Photo by: Mac Brown
UCLA Sweeps No. 14 Minnesota
October 08, 2025 | Women's Volleyball
MINNEAPOLIS โย The UCLA women's volleyball team took down No. 14 Minnesota in straight sets on Wednesday evening inside Maturi Pavilion.
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Set scores were 25-18, 25-22, 25-22.
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This victory marks the Bruins' (9-6, 3-2 Big Ten) first sweep of a ranked opponent since their straight-set win at No. 8 Washington on Oct. 31, 2021. UCLA also notched its second win over a top-15 team this season.
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UCLA received a massive performance from its All-American outside hitter, Cheridyn Leverette, who put down a match-high 15 kills (.289).
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The Bruins dominated at the net with 12 blocks over three sets, led by Marianna Singletary's six-block performance. UCLA held Minnesota (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten) to a season-low .089 hitting percentage and dealt the Gophers their first home loss since last November.
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Leverette totaled 17 points in the contest to lead all players and also made an impact on the defensive end with four digs and two blocks.ย
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Kate Duffey delivered a standout performance, dishing out 36 assists and coming up just one dig short of a double-double with nine.ย
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The Bruins also benefited from clutch contributions by Maggie Li, who posted six kills, three digs, and a pivotal service ace that helped seal the match. At libero, Lola Schumacher anchored the back row with 18 digs and added three assists in another strong outing from the sophomore.
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UCLA opened set one with a strong showing from Leverette, who knocked down seven kills in the first frame. The Bruins surged ahead 8-5 behind Eliana Urzua's back-to-back kills and two powerful finishes from Singletary. A 4-0 run capped by Leverette's service ace pushed UCLA to a 14-7 advantage, forcing another Minnesota timeout. The Bruins continued to dominate offensively, with Urzua adding five kills and Singletary chipping in three kills and three blocks. Despite Minnesota fending off three set points, UCLA closed out the frame 25-18. The Bruins hit .324 and impressed on the defensive end with 19 digs and five total blocks.
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Minnesota jumped out to a 3-0 lead in set two, but the Bruins quickly leveled the score at 4-4 before the Gophers responded with another 4-0 burst. UCLA struggled with seven attack errors during that stretch, falling behind 14-8 and calling a timeout. Li and Phekran Kong sparked a 9-3 rally to pull the Bruins within one at 17-16. UCLA tied it at 19-all and grabbed the lead at 21-20 on a Kong kill. With Duffey at the service line, the Bruins surged ahead 23-20. Minnesota closed the gap to one, but UCLA held firm to secure the 25-22 comeback. The Bruins' blocking defense was pivotal, racking up six blocks and limiting the Gophers to a .047 hitting percentage.
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The Bruins jumped ahead 5-2 in the third set before Minnesota responded with a 5-0 run to take the lead. Anastasija Ivkovic delivered a powerful kill to halt the Gophers' momentum, and UCLA surged back with a 7-0 run fueled by two kills and an ace from Li, plus three big swings from Leverette to go up 13-9. Minnesota clawed back to lead 17-16, but a Singletary kill steadied the Bruins. Li's sixth kill helped UCLA reclaim the lead at 20-19, sparking an 8-3 closing run. Ivkovic and Brooklyn Briscoe teamed up for a crucial block, and after Li brought up match point, Briscoe and Duffey sealed the win with another block to complete the sweep.
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UCLA returns to Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial for a rivalry matchup against No. 22 USC on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 12 p.m. (PT). The match will be televised nationally on NBC.
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Set scores were 25-18, 25-22, 25-22.
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This victory marks the Bruins' (9-6, 3-2 Big Ten) first sweep of a ranked opponent since their straight-set win at No. 8 Washington on Oct. 31, 2021. UCLA also notched its second win over a top-15 team this season.
ย
UCLA received a massive performance from its All-American outside hitter, Cheridyn Leverette, who put down a match-high 15 kills (.289).
ย
The Bruins dominated at the net with 12 blocks over three sets, led by Marianna Singletary's six-block performance. UCLA held Minnesota (13-3, 3-2 Big Ten) to a season-low .089 hitting percentage and dealt the Gophers their first home loss since last November.
ย
Leverette totaled 17 points in the contest to lead all players and also made an impact on the defensive end with four digs and two blocks.ย
ย
Kate Duffey delivered a standout performance, dishing out 36 assists and coming up just one dig short of a double-double with nine.ย
ย
The Bruins also benefited from clutch contributions by Maggie Li, who posted six kills, three digs, and a pivotal service ace that helped seal the match. At libero, Lola Schumacher anchored the back row with 18 digs and added three assists in another strong outing from the sophomore.
ย
UCLA opened set one with a strong showing from Leverette, who knocked down seven kills in the first frame. The Bruins surged ahead 8-5 behind Eliana Urzua's back-to-back kills and two powerful finishes from Singletary. A 4-0 run capped by Leverette's service ace pushed UCLA to a 14-7 advantage, forcing another Minnesota timeout. The Bruins continued to dominate offensively, with Urzua adding five kills and Singletary chipping in three kills and three blocks. Despite Minnesota fending off three set points, UCLA closed out the frame 25-18. The Bruins hit .324 and impressed on the defensive end with 19 digs and five total blocks.
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Minnesota jumped out to a 3-0 lead in set two, but the Bruins quickly leveled the score at 4-4 before the Gophers responded with another 4-0 burst. UCLA struggled with seven attack errors during that stretch, falling behind 14-8 and calling a timeout. Li and Phekran Kong sparked a 9-3 rally to pull the Bruins within one at 17-16. UCLA tied it at 19-all and grabbed the lead at 21-20 on a Kong kill. With Duffey at the service line, the Bruins surged ahead 23-20. Minnesota closed the gap to one, but UCLA held firm to secure the 25-22 comeback. The Bruins' blocking defense was pivotal, racking up six blocks and limiting the Gophers to a .047 hitting percentage.
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The Bruins jumped ahead 5-2 in the third set before Minnesota responded with a 5-0 run to take the lead. Anastasija Ivkovic delivered a powerful kill to halt the Gophers' momentum, and UCLA surged back with a 7-0 run fueled by two kills and an ace from Li, plus three big swings from Leverette to go up 13-9. Minnesota clawed back to lead 17-16, but a Singletary kill steadied the Bruins. Li's sixth kill helped UCLA reclaim the lead at 20-19, sparking an 8-3 closing run. Ivkovic and Brooklyn Briscoe teamed up for a crucial block, and after Li brought up match point, Briscoe and Duffey sealed the win with another block to complete the sweep.
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UCLA returns to Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial for a rivalry matchup against No. 22 USC on Saturday, Oct. 11 at 12 p.m. (PT). The match will be televised nationally on NBC.
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Team Stats
UCLA
MINN
Kills
42
31
Errors
16
20
Attempts
113
123
Hitting %
.230
.089
Points
58.0
40.0
Assists
42
27
Aces
4
5
Blocks
12
4
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Players Mentioned
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