Wednesday, September 20
Los Angeles, CA
7:00 PM
UCLA
vs
USC
Anna Dodson
Photo by: Jesus Ramirez
UCLA Opens at Home Versus USC, Oregon
September 19, 2023 | Women's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES โ The UCLA women's volleyball team begins Pac-12 Conference competition this week with its first home contests of the season at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom versus crosstown rival USC on Wednesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. (PT) and No. 6 Oregon on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m. (PT). The Bruins' (8-2) contests versus the Trojans (6-4) and Ducks (9-1) can be watched on the Pac-12 Network.
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Fans can purchase $2 tickets to UCLA's home opener versus USC using the promo code "BEATSC".
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UCLA (8-2) vs. USC (6-4)
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023 โ 7 p.m. (PT)
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion)
Television: Pac-12 Network
Talent: Anne Marie Anderson (play by play), Holly McPeak (analyst)
Radio: ucla.leanplayer.com
Talent: Darren Preston
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
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UCLA (8-2) vs. No. 6 Oregon (9-1)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 โ 2 p.m. (PT)
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion)
Television: Pac-12 Los Angeles
Talent: Anne Marie Anderson (play by play)
Radio: ucla.leanplayer.com
Talent: Darren Preston
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
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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 Reft will be missing seven matches this season due to his assistant coaching responsibilities with the U.S. Women's National Team. He serves UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer and head coach Karch Kiraly.
ยท Associate head coach Jen Malcom is the acting head coach during Reft's absences. She is 4-2 while in charge.
ยท The Bruins played all 10 of their non-conference matches on the road and flew approximately 10,800 miles through the air.
ยท UCLA is 31-16 all-time in conference openers. The Bruins will open conference play at home for a fifth year in a row.
ยท UCLA finished the preseason with an 8-2 record after splitting its two matches at Oklahoma last week.
ยท Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye leads UCLA in kills (140), kills per set (3.33), points (167.0) and points per set (3.98). Ndiaye has reached double-digit kills in nine out of 10 matches this year and leads UCLA's pin hitters with a .357 hitting percentage.
ยท Middle blocker Desiree Becker ranks first in the Pac-12 Conference in total blocks (53) and sixth in blocks per set (1.26). The graduate transfer from Northwestern has been a key addition, tallying 4.0+ total blocks in nine of 10 matches.
ยท Middle blocker Anna Dodson owns a team-high .410 hitting percentage and ranks fourth on the squad with 2.95 points per set.
ยท Libero Peyton Dueck stars in the Bruins' back row with 144 digs, ranking fifth in the Pac-12 in that category.
ยท As of UCLA's match versus Hawai'i, the Bruins now operate in a 5-2 system with Ashley Mullen setting in the back row and Audrey Pak setting in the front row.
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).
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UCLA in Home Openers
The Bruins are 41-12 all-time in home openers dating back to the 1970-71 season. UCLA is 5-5 in home openers over the last 10 seasons. The Bruins have opened at home with the Trojans the last two seasons with each squad securing a victory. In 2022, UCLA recorded a 4-6 home record with victories over Arizona, Arizona State, California and Oregon State. This followed the Bruins' perfect 10-0 home record in the Fall 2021 campaign.
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Historic Rivalry
Wednesday will mark the 132nd all-time meeting between longtime rivals UCLA and USC, two programs who have combined for seven NCAA Championships. UCLA won NCAA titles in 1984, '90, '91 and 2011 while USC won in 1981, 2002 and '03. Legendary Pauley Pavilion was the host site for the first-ever NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship in 1981 which resulted in USC defeating UCLA in the title match in five sets on Dec. 20, 1981. In total the two squads have met in the NCAA Tournament three times. The Bruins are 4-6 in their last 10 home meetings with the Trojans.
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The two programs will be making more history next season when they join the Big Ten Conference. On June 30, 2022, UCLA and USC both announced that the schools' athletic programs will be making the conference switch, beginning in 2024-25. Since that time, Oregon and Washington also made similar announcements and all four teams will compete in the Big Ten come August 2024.
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Last Time Out
UCLA concluded its non-conference schedule with a series split at Oklahoma (6-3) last week. Ndiaye recorded the first double-double of her career with 16 kills (.344%) and a career-high 10 digs in the Bruins' victory over the Sooners last Saturday. Ndiaye also picked up five total blocks for a team-high 19.0 points. She has now recorded 19.0+ points in four matches this year after entering this season with just one in her previous three seasons at UCLA. Sophomore outside hitter Grayce Olson also made key contributions in the win with 15 kills (.270%) and a career-high eight digs.
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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.
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No. 500 for Becker
Becker recorded the 500th kill of her collegiate career in UCLA's victory over Oklahoma last Saturday. The DeWitt, Mich. native has made an immediate impact to the Bruins' starting lineup this season. In addition to her Pac-12-leading 53.0 blocks, Becker has averaged 1.30 kills per set at a .298 rate. She announced her decision to transfer to UCLA following Reft's decisions to hire Malcom and assistant coach Amir Lugo-Rodriguez, who Becker played under at Northwestern for two years.
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Ndiaye of the Tiger
With her 19.0 points at Oklahoma last week, Ndiaye has now recorded four of the five highest single-match point totals in her career this season. Entering this week, Ndiaye ranks top 10 in the Pac-12 in both total kills (7th - 140 K) and points (t-6th - 167.0 PTS). 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.
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Paking a Punch
Pak has been a big block so far this season for the Bruins. In UCLA's 5-2 system, Pak will set in the front row while Mullen will set in the back row. Pak has recorded four-plus total blocks in three matches this year, setting a career high 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 18.0 total blocks over 33 sets played in 2023. Her previous season high was 3.0 blocks over three sets in 2021.
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All-Around Improvement
UCLA's primary outside hitters this season โ Ndiaye, Olson and Cheridyn Leverette โ are averaging a combined 1.30 digs per set. That trio averaged 0.48 digs per set last season. Entering the year, Ndiaye had been averaging 0.42 digs per set in her previous three seasons. Through eight matches in 2023, she has more than tripled that average with 1.50 digs per set. She matched her career high against Oklahoma last Saturday with 10 digs which also surpassed her previous season high of 51 set last season.
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Do You Remember?
Peyton Dueck had arguably the most memorable moment from last season in UCLA's home opener versus USC on Sept. 22, 2022 in Pauley Pavilion. In the third set, the defensive specialist went up for a solo block on Trojan Kalyah Williams to win the frame in extra points, 29-27, and force a fourth.
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Dueck Double-Double
Dueck earned 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 the most in her UCLA career. 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 nine of 10 matches in 2023.
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Unleash the Dodson
Dodson enters this week hitting a team-high .410 percentage and has eclipsed .350 in seven of her 10 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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High School All-American
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).
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.
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Reft & Team USA
Head coach Alfee Reft also serves as a seasonal assistant for the U.S. Women's National Team under 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."
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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.
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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.
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Fans can purchase $2 tickets to UCLA's home opener versus USC using the promo code "BEATSC".
ย
UCLA (8-2) vs. USC (6-4)
Date: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023 โ 7 p.m. (PT)
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion)
Television: Pac-12 Network
Talent: Anne Marie Anderson (play by play), Holly McPeak (analyst)
Radio: ucla.leanplayer.com
Talent: Darren Preston
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
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UCLA (8-2) vs. No. 6 Oregon (9-1)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023 โ 2 p.m. (PT)
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion)
Television: Pac-12 Los Angeles
Talent: Anne Marie Anderson (play by play)
Radio: ucla.leanplayer.com
Talent: Darren Preston
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 Reft will be missing seven matches this season due to his assistant coaching responsibilities with the U.S. Women's National Team. He serves UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer and head coach Karch Kiraly.
ยท Associate head coach Jen Malcom is the acting head coach during Reft's absences. She is 4-2 while in charge.
ยท The Bruins played all 10 of their non-conference matches on the road and flew approximately 10,800 miles through the air.
ยท UCLA is 31-16 all-time in conference openers. The Bruins will open conference play at home for a fifth year in a row.
ยท UCLA finished the preseason with an 8-2 record after splitting its two matches at Oklahoma last week.
ยท Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye leads UCLA in kills (140), kills per set (3.33), points (167.0) and points per set (3.98). Ndiaye has reached double-digit kills in nine out of 10 matches this year and leads UCLA's pin hitters with a .357 hitting percentage.
ยท Middle blocker Desiree Becker ranks first in the Pac-12 Conference in total blocks (53) and sixth in blocks per set (1.26). The graduate transfer from Northwestern has been a key addition, tallying 4.0+ total blocks in nine of 10 matches.
ยท Middle blocker Anna Dodson owns a team-high .410 hitting percentage and ranks fourth on the squad with 2.95 points per set.
ยท Libero Peyton Dueck stars in the Bruins' back row with 144 digs, ranking fifth in the Pac-12 in that category.
ยท As of UCLA's match versus Hawai'i, the Bruins now operate in a 5-2 system with Ashley Mullen setting in the back row and Audrey Pak setting in the front row.
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
UCLA in Home Openers
The Bruins are 41-12 all-time in home openers dating back to the 1970-71 season. UCLA is 5-5 in home openers over the last 10 seasons. The Bruins have opened at home with the Trojans the last two seasons with each squad securing a victory. In 2022, UCLA recorded a 4-6 home record with victories over Arizona, Arizona State, California and Oregon State. This followed the Bruins' perfect 10-0 home record in the Fall 2021 campaign.
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Historic Rivalry
Wednesday will mark the 132nd all-time meeting between longtime rivals UCLA and USC, two programs who have combined for seven NCAA Championships. UCLA won NCAA titles in 1984, '90, '91 and 2011 while USC won in 1981, 2002 and '03. Legendary Pauley Pavilion was the host site for the first-ever NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship in 1981 which resulted in USC defeating UCLA in the title match in five sets on Dec. 20, 1981. In total the two squads have met in the NCAA Tournament three times. The Bruins are 4-6 in their last 10 home meetings with the Trojans.
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The two programs will be making more history next season when they join the Big Ten Conference. On June 30, 2022, UCLA and USC both announced that the schools' athletic programs will be making the conference switch, beginning in 2024-25. Since that time, Oregon and Washington also made similar announcements and all four teams will compete in the Big Ten come August 2024.
ย
Last Time Out
UCLA concluded its non-conference schedule with a series split at Oklahoma (6-3) last week. Ndiaye recorded the first double-double of her career with 16 kills (.344%) and a career-high 10 digs in the Bruins' victory over the Sooners last Saturday. Ndiaye also picked up five total blocks for a team-high 19.0 points. She has now recorded 19.0+ points in four matches this year after entering this season with just one in her previous three seasons at UCLA. Sophomore outside hitter Grayce Olson also made key contributions in the win with 15 kills (.270%) and a career-high eight digs.
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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.
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No. 500 for Becker
Becker recorded the 500th kill of her collegiate career in UCLA's victory over Oklahoma last Saturday. The DeWitt, Mich. native has made an immediate impact to the Bruins' starting lineup this season. In addition to her Pac-12-leading 53.0 blocks, Becker has averaged 1.30 kills per set at a .298 rate. She announced her decision to transfer to UCLA following Reft's decisions to hire Malcom and assistant coach Amir Lugo-Rodriguez, who Becker played under at Northwestern for two years.
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Ndiaye of the Tiger
With her 19.0 points at Oklahoma last week, Ndiaye has now recorded four of the five highest single-match point totals in her career this season. Entering this week, Ndiaye ranks top 10 in the Pac-12 in both total kills (7th - 140 K) and points (t-6th - 167.0 PTS). 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
Paking a Punch
Pak has been a big block so far this season for the Bruins. In UCLA's 5-2 system, Pak will set in the front row while Mullen will set in the back row. Pak has recorded four-plus total blocks in three matches this year, setting a career high 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 18.0 total blocks over 33 sets played in 2023. Her previous season high was 3.0 blocks over three sets in 2021.
ย
All-Around Improvement
UCLA's primary outside hitters this season โ Ndiaye, Olson and Cheridyn Leverette โ are averaging a combined 1.30 digs per set. That trio averaged 0.48 digs per set last season. Entering the year, Ndiaye had been averaging 0.42 digs per set in her previous three seasons. Through eight matches in 2023, she has more than tripled that average with 1.50 digs per set. She matched her career high against Oklahoma last Saturday with 10 digs which also surpassed her previous season high of 51 set last season.
ย
Do You Remember?
Peyton Dueck had arguably the most memorable moment from last season in UCLA's home opener versus USC on Sept. 22, 2022 in Pauley Pavilion. In the third set, the defensive specialist went up for a solo block on Trojan Kalyah Williams to win the frame in extra points, 29-27, and force a fourth.
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Dueck Double-Double
Dueck earned 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 the most in her UCLA career. 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 nine of 10 matches in 2023.
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Unleash the Dodson
Dodson enters this week hitting a team-high .410 percentage and has eclipsed .350 in seven of her 10 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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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High School All-American
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).
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
Reft & Team USA
Head coach Alfee Reft also serves as a seasonal assistant for the U.S. Women's National Team under 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 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.
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Players Mentioned
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
OH/OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's VolleyballUCLA W. Volleyball Postgame - Oregon (Nov. 29, 2024)
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