Friday, November 24
Los Angeles, CA
7:00 PM
UCLA
18-12,10-10Pac-12
3
at
2
USC
18-12,12-8Pac-12
1
2
3
4
5
F
UCLA
20
25
25
24
15
3
Southern California
25
21
21
26
13
2
Photo by: Lillie Yazdi
UCLA Wins Five-Set Thriller over No. 24 USC
November 24, 2023 | Women's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES โ Audrey Pak led the UCLA women's volleyball team at the service line in an epic fifth-set comeback to defeat crosstown rival No. 24 USC, 3-2, at the Galen Center Friday evening.
ย
Set scores were 20-25, 25-21, 25-21, 24-26 and 15-13.
ย
Pak stepped to the line with the Bruins (18-12, 10-10) trailing their rivals 11-9 in the fifth. The senior dealt three aces the next three plays to give her squad the lead, 12-9, in her final Crosstown Showdown. Pak finished with a career-high 11.5 points, striking for five kills on six attempts and swatting five block assists.
ย
"(It felt) so good," Pak said. "We wanted it so bad. After the first game we played against them, we were ready to beat them."
ย
"What can you say?" said head coach Alfee Reft. "The kid goes back and deals (three) aces? She's got ice in her veins. She just creates."
ย
Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye dunked a ball that trickled along the net in front of a trio of Trojan (18-12, 12-8) defenders and blasted a ball off the USC block to bring match point to the line for the Bruins. Pak connected with sophomore Cheridyn Leverette for a cross-court kill to secure UCLA's third win over a top-25 opponent this season and second in the last three weeks.
ย
"I think we have shown that โ especially at the right time โ we're playing the best volleyball that we've played (all year)," Reft said. "I'd put us toe-to-toe with any team in the country. We took some losses earlier, but that's part of the year. We learned and got better and I hope they see the momentum our team is putting together at the right time."
ย
Ndiaye finished with a team-high 21 kills for a .312 hitting percentage. Ndiaye now owns four 20-kill performances this season and five in her career. The Bruins' star middle blocking duo of Anna Dodson and Desiree Becker finished with a combined 27.0 points. Becker matched her career high in blocks with nine, including one solo block.
ย
UCLA totaled 67 kills for a .297 hitting percentage and 14 blocks.
ย
Libero Peyton Dueck tallied a team-high 18 digs and 24 receptions. Mokihana Tufono played outstanding in the Bruins' back row, recording 12 receptions and eight digs. UCLA stuck several of USC setter's Mia Tuaniga serve attempts, limiting her to three service aces on 17 tries. Outside hitter Skylar Fields led the Trojans with 21 kills for a .273 hitting percentage.
ย
"(Tufono was) sticking," Reft said. "Yeah, Mia is a great server. She brings a lot of heat. The fact that we held her to (three) aces tonight is a real win for us. I thought our passing line is just tough with her tonight."
ย
The Bruins garnered a slim 6-4 advantage in set five on two straight kills from Ndiaye and Leverette. Ndiaye cashed in on her third swing of the play with a rocket that landed at the feet of Ellie Snook. Leverette's kill came on an out-of-system play with a wicked back set by Dueck.
ย
USC took an 8-6 advantage at the switch in set five thanks to an ace by Tuaniga and kill by London Wijay. A kill and ace by USC's Tyrah Ariail forced Reft to call a timeout, trailing 11-8. The timeout helped freeze Ariail and induced a service error. Then, Pak seized the moment and rattled off her three straight aces.
ย
The two squads traded blows in the fourth set. UCLA took an 18-17 lead on a thrilling rally. Pak went to Dodson for the Bruins' fourth swing of the play who deposited a rocket past USC libero Gala Trubint. Two plays later, Ndiaye put the finishing touches on another rally, soaring out of the back row for a kill off the block at 19-18. UCLA retook the lead at 23-22 by siding out on a top-spin serve by Tuaniga. Tufono stuck the ball up for Pak who called her own number and put a kill down. Fields and Ariail recorded four kills on the next five plays to give USC its first lead since the 5-4 mark of the set and even the match at two sets apiece.
ย
Becker recorded a team-high 6.0 points off five kills and two blocks in the third set victory. The DeWitt, Mich. native sided out on a Tuaniga serve with a kill on UCLA's third swing of the play to give the Bruins a 12-9 buffer. An emphatic solo block by Dodson roofed Fields to stall a USC surge and make it a 16-14 Bruins' advantage. Two plays later, Pak kept a play alive with a kick save and got back up from the floor for a block on Wijay. The Trojans got within two points at 22-20, but back-to-back kills by Grayce Olson and Ndiaye erased hope of a comeback.
UCLA pushed out to an 18-13 lead in set two thanks to 9-3 run that featured two kills by Olson, a kill each by Leverette, Dodson and Becker, and a roof by Ndiaye and Becker. Back-to-back stuffs by Dodson put UCLA up 22-17 and forced a USC timeout. One play after Tuaniga came to the service line and earned a point for the Trojans, Reft called a timeout. The break resulted in a service error and brought set point to the line for the Bruins, 24-19. Becker clinched the set win with a kill.
ย
ย
Set scores were 20-25, 25-21, 25-21, 24-26 and 15-13.
ย
Pak stepped to the line with the Bruins (18-12, 10-10) trailing their rivals 11-9 in the fifth. The senior dealt three aces the next three plays to give her squad the lead, 12-9, in her final Crosstown Showdown. Pak finished with a career-high 11.5 points, striking for five kills on six attempts and swatting five block assists.
ย
"(It felt) so good," Pak said. "We wanted it so bad. After the first game we played against them, we were ready to beat them."
ย
"What can you say?" said head coach Alfee Reft. "The kid goes back and deals (three) aces? She's got ice in her veins. She just creates."
ย
Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye dunked a ball that trickled along the net in front of a trio of Trojan (18-12, 12-8) defenders and blasted a ball off the USC block to bring match point to the line for the Bruins. Pak connected with sophomore Cheridyn Leverette for a cross-court kill to secure UCLA's third win over a top-25 opponent this season and second in the last three weeks.
ย
"I think we have shown that โ especially at the right time โ we're playing the best volleyball that we've played (all year)," Reft said. "I'd put us toe-to-toe with any team in the country. We took some losses earlier, but that's part of the year. We learned and got better and I hope they see the momentum our team is putting together at the right time."
ย
Ndiaye finished with a team-high 21 kills for a .312 hitting percentage. Ndiaye now owns four 20-kill performances this season and five in her career. The Bruins' star middle blocking duo of Anna Dodson and Desiree Becker finished with a combined 27.0 points. Becker matched her career high in blocks with nine, including one solo block.
ย
UCLA totaled 67 kills for a .297 hitting percentage and 14 blocks.
ย
Libero Peyton Dueck tallied a team-high 18 digs and 24 receptions. Mokihana Tufono played outstanding in the Bruins' back row, recording 12 receptions and eight digs. UCLA stuck several of USC setter's Mia Tuaniga serve attempts, limiting her to three service aces on 17 tries. Outside hitter Skylar Fields led the Trojans with 21 kills for a .273 hitting percentage.
ย
"(Tufono was) sticking," Reft said. "Yeah, Mia is a great server. She brings a lot of heat. The fact that we held her to (three) aces tonight is a real win for us. I thought our passing line is just tough with her tonight."
ย
The Bruins garnered a slim 6-4 advantage in set five on two straight kills from Ndiaye and Leverette. Ndiaye cashed in on her third swing of the play with a rocket that landed at the feet of Ellie Snook. Leverette's kill came on an out-of-system play with a wicked back set by Dueck.
ย
USC took an 8-6 advantage at the switch in set five thanks to an ace by Tuaniga and kill by London Wijay. A kill and ace by USC's Tyrah Ariail forced Reft to call a timeout, trailing 11-8. The timeout helped freeze Ariail and induced a service error. Then, Pak seized the moment and rattled off her three straight aces.
ย
The two squads traded blows in the fourth set. UCLA took an 18-17 lead on a thrilling rally. Pak went to Dodson for the Bruins' fourth swing of the play who deposited a rocket past USC libero Gala Trubint. Two plays later, Ndiaye put the finishing touches on another rally, soaring out of the back row for a kill off the block at 19-18. UCLA retook the lead at 23-22 by siding out on a top-spin serve by Tuaniga. Tufono stuck the ball up for Pak who called her own number and put a kill down. Fields and Ariail recorded four kills on the next five plays to give USC its first lead since the 5-4 mark of the set and even the match at two sets apiece.
ย
Becker recorded a team-high 6.0 points off five kills and two blocks in the third set victory. The DeWitt, Mich. native sided out on a Tuaniga serve with a kill on UCLA's third swing of the play to give the Bruins a 12-9 buffer. An emphatic solo block by Dodson roofed Fields to stall a USC surge and make it a 16-14 Bruins' advantage. Two plays later, Pak kept a play alive with a kick save and got back up from the floor for a block on Wijay. The Trojans got within two points at 22-20, but back-to-back kills by Grayce Olson and Ndiaye erased hope of a comeback.
UCLA pushed out to an 18-13 lead in set two thanks to 9-3 run that featured two kills by Olson, a kill each by Leverette, Dodson and Becker, and a roof by Ndiaye and Becker. Back-to-back stuffs by Dodson put UCLA up 22-17 and forced a USC timeout. One play after Tuaniga came to the service line and earned a point for the Trojans, Reft called a timeout. The break resulted in a service error and brought set point to the line for the Bruins, 24-19. Becker clinched the set win with a kill.
ย
Team Stats
UCLA
USC
Kills
67
62
Errors
21
21
Attempts
155
150
Hitting %
.297
.273
Points
87.0
81.0
Assists
62
57
Aces
6
8
Blocks
14
11
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
21
Aces
1
Blocks
5
Kills
13
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
5
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
9
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballOH/OPP
/ 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