PROVO, Utah – The UCLA women’s volleyball team pushed No. 25 BYU to a decisive fifth set, but fell just short on Friday night inside a packed Smith Fieldhouse.
Set scores were 25-15, 22-25, 25-17, 20-25, 15-10.
The Bruins (5-2) suffer its second defeat of the season after hitting a season-low .156 on the night. Both of UCLA’s losses this season have come against ranked teams. BYU (5-1) was held to just .199 as the Bruins sent back 14 total blocks in the contest.
Marianna Singletary was dominant despite the defeat, finishing with 16 kills on .556 hitting and nine total blocks, including multiple momentum‑shifting stuffs in sets two and four that helped UCLA force a fifth frame.
Brooke Harwood added 12 kills (.364) and four blocks, thriving in transition and repeatedly answering BYU side‑outs with clean swings. Eliana Urzua chipped in 11 kills and five blocks, delivering several clutch points in the Bruins’ set‑two win and late in set four.
Running a 6‑2, UCLA got strong production from both setters. Kate Duffey handed out 21 assists, added a kill, and engineered multiple scoring runs, while Ava Sarafa totaled 18 assists, a service ace, and a block. In the back row, Lola Schumacher anchored the defense with a season-high 19 digs and two aces, keeping UCLA alive in extended rallies. Mija Bendziute contributed eight kills and four blocks, and Ava Utterback added four kills and four digs.
Jordyn Johnson made her UCLA debut, entering in the third set.
UCLA traded blows early with BYU in a high‑tempo opening stretch, getting steady production from Singletary, who answered an early attack error with two quick kills and a block assist to keep the Bruins within striking distance. Urzua provided an immediate spark off the bench, terminating twice in transition and later adding back‑to‑back kills out of the media timeout as UCLA tried to slow BYU’s momentum. Sarafa kept the offense organized, delivering assists on nearly every Bruin kill in the frame, while Bendziute chipped in a kill and a block to help UCLA stay within two at 12-10. Harwood added two strong swings, including a cross‑court finish to cut the deficit to 22-14, and Schumacher delivered a service ace earlier in the set to pull UCLA within two. BYU’s block and serving runs created separation late to close the frame, 25-15.
UCLA seized control behind one of Singletary’s strongest stretches of the night, as the junior middle stacked four kills, a solo block, and two block assists in the first 12 rallies to keep the Bruins level through 7-7. Urzua added two early kills of her own, while Utterback and Bendziute teamed up for consecutive blocks that flipped a 5-3 deficit into a 5-5 tie. After a run of service errors on both sides, UCLA surged ahead behind Sarafa’s serve when Bendziute hammered a kill, Kelli Jo Burgess committed back‑to‑back attack errors, and Singletary stuffed Burgess one‑on‑one to push the Bruins in front 10-7. Singletary continued her dominant frame with two more kills, giving her six kills on eight swings at that point before Harwood added a transition kill to keep UCLA in front 16-14. The Bruins’ block then took over, with Bendziute and Singletary combining for another stuff at 18-14, followed by Urzua and Singletary teaming up to block Sophia Callahan for a 21-17 lead. BYU made a late push behind Claire Little Chambers and Dimitra Nanou, but Singletary delivered her eighth kill of the match to reach set point, and Urzua closed the frame with her fourth kill, securing a 25-22 win.
UCLA was unable to overcome BYU’s fast start in the third set, falling behind 6-1 as the Cougars scored early off transition kills and a pair of Bruin attack errors. Urzua and Utterback chipped in side‑out kills to steady the Bruins. Despite late kills from Singletary and Bendziute, BYU closed the frame on a 4-1 run to win, 25-17.
UCLA opened the fourth set with steady side‑out offense, getting early kills from Singletary and Urzua. The Bruins’ block briefly shifted momentum as Harwood and Urzua teamed up for a stuff, and Harwood added two strong kills in transition. Singletary and Harwood continued to produce, combining for three more kills as UCLA tied the frame at 9-9 and then surged ahead behind Duffey’s serve, which forced three straight BYU attack errors and helped build a 14-8 lead. Singletary stayed hot with her fourth kill of the set, and Harwood added her fifth to keep UCLA in front 17-11. BYU made a late push behind Little Chambers and Mortensen, but UCLA’s block answered again when Singletary and Urzua stuffed Callahan, Bendziute added a solo block, and Duffey forced two more attack errors to push the Bruins to 23-17. After BYU trimmed the margin with an ace, Bendziute delivered a kill to bring set point, and UCLA closed the set 25-20 when Hardy sent her final swing long.
UCLA battled point‑for‑point early in the fifth set, getting a block from Singletary and Bendziute on the opening rally and two quick side‑out kills from Bendziute to stay even at 3-3. Duffey continued to run a clean offense, assisting on four of UCLA’s first five points, while Harwood and Utterback each added kills to keep the Bruins within 6-6. BYU’s serving run from Kaylie Kofe flipped the frame, producing an ace and two UCLA attack errors as the Cougars surged ahead 10-6. UCLA fought back with kills from Harwood and Bendziute and a late side‑out from Little Chambers, but BYU closed strong, scoring the final three points to take the set 15-10.
The Bruins will wrap up their three-match road swing on Sunday, Sept. 13 for a primetime matchup at Utah. The match will be broadcast nationally on ESPN at 5 p.m. (PT).