Friday, September 1
Long Beach, CA
4:00 PM
UCLA
vs
Indiana
Kat Lutz (photo: Suzi Mellano)
Photo by: Suzi Mellano
UCLA Plays Two in Long Beach
August 30, 2023 | Women's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES โ The UCLA women's volleyball team will play two matches at the Long Beach State Tournament in The Walter Pyramid this weekend versus future Big Ten Conference foe Indiana and Long Beach State. The Bruins (2-1) will face the Hoosiers (3-0) on Friday, Sept. 1 at 4 p.m. (PT) and the Beach (1-1) on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 7 p.m. (PT). Both contests are available for streaming on ESPN+.
ย
UCLA (2-1) vs. Indiana (3-0)
Date: Friday, Sept. 1, 2023 - 4 p.m. (PT)
Location: Long Beach, Calif. (The Walter Pyramid)
Television: ESPN+
Talent: Matt Brown
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
UCLA (2-1) at Long Beach State (1-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023 - 7 p.m. (PT)
Location: Long Beach, Calif. (The Walter Pyramid)
Television: ESPN+
Talent: Matt Brown
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
Quick Hits
ยท UCLA moved to 49-5 all-time in season-opening matches following its loss to LSU last Friday at the Maravich Center.
ยท Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye leads UCLA in kills (43), kills per set (3.31) and hitting percentage (.387) through week one.
ยท Peyton Dueck grabbed hold of the starting libero spot, totaling a team-high 49 digs and 3.77 digs per set in UCLA's three matches.
ยท Sophomore Cheridyn Leverette starred in UCLA's five-set win versus LSU with a career-high 17 kills (.351%) and 20.0 points.
ยท Reft is rotating between Ashley Mullen and Audrey Pak at the setter position during this preseason. Pak subbed in during UCLA's win over LSU and set career highs in assists (34) and blocks (4 BA).
ยท The Bruins' 2023 roster consists of seven newcomers (four freshmen, three transfers), including four who see consistent playing time: starting middle blocker Desiree Becker (Northwestern), outside hitter Carly Hendrickson (Florida), Mullen (Liberty HS) and defensive specialist Kat Lutz (Torrey Pines HS).
ย
A New Era in Westwood
Alfee Reft, who was hired in December 2022 as the fourth head coach in program history, picked up his first win in a 3-2 victory in the Bruins' second match versus LSU last Saturday. 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
Recapping Week One
LSU: A night after coming up short in five sets, UCLA delivered with a 3-2 victory over LSU on Saturday, Aug. 26 in the Maravich Center for Reft's first win as head coach. In addition to recording a career-high 17 kills, Leverette strung together a 4-0 run at the service line with two aces late in set five to secure the victory. Pak, who subbed into the match in set two, tallied four block assists down the stretch to go along with a career-high 34 assists.
Northwestern State: UCLA concluded its Louisiana road trip with a 3-0 sweep of Northwestern State that featured four Bruins reaching double-figure kills, led by Ndiaye with 14 (.429%). The Bruins defeated the Lady Demons in front of a record-breaking crowd of 1,232 fans who came out to see UCLA compete at the university for the first time in program history.
ย
UCLA's Schedule at a Glance
The Bruins' preseason schedule includes two opponents who were ranked in the top 50 of last season's final RPI (Hawai'i [41], LSU [49]) and three opponents who appeared in the 2022 NCAA Tournament (LSU, Pepperdine and Hawai'i). In total, UCLA will play 14 matches against nine teams who made last season's NCAA Tournament, including six from the Pac-12 Conference (Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, USC, Washington and Washington State).
ย
UCLA Picked Fifth
UCLA was picked to finish fifth in the annual Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll. UCLA is coming off a seventh-place finish in the Pac-12 a year ago with a 10-10 conference record. The Bruins' notable 2022 wins included a five-set comeback at then-RV Hawai'i in the Outrigger Volleyball Challenge on Sept. 4 and their lone victory over a ranked foe at then-No. 25 Washington State on Nov. 22.
ย
Ndiaye of the Tiger
Ndiaye recorded the second 20-kill outing of her career in UCLA's season-opening match at LSU with 20 at a .444 clip on Friday, 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. She closed week one with 14 kills at a .429 hitting percentage at Northwestern State on Monday, Aug. 28. Entering this weekend, Ndiaye is hitting at an elite .387 rate which is good for 13th in the Pac-12.
ย
Back Row Work
Ndiaye has been putting up stellar defensive numbers as well. In Saturday's win over LSU, Ndiaye bested her previous career-high in digs by four with 10. The Dallas, Texas native is averaging 1.53 digs per set which nearly triples her previous season best.
ย
Solid Weekend for Becker
Becker led UCLA in blocks in each of its first three matches of the season. The 6-foot, 2-inch middle blocker came one block short of tying her career-high in her Bruin debut, recording seven blocks versus LSU last Friday. In her career, Becker a has totaled 287 blocks and is averaging 0.94 blocks per set which leads UCLA's active roster. Becker comes to Westwood following her best season yet at Northwestern where she was the leading blocker on a Wildcats squad that finished with an 18-14 record for their highest win total since 2010. Becker finished last season with a team-high 118 blocks and ranked fifth with 177 kills.
ย
Dodson: Preseason All-Pac-12
Redshirt senior middle blocker Anna Dodson was named to the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team for the first time in her career in 2023. Last season, Dodson was selected to the All-Pac-12 Team and AVCA Pacific South All-Region Honorable Mention after leading UCLA with a .330 hitting percentage on her 259 kills. Dodson achieved double-digit kills in 13 matches and ranked second on the team with 2.54 kills per set in her 27 starts and 102 sets played. She is UCLA's second-highest returning point scorer (259) behind outside hitter Iman Ndiaye.
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
What's New, Bru?
Reft welcomes a group of seven newcomers to his first-year squad. Joining the Bruins are transfers Desiree Becker (MB, Northwestern), Carly Hendrickson (OH, Florida) and Joy Umeh (OH, UC Irvine) and freshmen Brooklyn Briscoe (MB), Sydney Breon (DS/L), Ashley Mullen (S) and Kat Lutz (DS/L).
ย
High School All-American Mullen
The Bruins' most highly-touted incoming freshman is setter Ashley Mullen from Kansas City, Mo. (Liberty HS). 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
Notable Position Changes
Two returning players have made moves to different positions this season. Sophomore Mokihana Tufono has switched from setter to defensive specialist/libero and senior Kate Lane has moved from setter to opposite hitter. Last year, Tufono tied the UCLA single-match record for service aces with eight at No. 12 Oregon in the first start of her career on Nov. 18.ย She also recorded the first double-double of her career in that match with 24 assists and 16 digs (two aces shy of UCLA's first triple double since 1996).
ย
Dodson Selected to USAV Collegiate National 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
Headed South on the 405
UCLA will continue its longtime history with the Long Beach State volleyball program this weekend.
UCLA-Indiana Series History: This marks the first meeting between UCLA and Indiana. UCLA owns a 50-27 all-time record (.649) versus Big Ten opponents. The Bruins have a winning record versus 10 Big Ten programs. Their most impressive series advantages include a 12-0 mark versus Illinois and a 9-1 mark versus Ohio State. The Bruins have losing records against only two Big Ten teams: Nebraska (4-13) and Wisconsin (2-4).
UCLA-Long Beach State Series History: This weekend will mark the 84th all-time meeting between the UCLA and Long Beach State women's volleyball programs. It's one of UCLA's longest-standing series, dating back to Oct. 28, 1970. The two programs were formerly associated in the same conference, the Western Collegiate Athletic Association (WCAA), from 1978-84.
ย
Reft & Team USA
Head coach Alfee Reft also serves as a seasonal assistant for the USA Women's Volleyball National Team under legendary Bruin and UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer 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. As a result of his Team USA responsibilities, Reft will miss seven matches this season: at Northwestern State (Aug. 28), vs. Indiana (Sept. 1), at Long Beach State (Sept. 2), at Oklahoma (Sept. 15 and 16), vs. USC (Sept. 20) and vs. Oregon (Sept. 24).
Reft's Official Statement: "As our team gears up for a strong start to the season, I'd like to share that I will be missing seven matches so that I can fulfill my pre-existing coaching commitments with Team USA at the NORCECA Continental Championships and Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifier. My heart will be with our Bruin team while away and I have complete confidence in my entire staff (associate head coach Jen Malcom and assistant coaches Amir Lugo-Rodriguez and Noah Casaquit) to carry out the vision and direction our program is moving in during this very exciting period of our season."
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 from the Pac-12 Conference 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, Anna 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). Transfer Desiree 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 (2-1) vs. Indiana (3-0)
Date: Friday, Sept. 1, 2023 - 4 p.m. (PT)
Location: Long Beach, Calif. (The Walter Pyramid)
Television: ESPN+
Talent: Matt Brown
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
UCLA (2-1) at Long Beach State (1-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 2, 2023 - 7 p.m. (PT)
Location: Long Beach, Calif. (The Walter Pyramid)
Television: ESPN+
Talent: Matt Brown
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
Quick Hits
ยท UCLA moved to 49-5 all-time in season-opening matches following its loss to LSU last Friday at the Maravich Center.
ยท Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye leads UCLA in kills (43), kills per set (3.31) and hitting percentage (.387) through week one.
ยท Peyton Dueck grabbed hold of the starting libero spot, totaling a team-high 49 digs and 3.77 digs per set in UCLA's three matches.
ยท Sophomore Cheridyn Leverette starred in UCLA's five-set win versus LSU with a career-high 17 kills (.351%) and 20.0 points.
ยท Reft is rotating between Ashley Mullen and Audrey Pak at the setter position during this preseason. Pak subbed in during UCLA's win over LSU and set career highs in assists (34) and blocks (4 BA).
ยท The Bruins' 2023 roster consists of seven newcomers (four freshmen, three transfers), including four who see consistent playing time: starting middle blocker Desiree Becker (Northwestern), outside hitter Carly Hendrickson (Florida), Mullen (Liberty HS) and defensive specialist Kat Lutz (Torrey Pines HS).
ย
A New Era in Westwood
Alfee Reft, who was hired in December 2022 as the fourth head coach in program history, picked up his first win in a 3-2 victory in the Bruins' second match versus LSU last Saturday. 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
Recapping Week One
LSU: A night after coming up short in five sets, UCLA delivered with a 3-2 victory over LSU on Saturday, Aug. 26 in the Maravich Center for Reft's first win as head coach. In addition to recording a career-high 17 kills, Leverette strung together a 4-0 run at the service line with two aces late in set five to secure the victory. Pak, who subbed into the match in set two, tallied four block assists down the stretch to go along with a career-high 34 assists.
Northwestern State: UCLA concluded its Louisiana road trip with a 3-0 sweep of Northwestern State that featured four Bruins reaching double-figure kills, led by Ndiaye with 14 (.429%). The Bruins defeated the Lady Demons in front of a record-breaking crowd of 1,232 fans who came out to see UCLA compete at the university for the first time in program history.
ย
UCLA's Schedule at a Glance
The Bruins' preseason schedule includes two opponents who were ranked in the top 50 of last season's final RPI (Hawai'i [41], LSU [49]) and three opponents who appeared in the 2022 NCAA Tournament (LSU, Pepperdine and Hawai'i). In total, UCLA will play 14 matches against nine teams who made last season's NCAA Tournament, including six from the Pac-12 Conference (Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, USC, Washington and Washington State).
ย
UCLA Picked Fifth
UCLA was picked to finish fifth in the annual Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll. UCLA is coming off a seventh-place finish in the Pac-12 a year ago with a 10-10 conference record. The Bruins' notable 2022 wins included a five-set comeback at then-RV Hawai'i in the Outrigger Volleyball Challenge on Sept. 4 and their lone victory over a ranked foe at then-No. 25 Washington State on Nov. 22.
ย
Ndiaye of the Tiger
Ndiaye recorded the second 20-kill outing of her career in UCLA's season-opening match at LSU with 20 at a .444 clip on Friday, 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. She closed week one with 14 kills at a .429 hitting percentage at Northwestern State on Monday, Aug. 28. Entering this weekend, Ndiaye is hitting at an elite .387 rate which is good for 13th in the Pac-12.
ย
Back Row Work
Ndiaye has been putting up stellar defensive numbers as well. In Saturday's win over LSU, Ndiaye bested her previous career-high in digs by four with 10. The Dallas, Texas native is averaging 1.53 digs per set which nearly triples her previous season best.
ย
Solid Weekend for Becker
Becker led UCLA in blocks in each of its first three matches of the season. The 6-foot, 2-inch middle blocker came one block short of tying her career-high in her Bruin debut, recording seven blocks versus LSU last Friday. In her career, Becker a has totaled 287 blocks and is averaging 0.94 blocks per set which leads UCLA's active roster. Becker comes to Westwood following her best season yet at Northwestern where she was the leading blocker on a Wildcats squad that finished with an 18-14 record for their highest win total since 2010. Becker finished last season with a team-high 118 blocks and ranked fifth with 177 kills.
ย
Dodson: Preseason All-Pac-12
Redshirt senior middle blocker Anna Dodson was named to the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team for the first time in her career in 2023. Last season, Dodson was selected to the All-Pac-12 Team and AVCA Pacific South All-Region Honorable Mention after leading UCLA with a .330 hitting percentage on her 259 kills. Dodson achieved double-digit kills in 13 matches and ranked second on the team with 2.54 kills per set in her 27 starts and 102 sets played. She is UCLA's second-highest returning point scorer (259) behind outside hitter Iman Ndiaye.
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
What's New, Bru?
Reft welcomes a group of seven newcomers to his first-year squad. Joining the Bruins are transfers Desiree Becker (MB, Northwestern), Carly Hendrickson (OH, Florida) and Joy Umeh (OH, UC Irvine) and freshmen Brooklyn Briscoe (MB), Sydney Breon (DS/L), Ashley Mullen (S) and Kat Lutz (DS/L).
ย
High School All-American Mullen
The Bruins' most highly-touted incoming freshman is setter Ashley Mullen from Kansas City, Mo. (Liberty HS). 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
Notable Position Changes
Two returning players have made moves to different positions this season. Sophomore Mokihana Tufono has switched from setter to defensive specialist/libero and senior Kate Lane has moved from setter to opposite hitter. Last year, Tufono tied the UCLA single-match record for service aces with eight at No. 12 Oregon in the first start of her career on Nov. 18.ย She also recorded the first double-double of her career in that match with 24 assists and 16 digs (two aces shy of UCLA's first triple double since 1996).
ย
Dodson Selected to USAV Collegiate National 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
Headed South on the 405
UCLA will continue its longtime history with the Long Beach State volleyball program this weekend.
UCLA-Indiana Series History: This marks the first meeting between UCLA and Indiana. UCLA owns a 50-27 all-time record (.649) versus Big Ten opponents. The Bruins have a winning record versus 10 Big Ten programs. Their most impressive series advantages include a 12-0 mark versus Illinois and a 9-1 mark versus Ohio State. The Bruins have losing records against only two Big Ten teams: Nebraska (4-13) and Wisconsin (2-4).
UCLA-Long Beach State Series History: This weekend will mark the 84th all-time meeting between the UCLA and Long Beach State women's volleyball programs. It's one of UCLA's longest-standing series, dating back to Oct. 28, 1970. The two programs were formerly associated in the same conference, the Western Collegiate Athletic Association (WCAA), from 1978-84.
ย
Reft & Team USA
Head coach Alfee Reft also serves as a seasonal assistant for the USA Women's Volleyball National Team under legendary Bruin and UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer 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. As a result of his Team USA responsibilities, Reft will miss seven matches this season: at Northwestern State (Aug. 28), vs. Indiana (Sept. 1), at Long Beach State (Sept. 2), at Oklahoma (Sept. 15 and 16), vs. USC (Sept. 20) and vs. Oregon (Sept. 24).
Reft's Official Statement: "As our team gears up for a strong start to the season, I'd like to share that I will be missing seven matches so that I can fulfill my pre-existing coaching commitments with Team USA at the NORCECA Continental Championships and Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifier. My heart will be with our Bruin team while away and I have complete confidence in my entire staff (associate head coach Jen Malcom and assistant coaches Amir Lugo-Rodriguez and Noah Casaquit) to carry out the vision and direction our program is moving in during this very exciting period of our season."
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 from the Pac-12 Conference 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, Anna 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). Transfer Desiree 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
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
L
/ Women's Volleyball
Highlights - UCLA W. Volleyball vs. Maryland (Oct. 25, 2025)
Saturday, October 25
Highlights - UCLA W. Volleyball vs. Iowa (Oct. 19, 2025)
Sunday, October 19
Cinematic Recap - UCLA W. Volleyball vs. USC (Oct. 11, 2025)
Wednesday, October 15
Highlights - UCLA W. Volleyball vs. USC (Oct. 11, 2025)
Saturday, October 11