Thursday, September 7
Honolulu, HI
7:45 PM
UCLA
vs
Pepperdine
Bruins preparing in the Stan Sheriff Center on Tuesday (photo: Suzi Mellano)
Photo by: Suzi Mellano
Bruins Play Three at Outrigger Volleyball Challenge in Honolulu
September 05, 2023 | Women's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES โ The UCLA women's volleyball team will play three matches at the Outrigger Volleyball Challenge this week versus Pepperdine, Liberty and No. 23 Hawai'i in the Stan Sheriff Center. The Bruins (4-1) play the Waves (1-4) Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7:45 p.m. (PT) and the Flames (6-0) Friday, Sept. 8 at 7:45 p.m. (PT). UCLA closes the weekend with its 78th all-time meeting versus the Rainbow Wahine (4-1) Sunday, Sept. 10 at 8 p.m. (PT).
Only the Bruins' matchup with Hawai'i will be available for viewing on ESPN+.
ย
This week marks the 33rd time in the last 39 seasons that UCLA has flown westย forย a preseason tournament in Honolulu, first traveling out to O'ahu in 1985.
ย
UCLA (4-1) vs. Pepperdine (1-4)
Date: Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023 โ 7:45 p.m. (PT)
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii (Stan Sheriff Center)
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
Liberty (6-0) vs. UCLA (4-1)
Date: Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 โ 7:45 p.m. (PT)
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii (Stan Sheriff Center)
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
UCLA (4-1) at No. 23 Hawai'iย (4-1)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 โ 8 p.m. (PT)
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii (Stan Sheriff Center)
Television: ESPN+
Talent: Kanoa Leahey (play by play), Chris McLachlin (analyst)
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
Quick Hits
ยท Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye leads UCLA in kills (69), kills per set (3.29) and points per set (3.95).
ยท Middle blocker Desiree Becker is tied for first in the Pac-12 Conference in total blocks (29) and ranks sixth in blocks per set (1.38).
ยท Middle blocker Anna Dodson, who returned to UCLA for a fifth year in 2023, totaled 26 kills at a .525 hitting percentage in UCLA's two wins over Indiana and Long Beach State last weekend. Dodson is tied for fifth in the Pac-12 in total blocks (23).
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 Head coach Alfee Reft has rotated between Ashley Mullen and Audrey Pak at the setter position so far this preseason.
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 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
Long Rally Wins Match Versus Indiana
The Bruins used 17 kills in the fourth set to defeat Indiana last Friday by a score of 3-1. Dodson led UCLA with 17.0 points off 12 kills (.450%), five blocks and two service aces. The Hoosiers had set point on the line in the fourth, 24-23, when Becker quickly sided out with a monster kill on an assist from freshman setter Ashley Mullen. Seconds later, Cheridyn Leverette aced Indiana to put match point at the service line for the Bruins. UCLA went on to win the match on a long rally point that included a pancake dig from Dueck and kill by Hendrickson.
ย
Block Party in The Walter Pyramid
UCLA recorded 19.0 blocks in its four-set victory at Long Beach State last Sunday. It was the third-highest single-match blocking total for the Bruins over the last seven seasons. Leading the block party were Becker, Ndiaye and Dodson. Becker recorded a career-high nine blocks (two solo, seven assisted) to go along with seven kills at a .429 clip. Ndiaye tallied a match-high 19.5 points on 14 kills (.294%) and eight blocks (one solo, seven assisted). Dodson was UCLA's most efficient performer with 12 kills at a .600 hitting percentage and seven blocks (three solo, four assisted.
ย
Ndiaye of the Tiger
With her 19.5 points at Long Beach State, Ndiaye has now recorded two of the three highest single-match point totals in her career in UCLA's first five matches of the season. Entering this week, Ndiaye ranks top 10 in the Pac-12 in both total kills (7th - 69 K) and total blocks (t-7th - 20 BLK). 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
Back Row Work
Ndiaye has been putting up stellar defensive numbers as well. In UCLA's win over LSU on Aug. 26, Ndiaye bested her previous career-high in digs by four with 10. She went on to record the second-highest dig total of her career last weekend at Indiana with nine. She is averaging 1.52 digs per set entering the Outrigger Volleyball Challenge.
ย
Finding Her Groove
Dodson, a Preseason All-Pac-12 Team selection, was UCLA's most efficient attacker at the Long Beach State Tournament with 24 kills at a blistering .525 hitting percentage. The Fort Collins, Colo. native also tallied 12.0 blocks over those two matches, good for second on the team.
ย
Immediate Impact
Becker, a graduate transfer from Northwestern, is the other half to the Bruins' impressive blocking tandem. She leads UCLA in total blocks with 29.0 (4-25) and blocks per set at 1.38. Becker makes the most of her opportunities when she is set, hitting at a .333 rate.
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
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
Mokihana Returns Home
Aiea, Hawaii native Mokihana Tufono ('Iolani School) will be making a homecoming this weekend to her home island of O'ahu. The Bruins squared off with the Rainbow Wahine in her freshman season in 2022. In that contest, served match point in her collegiate debut to secure the five-set victory, 15-9. In her prep years, Tufono was tabbed at No. 3 on Hawaii's Fab 15 List, honoring the top 15 volleyball players in the state. She was selected as a 2021 AVCA High School Second Team All-American her senior season after leading her team with 241 assists along with 108 kills.
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). 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
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
Series Histories
UCLA will continue its longtime history with the Hawai'i women's volleyball program this weekend.
UCLA-Hawai'i Series History: This marks the 78th all-time meeting between UCLA and Hawai'i. UCLA owns a slim 39-38 advantage in the series which dates back to 1974. The Bruins have won seven out of the last 10 showdowns. UCLA has now ventured to Honolulu for a preseason tournament 33 times in the last 39 years, dating back to 1985. The two squads have met in the NCAA Tournament on two occasions (1-1), most memorably in the 1983 NCAA title match which the Rainbow Wahine defeated the Bruins in straight sets.
UCLA-Pepperdine Series History: UCLA owns a 52-12 all-time record against Pepperdine dating back to 1976. The Bruins have come out victorious in eight out of the last 10 meetings.
UCLA-Liberty Series History: This marks the first-ever meeting between the Bruins and Flames.
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
Only the Bruins' matchup with Hawai'i will be available for viewing on ESPN+.
ย
This week marks the 33rd time in the last 39 seasons that UCLA has flown westย forย a preseason tournament in Honolulu, first traveling out to O'ahu in 1985.
ย
UCLA (4-1) vs. Pepperdine (1-4)
Date: Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023 โ 7:45 p.m. (PT)
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii (Stan Sheriff Center)
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
Liberty (6-0) vs. UCLA (4-1)
Date: Friday, Sept. 8, 2023 โ 7:45 p.m. (PT)
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii (Stan Sheriff Center)
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
UCLA (4-1) at No. 23 Hawai'iย (4-1)
Date: Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023 โ 8 p.m. (PT)
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii (Stan Sheriff Center)
Television: ESPN+
Talent: Kanoa Leahey (play by play), Chris McLachlin (analyst)
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
Quick Hits
ยท Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye leads UCLA in kills (69), kills per set (3.29) and points per set (3.95).
ยท Middle blocker Desiree Becker is tied for first in the Pac-12 Conference in total blocks (29) and ranks sixth in blocks per set (1.38).
ยท Middle blocker Anna Dodson, who returned to UCLA for a fifth year in 2023, totaled 26 kills at a .525 hitting percentage in UCLA's two wins over Indiana and Long Beach State last weekend. Dodson is tied for fifth in the Pac-12 in total blocks (23).
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 Head coach Alfee Reft has rotated between Ashley Mullen and Audrey Pak at the setter position so far this preseason.
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 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
Long Rally Wins Match Versus Indiana
The Bruins used 17 kills in the fourth set to defeat Indiana last Friday by a score of 3-1. Dodson led UCLA with 17.0 points off 12 kills (.450%), five blocks and two service aces. The Hoosiers had set point on the line in the fourth, 24-23, when Becker quickly sided out with a monster kill on an assist from freshman setter Ashley Mullen. Seconds later, Cheridyn Leverette aced Indiana to put match point at the service line for the Bruins. UCLA went on to win the match on a long rally point that included a pancake dig from Dueck and kill by Hendrickson.
ย
Block Party in The Walter Pyramid
UCLA recorded 19.0 blocks in its four-set victory at Long Beach State last Sunday. It was the third-highest single-match blocking total for the Bruins over the last seven seasons. Leading the block party were Becker, Ndiaye and Dodson. Becker recorded a career-high nine blocks (two solo, seven assisted) to go along with seven kills at a .429 clip. Ndiaye tallied a match-high 19.5 points on 14 kills (.294%) and eight blocks (one solo, seven assisted). Dodson was UCLA's most efficient performer with 12 kills at a .600 hitting percentage and seven blocks (three solo, four assisted.
ย
Ndiaye of the Tiger
With her 19.5 points at Long Beach State, Ndiaye has now recorded two of the three highest single-match point totals in her career in UCLA's first five matches of the season. Entering this week, Ndiaye ranks top 10 in the Pac-12 in both total kills (7th - 69 K) and total blocks (t-7th - 20 BLK). 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
Back Row Work
Ndiaye has been putting up stellar defensive numbers as well. In UCLA's win over LSU on Aug. 26, Ndiaye bested her previous career-high in digs by four with 10. She went on to record the second-highest dig total of her career last weekend at Indiana with nine. She is averaging 1.52 digs per set entering the Outrigger Volleyball Challenge.
ย
Finding Her Groove
Dodson, a Preseason All-Pac-12 Team selection, was UCLA's most efficient attacker at the Long Beach State Tournament with 24 kills at a blistering .525 hitting percentage. The Fort Collins, Colo. native also tallied 12.0 blocks over those two matches, good for second on the team.
ย
Immediate Impact
Becker, a graduate transfer from Northwestern, is the other half to the Bruins' impressive blocking tandem. She leads UCLA in total blocks with 29.0 (4-25) and blocks per set at 1.38. Becker makes the most of her opportunities when she is set, hitting at a .333 rate.
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
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
Mokihana Returns Home
Aiea, Hawaii native Mokihana Tufono ('Iolani School) will be making a homecoming this weekend to her home island of O'ahu. The Bruins squared off with the Rainbow Wahine in her freshman season in 2022. In that contest, served match point in her collegiate debut to secure the five-set victory, 15-9. In her prep years, Tufono was tabbed at No. 3 on Hawaii's Fab 15 List, honoring the top 15 volleyball players in the state. She was selected as a 2021 AVCA High School Second Team All-American her senior season after leading her team with 241 assists along with 108 kills.
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). 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
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
Series Histories
UCLA will continue its longtime history with the Hawai'i women's volleyball program this weekend.
UCLA-Hawai'i Series History: This marks the 78th all-time meeting between UCLA and Hawai'i. UCLA owns a slim 39-38 advantage in the series which dates back to 1974. The Bruins have won seven out of the last 10 showdowns. UCLA has now ventured to Honolulu for a preseason tournament 33 times in the last 39 years, dating back to 1985. The two squads have met in the NCAA Tournament on two occasions (1-1), most memorably in the 1983 NCAA title match which the Rainbow Wahine defeated the Bruins in straight sets.
UCLA-Pepperdine Series History: UCLA owns a 52-12 all-time record against Pepperdine dating back to 1976. The Bruins have come out victorious in eight out of the last 10 meetings.
UCLA-Liberty Series History: This marks the first-ever meeting between the Bruins and Flames.
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
UCLA 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