Friday, October 13
Berkeley, CA
7:00 PM
UCLA
at
California
Photo by: Ross Turteltaub
UCLA Plays Two at California, No. 3 Stanford
October 12, 2023 | Women's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES โ The UCLA women's volleyball team looks to snap its losing skid in the Bay Area this week with two matches at California and No. 3 Stanford. The Bruins (9-7, 1-5) face the Golden Bears (12-5, 1-5) Friday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. (PT) and the Cardinal (13-2, 6-0) Sunday, Oct. 15 at 12 p.m. (PT). Both matches will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks with broadcaster Greg Mescall on the call.
ย
UCLA (9-7, 1-5) at California (12-5, 1-5)
Date: Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 โ 7 p.m. (PT)
Location: Berkeley, Calif. (Haas Pavilion)
Television: Pac-12 Network
Talent: Greg Mescall
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
UCLA (9-7, 1-5) at No. 3 Stanford (13-2, 6-0)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023 โ 12 p.m. (PT)
Location: Stanford, Calif. (Maples Pavilion)
Television: Pac-12 Network
Talent: Greg Mescall
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
First Serve
ยท UCLA is led by first-year head coach Alfee Reft who was announced as the program's fourth head coach on Dec. 19, 2022.
ยท The Bruins played all 10 of their non-conference matches on the road and flew approximately 10,800 miles through the air.
ยท Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye leads UCLA in kills (188), kills per set (2.98), points (223.0) and points per set (3.54). Ndiaye has reached double-digit kills in 11 out of 16 matches this year and leads UCLA's pin hitters with a .295 hitting percentage.
ยท Middle blockers Desiree Becker and Anna Dodson rank fifth and sixth in blocks in the Pac-12 with 74.0 and 73.0, respectively.
ยท Dodson owns a team-high .377 hitting percentage and ranks fourth on the squad with 2.98 points per set.
ยท UCLA finished the preseason with an 8-2 record.
ย
Last Time Out
UCLA dropped two matches to Arizona (L, 3-1) and No. 23 Arizona State (L, 0-3) last week. Anna Dodson was the Bruins' star of the weekend with 18 total kills at a .500 hitting percentage and a team-high 11.0 blocks. Setters Audrey Pak and Ashley Mullen split reps again, tallying 33 and 28, respectively. Sophomore Mokihana Tufono made her first career starts at libero and recorded 28 digs across the two matches.
ย
Dodson Domination
Dodson is putting together another All-Pac-12 caliber season with a team-leading .377 hitting percentage and 1.22 blocks per set. Both marks are currently career highs for the Fort Collins, Colo. native. Last weekend at Arizona, Dodson recorded a season high 13 kills for a .667 hitting percentage to go along with six total blocks. The output marked Dodson's seventh double-digit kill outing of the season and fourth consecutive performance with 5.0+ total blocks. She is on pace to lead the Bruins in blocks for the third straight season.
ย
Immediate Impact
Becker has been one of the most valuable transfer additions in the Pac-12 this season. The graduate from Northwestern has tallied 4.0+ blocks in 12 of 16 matches this season. At Long Beach State on Sept. 2, Becker established a new career high in total blocks with 9.0 (two solo, seven assisted). Becker has also reached seven blocks in three other contests.
ย
Ndiaye of the Tiger
Ndiaye has recorded four of the five highest single-match point totals in her career in this season alone. The Dallas, Texas native recorded the second 20-kill outing of her career in UCLA's season-opening match at LSU with 20 at a .444 clip on Aug. 25. She is the only Bruin on the active roster to have recorded a 20-kill performance. Her first such performance came last season versus Colorado on Oct. 2, 2022 when she racked a career-high 22 kills.
ย
In a Double-Double Mood
Ndiaye recorded the first two double-doubles of her career in back-to-back matches at Oklahoma on Sept. 16 (16 K, 12 D) and versus USC on Sept. 20 (16 K, 12 D). Those two dig totals mark the two highest of her career. With increased playing time and improved passing, Ndiaye is averaging 1.54 digs per set this season which more than triples her average over the previous three seasons (0.42).
ย
Tufono Debuts at Libero
Tufono, a native of Aiea, Hawaii, made her first career starts at libero last week against Arizona and Arizona State. She tallied two double-digit dig performances with 12 and 16, respectively. Tufono switched positions this season from setter to libero. As a freshman in 2022, Tufono made two starts and appeared in 20 matches, finishing second on the squad with 200 assists. She recorded the first double-double of her career in the final match of the season at USC on Nov. 25 with 26 assists and 10 digs.
ย
Non-Conference Recap
UCLA went 8-2 in its non-conference schedule with signature wins over LSU, Pepperdine and the-No. 23 Hawai'i โ all teams who appeared in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Bruins also defeated Long Beach State a week after the Beach took down reigning NCAA Champion Texas. UCLA put up 19.0 total blocks versus Long Beach State, its third-highest single-match blocking total over the last seven seasons.
ย
Reft Team USA Recap
Alfee Reft returned from his season coaching assistant position with the U.S. Women's National Team on Sept. 29. He returned to UCLA after helping Team USA finish the FIVB Road to 2024 Paris Olympic Qualifier with a 6-1 record. The national team punched its ticket with a 3-1 victory over Germany last Sunday. Reft serves UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer and Team USA Head Coach Karch Kiraly. In total, Reft has spent 12 years as both a player and coach on the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams. Reft will be with the Bruins for every match the remainder of the 2023 season.
ย
500 Block Club
UCLA middles Anna Dodson and Desiree Becker both achieved the 500th kills of their collegiate careers earlier this season. Dodson reached the milestone in the Bruins' second match of the season versus LSU on Aug. 26. Becker achieved the milestone in UCLA non-conference finale versus Oklahoma on Sept. 16. The two towers are both hitting above a .333+ rate through 14 matches.
ย
Paking a Punch
Pak has been a big block so far this season for the Bruins. Pak has recorded 4.0+ total blocks in four matches this year, setting a career high with 5.0 versus Hawai'i on Sept. 10. Pak provided a defensive spark in the beginning of set two versus the Rainbow Wahine with a solo block and block assist to push UCLA out to an early 4-1 lead. The Moraga, Calif. native is up to 24 total blocks over 44 sets played in 2023. Her previous season high was three blocks over three sets in 2021.
ย
Dueck Double-Double
Dueck notched the first double-double of her career and UCLA's first of the season versus Pepperdine on Sept. 7 with 22 digs and a career-high 12 assists. The 22 digs marked her most as a Bruin. While competing at Cal Poly her freshman season in 2021, Dueck snuffed out 28 digs at Cal State Fullerton. The Aptos, Calif. native has led the Bruins in digs in 10 of 14 matches in 2023.
ย
Unleash the Dodson
Dodson has recorded 23 total blocks over her last four matches. She enters this week hitting a team-high .377 percentage and has eclipsed .350 in nine of her 15 matches this season. At Long Beach State on Sept. 2, she notched her best performance of the year with 12 kills for an errorless .600 hitting percentage to go along with seven total blocks (3 BS, 4 BA) for 18.0 points.
ย
California Series History
The Bruins lead the all-time series versus the Golden Bears, 71-9, dating back to 1980. UCLA has won 15 out of the last 16 meetings, last losing to California on Oct. 26, 2018 in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. The Bruins won both of last year's meetings, with the last coming in reverse-sweep fashion.
ย
Stanford Series History
Stanford leads the all-time series versus UCLA, 56-42, dating back to 1976. The Bruins' last victory over the Cardinal came on Sept. 26, 2021 in five sets. Stanford has won seven out of the last 10 meetings.
ย
A New Era in Westwood
Reft was hired in December 2022 as the fourth head coach in program history on Dec. 18, 2022. Reft came to UCLA after leading San Diego to its first-ever National Semifinal appearance in the NCAA Tournament in his third year as associate head coach. The Oxnard, Calif. native also brings Big Ten Conference experience to UCLA after serving as an assistant at the University of Illinois from 2018-19 and at the University of Minnesota from 2010-12. He accumulated a 68-32 conference record across both stints and reached the Final Four with the Fighting Illini in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
ย
Dodson the Defender
Dodson has led the Bruins in blocks in each of the last two seasons with 109 in her Fall 2021 campaign and 77 in 2022. The last Bruin to lead the team in blocks in three consecutive years was Zoë Nightingale who paced UCLA across the 2012-14 seasons. The Fort Collins, Colo. native enters her fourth season in Westwood averaging 0.90 blocks per set across her career.
ย
Notes on Ndiaye
UCLA's top returning attacker is Iman Ndiaye who ranked second on the team with 269 kills and third with 307.0 total points in 2022. Ndiaye reached double-digit kills on 14 occasions in 2022, including a career-best performance with 22 kills at a .421 clip (22-6-38) versus Colorado on Oct. 2. She is the only active UCLA player to have a 10-block match in their career. The Plano West High School product (Dallas) was an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention recipient last season. She was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Freshman Team in Spring 2021.
ย
High School All-American Mullen
The Bruins' most highly-touted incoming freshman is setter Ashley Mullen from Kansas City, Mo. (Liberty HS). She has started in four of UCLA's first five matches of the season. Mullen was an AVCA First Team High School All-American her senior year and was selected as an UnderArmour All-American to compete in the annual All-American game. Mullen was ranked as the No. 4 setter in the nation and 26th overall recruit by PrepVolleyball in 2022. One of 25 nominees for All-USA TODAY Girls Volleyball Player of the Year, Mullen amassed 3,457 career assists in high school, including 1,124 as a senior (10.10 AST/S).
ย
Dodson Selected to the USAV Collegiate Team
Two-time All-Pac-12 middle blocker Anna Dodson received national attention this offseason when she was named to the USA Volleyball 2023 Collegiate Women's National Team (CNT). From June 18-24 in Anaheim, Calif., Dodson trained alongside the Women's National Team Olympic Champions as the prepared for the Volleyball Nations League.
ย
Big Ten Bound in 2024-25
UCLA Athletics announced its decision to join the Big Ten Conference on June 30, 2022. This move will go into effect at the start of the 2024-25 season. In doing so, the Bruins will be joining the preeminent volleyball conference in the country with five of the last 10 NCAA Women's Volleyball champions coming from the Big Ten. Joining UCLA in this move are USC, Washington and Oregon. UCLA and USC have combined for seven NCAA Women's Volleyball Championships. UCLA won 10 conference championships while in the Pac-12, all coming under Hall of Fame Coach Andy Banachowski. Overall, the Bruins have played in 38 NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournaments which ranks fourth among all programs behind only Penn State, Stanford and Nebraska. In addition, UCLA has advanced to the NCAA Final Four 12 times and has posted a record of 94-35 in the NCAA Tournament.
ย
Glad for Grads
Two Bruins on this year's 2023 roster have earned undergraduate degrees. In Spring 2023, Dodson added two bachelor degrees to her résumé in sociology and gender studies. She now is working toward her master's degree in John Wooden's Transformative Coaching and Leadership (education major). Becker earned her bachelor of arts in history from Northwestern in 2023. She is now pursuing a master's degree in legal studies with the career objective of becoming an entertainment lawyer.
ย
ย
UCLA (9-7, 1-5) at California (12-5, 1-5)
Date: Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 โ 7 p.m. (PT)
Location: Berkeley, Calif. (Haas Pavilion)
Television: Pac-12 Network
Talent: Greg Mescall
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
UCLA (9-7, 1-5) at No. 3 Stanford (13-2, 6-0)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023 โ 12 p.m. (PT)
Location: Stanford, Calif. (Maples Pavilion)
Television: Pac-12 Network
Talent: Greg Mescall
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
First Serve
ยท UCLA is led by first-year head coach Alfee Reft who was announced as the program's fourth head coach on Dec. 19, 2022.
ยท The Bruins played all 10 of their non-conference matches on the road and flew approximately 10,800 miles through the air.
ยท Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye leads UCLA in kills (188), kills per set (2.98), points (223.0) and points per set (3.54). Ndiaye has reached double-digit kills in 11 out of 16 matches this year and leads UCLA's pin hitters with a .295 hitting percentage.
ยท Middle blockers Desiree Becker and Anna Dodson rank fifth and sixth in blocks in the Pac-12 with 74.0 and 73.0, respectively.
ยท Dodson owns a team-high .377 hitting percentage and ranks fourth on the squad with 2.98 points per set.
ยท UCLA finished the preseason with an 8-2 record.
ย
Last Time Out
UCLA dropped two matches to Arizona (L, 3-1) and No. 23 Arizona State (L, 0-3) last week. Anna Dodson was the Bruins' star of the weekend with 18 total kills at a .500 hitting percentage and a team-high 11.0 blocks. Setters Audrey Pak and Ashley Mullen split reps again, tallying 33 and 28, respectively. Sophomore Mokihana Tufono made her first career starts at libero and recorded 28 digs across the two matches.
ย
Dodson Domination
Dodson is putting together another All-Pac-12 caliber season with a team-leading .377 hitting percentage and 1.22 blocks per set. Both marks are currently career highs for the Fort Collins, Colo. native. Last weekend at Arizona, Dodson recorded a season high 13 kills for a .667 hitting percentage to go along with six total blocks. The output marked Dodson's seventh double-digit kill outing of the season and fourth consecutive performance with 5.0+ total blocks. She is on pace to lead the Bruins in blocks for the third straight season.
ย
Immediate Impact
Becker has been one of the most valuable transfer additions in the Pac-12 this season. The graduate from Northwestern has tallied 4.0+ blocks in 12 of 16 matches this season. At Long Beach State on Sept. 2, Becker established a new career high in total blocks with 9.0 (two solo, seven assisted). Becker has also reached seven blocks in three other contests.
ย
Ndiaye of the Tiger
Ndiaye has recorded four of the five highest single-match point totals in her career in this season alone. The Dallas, Texas native recorded the second 20-kill outing of her career in UCLA's season-opening match at LSU with 20 at a .444 clip on Aug. 25. She is the only Bruin on the active roster to have recorded a 20-kill performance. Her first such performance came last season versus Colorado on Oct. 2, 2022 when she racked a career-high 22 kills.
ย
In a Double-Double Mood
Ndiaye recorded the first two double-doubles of her career in back-to-back matches at Oklahoma on Sept. 16 (16 K, 12 D) and versus USC on Sept. 20 (16 K, 12 D). Those two dig totals mark the two highest of her career. With increased playing time and improved passing, Ndiaye is averaging 1.54 digs per set this season which more than triples her average over the previous three seasons (0.42).
ย
Tufono Debuts at Libero
Tufono, a native of Aiea, Hawaii, made her first career starts at libero last week against Arizona and Arizona State. She tallied two double-digit dig performances with 12 and 16, respectively. Tufono switched positions this season from setter to libero. As a freshman in 2022, Tufono made two starts and appeared in 20 matches, finishing second on the squad with 200 assists. She recorded the first double-double of her career in the final match of the season at USC on Nov. 25 with 26 assists and 10 digs.
ย
Non-Conference Recap
UCLA went 8-2 in its non-conference schedule with signature wins over LSU, Pepperdine and the-No. 23 Hawai'i โ all teams who appeared in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Bruins also defeated Long Beach State a week after the Beach took down reigning NCAA Champion Texas. UCLA put up 19.0 total blocks versus Long Beach State, its third-highest single-match blocking total over the last seven seasons.
ย
Reft Team USA Recap
Alfee Reft returned from his season coaching assistant position with the U.S. Women's National Team on Sept. 29. He returned to UCLA after helping Team USA finish the FIVB Road to 2024 Paris Olympic Qualifier with a 6-1 record. The national team punched its ticket with a 3-1 victory over Germany last Sunday. Reft serves UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer and Team USA Head Coach Karch Kiraly. In total, Reft has spent 12 years as both a player and coach on the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams. Reft will be with the Bruins for every match the remainder of the 2023 season.
ย
500 Block Club
UCLA middles Anna Dodson and Desiree Becker both achieved the 500th kills of their collegiate careers earlier this season. Dodson reached the milestone in the Bruins' second match of the season versus LSU on Aug. 26. Becker achieved the milestone in UCLA non-conference finale versus Oklahoma on Sept. 16. The two towers are both hitting above a .333+ rate through 14 matches.
ย
Paking a Punch
Pak has been a big block so far this season for the Bruins. Pak has recorded 4.0+ total blocks in four matches this year, setting a career high with 5.0 versus Hawai'i on Sept. 10. Pak provided a defensive spark in the beginning of set two versus the Rainbow Wahine with a solo block and block assist to push UCLA out to an early 4-1 lead. The Moraga, Calif. native is up to 24 total blocks over 44 sets played in 2023. Her previous season high was three blocks over three sets in 2021.
ย
Dueck Double-Double
Dueck notched the first double-double of her career and UCLA's first of the season versus Pepperdine on Sept. 7 with 22 digs and a career-high 12 assists. The 22 digs marked her most as a Bruin. While competing at Cal Poly her freshman season in 2021, Dueck snuffed out 28 digs at Cal State Fullerton. The Aptos, Calif. native has led the Bruins in digs in 10 of 14 matches in 2023.
ย
Unleash the Dodson
Dodson has recorded 23 total blocks over her last four matches. She enters this week hitting a team-high .377 percentage and has eclipsed .350 in nine of her 15 matches this season. At Long Beach State on Sept. 2, she notched her best performance of the year with 12 kills for an errorless .600 hitting percentage to go along with seven total blocks (3 BS, 4 BA) for 18.0 points.
ย
California Series History
The Bruins lead the all-time series versus the Golden Bears, 71-9, dating back to 1980. UCLA has won 15 out of the last 16 meetings, last losing to California on Oct. 26, 2018 in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. The Bruins won both of last year's meetings, with the last coming in reverse-sweep fashion.
ย
Stanford Series History
Stanford leads the all-time series versus UCLA, 56-42, dating back to 1976. The Bruins' last victory over the Cardinal came on Sept. 26, 2021 in five sets. Stanford has won seven out of the last 10 meetings.
ย
A New Era in Westwood
Reft was hired in December 2022 as the fourth head coach in program history on Dec. 18, 2022. Reft came to UCLA after leading San Diego to its first-ever National Semifinal appearance in the NCAA Tournament in his third year as associate head coach. The Oxnard, Calif. native also brings Big Ten Conference experience to UCLA after serving as an assistant at the University of Illinois from 2018-19 and at the University of Minnesota from 2010-12. He accumulated a 68-32 conference record across both stints and reached the Final Four with the Fighting Illini in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
ย
Dodson the Defender
Dodson has led the Bruins in blocks in each of the last two seasons with 109 in her Fall 2021 campaign and 77 in 2022. The last Bruin to lead the team in blocks in three consecutive years was Zoë Nightingale who paced UCLA across the 2012-14 seasons. The Fort Collins, Colo. native enters her fourth season in Westwood averaging 0.90 blocks per set across her career.
ย
Notes on Ndiaye
UCLA's top returning attacker is Iman Ndiaye who ranked second on the team with 269 kills and third with 307.0 total points in 2022. Ndiaye reached double-digit kills on 14 occasions in 2022, including a career-best performance with 22 kills at a .421 clip (22-6-38) versus Colorado on Oct. 2. She is the only active UCLA player to have a 10-block match in their career. The Plano West High School product (Dallas) was an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention recipient last season. She was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Freshman Team in Spring 2021.
ย
High School All-American Mullen
The Bruins' most highly-touted incoming freshman is setter Ashley Mullen from Kansas City, Mo. (Liberty HS). She has started in four of UCLA's first five matches of the season. Mullen was an AVCA First Team High School All-American her senior year and was selected as an UnderArmour All-American to compete in the annual All-American game. Mullen was ranked as the No. 4 setter in the nation and 26th overall recruit by PrepVolleyball in 2022. One of 25 nominees for All-USA TODAY Girls Volleyball Player of the Year, Mullen amassed 3,457 career assists in high school, including 1,124 as a senior (10.10 AST/S).
ย
Dodson Selected to the USAV Collegiate Team
Two-time All-Pac-12 middle blocker Anna Dodson received national attention this offseason when she was named to the USA Volleyball 2023 Collegiate Women's National Team (CNT). From June 18-24 in Anaheim, Calif., Dodson trained alongside the Women's National Team Olympic Champions as the prepared for the Volleyball Nations League.
ย
Big Ten Bound in 2024-25
UCLA Athletics announced its decision to join the Big Ten Conference on June 30, 2022. This move will go into effect at the start of the 2024-25 season. In doing so, the Bruins will be joining the preeminent volleyball conference in the country with five of the last 10 NCAA Women's Volleyball champions coming from the Big Ten. Joining UCLA in this move are USC, Washington and Oregon. UCLA and USC have combined for seven NCAA Women's Volleyball Championships. UCLA won 10 conference championships while in the Pac-12, all coming under Hall of Fame Coach Andy Banachowski. Overall, the Bruins have played in 38 NCAA Women's Volleyball Tournaments which ranks fourth among all programs behind only Penn State, Stanford and Nebraska. In addition, UCLA has advanced to the NCAA Final Four 12 times and has posted a record of 94-35 in the NCAA Tournament.
ย
Glad for Grads
Two Bruins on this year's 2023 roster have earned undergraduate degrees. In Spring 2023, Dodson added two bachelor degrees to her résumé in sociology and gender studies. She now is working toward her master's degree in John Wooden's Transformative Coaching and Leadership (education major). Becker earned her bachelor of arts in history from Northwestern in 2023. She is now pursuing a master's degree in legal studies with the career objective of becoming an entertainment lawyer.
ย
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's VolleyballUCLA W. Volleyball Postgame - Oregon (Nov. 29, 2024)
Friday, November 29
UCLA W. Volleyball Postgame - Iowa (Nov. 27, 2024)
Thursday, November 28
UCLA W. Volleyball Postgame - vs. Wisconsin (Nov. 16, 2024)
Saturday, November 16
UCLA W. Volleyball Postgame - vs. Washington (Nov. 13, 2024)
Wednesday, November 13