#13 Bruins Host #6 Washington, Washington State

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Match 12
Friday, September 29
7 p.m.
#6 Washington at #13 UCLA
Pauley Pavilion
TV: Pac-12 Networks National and Los Angeles
Live Audio
Live Stats

Match 13
Sunday, October 1
1 p.m.
RV Washington State at #13 UCLA
Pauley Pavilion
Live Video
Live Audio
Live Stats

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BRUINS COMPLETE HOMESTAND WITH UW, WSU
The 13th-ranked Bruins close out their four-match homestand this weekend at Pauley Pavilion, hosting #6 Washington on Friday at 7 p.m. and Washington State on Sunday at 1 p.m. Friday's contest will air on Pac-12 Networks National and Los Angeles, while Sunday's affair will feature a free live video stream on UCLABruins.com. In addition, both matches will have free live audio and live stats on UCLABruins.com.

WHAT'S NEXT?
The Bruins are on the road next week, facing Arizona on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. and Arizona State on Friday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. Both matches will be televised on Pac-12 Networks National (Arizona match only) and Los Angeles (both contests).

BRUINS IN THE POLLS
Out of six AVCA polls in 2017, the Bruins have been ranked 11th three times, and now this week, UCLA is ranked 13th for the third time this season. The Bruins lost 63 points in the standings in falling two positions. Seven teams ranked in the current Top 25 are on UCLA's schedule (#2 Stanford, #6 Washington, #8 Nebraska, #12 Oregon, #15 Utah, #17 San Diego and #20 USC), while Colorado and Washington State are also receiving votes. In the Pac-12 Conference Preseason Poll, UCLA is fifth, receiving 83 points.

NEWS AND NOTES
Sophomore Madeleine Gates comes into this week's play ranked 17th in the nation in blocks per set (1.50), while senior Sarah Sponcil is 23rd in assists per set (11.27). As a team, the Bruins are 42nd in hitting percentage (.259) and 50th in bps (2.47) ... junior Zana Muno is second among Pac-12 players in digs per set at 4.27. Sponcil is third in aps, Gates is fourth in bps and freshman Mac May is ninth in kills per set (3.20) and 10th in points per set (3.79). As a team, UCLA is second among league teams in dps (15.52) ... 11 times this season, a Bruin has served at least two aces in a match. May has done it four times, junior Kyra Rogers three times, sophomore Savvy Simo twice and Sponcil and freshman Jenny Mosser have done it once ... UCLA is 6-0 when winning the opening set, but just 2-3 when dropping the first ... 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 six matches, including three of her last four ... senior Reily Buechler has a team-best eight double-figure kills matches to give her 69 for her career, adding four double-doubles (20 career). She had double-doubles in each of her first two Pac-12 matches, producing 15 kills and 19 digs against USC last Wednesday and 12 kills and 10 digs versus Oregon last Friday. Buechler has 1,262 kills for her career and is 21st in UCLA history. Next up on the list are Jenny Evans (20th, 1,278), Elisabeth Bachman (19th, 1,308) and Lauren Fendrick (18th, 1,356) ... Mosser has double figures in kills in four straight matches, posting a season-best 14 against USC. She also had 13 at LBSU and 11 against both Oregon and Loyola Marymount (Sept. 13). Mosser, who notched her first double-double at LBSU (11 digs), also has an ace in three of her last four contests ... Muno has double figures in digs in seven of her 10 matches, including a career-high 34 at Hawai'i. She has at least six digs in each contest, including 13 in Friday's win against Oregon ... 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 five consecutive contests ... Sponcil leads the Bruins with five double-doubles after recording one against Oregon (47 assists, 19 digs) to give her 46 for her career. She has at least six digs in every match and at least 40 assists in three in a row. Sponcil also has three aces in her last three contests ... May has double figures in kills in three in a row, recording 13 against LBSU and USC and 12 versus Oregon. She produced her second-best hitting percentage of the year against the Ducks when she hit .391. The team leader in aces with 11 had three to tie a season best against USC ... sophomore Madeleine Gates did not commit a hitting error in the Oregon victory, recording 17 kills in 29 attempts for a .586 percentage. Over her last three matches, she is hitting .492 and averaging 3.08 kps. 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 WASHINGTON HUSKIES
Washington (12-1, 2-0 Pac-12) opened the conference schedule on the road last weekend, winning in four at Washington State (Sept. 20) before coming back from an 0-2 deficit to win in five at Arizona State (Sept. 24). The Huskies are averaging 13.77 kills, 1.73 aces, 14.00 digs and 3.32 blocks per set, hitting .267 as a team. Five players are averaging at least 2.00 kps, with sophomore Kara Bajema ranking first at 3.41 kps, senior Crissy Jones placing second (3.11) and senior Courtney Schwan ranking third at 3.05 kps. Senior Bailey Tanner handles the setting duties and is averaging 10.78 assists per set. Senior Tia Scambray leads the team with 4.16 dps, while freshman Lauren Sanders (1.66), senior Marion Hazelwood (1.53) and senior Carly DeHoog (1.14) are each averaging over a block per set.

THE SERIES: BRUINS VS. HUSKIES
UCLA leads the all-time series with Washington 43-27, but will be looking to snap a seven-match losing streak to the Huskies. The last time the Bruins defeated Washington was on Oct. 28, 2012 at the John Wooden Center in four sets. UCLA's most recent victory in Pauley against UW occurred on Oct. 29, 2010 in five sets. Washington is 17-3 in its last 20 against UCLA. The Bruins hold a 23-9 edge in matches in Westwood, with their last six victories against the Huskies all coming at home.

SCOUTING THE WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS
Washington State (12-2, 1-1 Pac-12), which plays at USC on Saturday before Sunday's contest at UCLA, rebounded from an opening loss to Washington with a four-set win at Arizona on Sept. 23. The Cougars are averaging 12.82 kills, 1.24 aces, 13.60 digs and 3.23 blocks per set, hitting .246 as a team. Junior Taylor Mims leads the team with 3.74 kps and 13 aces, while junior McKenna Woodford is second at 2.84 kps. Sophomore Ashley Brown (5.48 assists per set) and freshman Penny Tusa (4.33) are splitting the setting duties. Sophomore Alexis Dirige leads the team with 4.24 dps, while sophomore Jocelyn Urias (1.48), junior Ella Lajos (1.32) and junior Claire Martin (1.18) are each averaging over a block per set.

THE SERIES: BRUINS VS. COUGARS
UCLA leads the all-time series against Washington State 53-8, but saw its 26-match winning streak against the Cougars snapped last Sept. 23, as WSU won in Pauley in five sets. The Bruins are 28-3 at home against the Cougars.

MAC MAY NAMED PAC-12 FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Mac May was named Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Week on Monday after producing a pair of double-figure kills matches in two contests last week. May's award marks the second time this season she has been named Pac-12 FOW.

May had 12 kills and hit .391 in last Friday's victory over then-#8 Oregon (Sept. 22). She added four digs and two blocks. Last Wednesday (Sept. 20) against then-#21 USC, May notched 13 kills, five digs and four blocks to go with three aces to tie a season high.

May leads the Bruins with 3.20 kills per set and 11 service aces, adding 1.35 digs and 0.52 blocks per set.

Monday's Freshman of the Week plaudit is the eighth for the Bruins since the award was implemented in 2011. May and junior Zana Muno were named Pac-12 Freshman and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, on Aug. 28.

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#13 Bruins Host #6 Washington, Washington State

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#13 Bruins Host #6 Washington, Washington State

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Zana Muno

Kyra Rogers

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