span, posting 1.96 digs per set ... Muno has double figures in digs in nine of her 12 matches, including three straight. She has at least six digs in each contest. Muno went over 20 digs for the fourth time this season with 23 versus WSU, with the junior's career high being 34 at Hawai'i (Aug. 27) ... Simo produced a career-high 20 digs against USC, her second match in a row in which she had a new personal best after posting 16 at LBSU. She has at least seven digs in seven consecutive contests ... Sponcil leads the Bruins with seven double-doubles and she has three in a row after posting 46 assists and 16 digs against WSU and 40 assists and 17 digs versus Washington (Sept. 29). She has at least six digs in every match and at least 40 assists in five in a row. Sponcil has also provided three kills in each of her last three matches ... May produced her second-best hitting percentage of the year against WSU when she had eight kills and just one error in 15 attempts (.467). She has double figures in kills in six matches. The team leader in aces with 13 has multiple aces in a contest five times ... Gates has at least seven kills in seven matches in a row, including 17 against Oregon on Sept. 22. 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 ARIZONA WILDCATS
Arizona (7-6, 1-3 Pac-12) has lost three in a row to California in five, Stanford in three and Washington State in four since sweeping its league opener at Arizona State. As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 13.20 kills, 0.86 aces, 13.96 digs and 2.53 blocks per set, hitting .227 as a team. Four players are averaging at least 2.00 kps, led by junior Kendra Dahlke's 3.15. Junior Tyler Spriggs is second at 2.86 kps, followed by freshman Paige Whipple (2.46) and redshirt freshman Elizabeth Shelton (2.34). Sophomore Julia Patterson handles the setting duties and is posting 10.67 assists per set. Senior Kimberly Gutierrez is first with 2.90 dps, while sophomore Devyn Cross is tops with 1.05 bps.

THE SERIES: BRUINS VS. WILDCATS
UCLA leads the all-time series with Arizona 54-25, but will be looking to snap a three-match losing streak to the Wildcats. The Bruins lost in three in Tucson and in five in Westwood a year ago. UCLA's last win in the series was a sweep at home on Oct. 16, 2015. The Bruins, who are 22-15 in Tucson, have lost five straight at the McKale Center (three by sweep and twice in five sets). UCLA's last victory at Arizona was a five-set triumph on Oct. 15, 2010.

SCOUTING THE ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS
Arizona State (10-6, 0-4 Pac-12) has been swept in three of its four league losses, while losing in five to then-#7 Washington. The Sun Devils are averaging 13.96 kills, 0.82 aces, 16.55 digs and 2.18 blocks per set, hitting .242 as a team. Senior Oluoma Okara leads the squad with 4.61 kps, freshman Griere Hughes is second at 2.96 kps and sophomore Ivana Jeremic is third with 2.79 kps. Freshman Shelbie Dobmeier (11.63 assists per set) and sophomore Nicole Peterson (10.32) split the setting duties. Senior Halle Harker is tops on the team with 5.36 dps, while junior Carmen Unzue is first with 0.96 bps.

THE SERIES: BRUINS VS. SUN DEVILS
UCLA leads the all-time series against Arizona State 71-10 and has won four in a row (three sweeps and one in five). The Bruins won both matches last year in three. UCLA is 31-7 at Arizona State, with the Sun Devils' last victory being a five-setter in Tempe in 2014.