LAS VEGAS – The UCLA women’s volleyball team delivered a complete, wire‑to‑wire performance to defeat Iowa State in straight sets at the Orleans Arena to open up the Lucky Aces Volleyball Invitational on Friday afternoon.
Set scores were 25-20, 25-22, 25-15.
The Bruins (7-2) controlled the match with balanced scoring, efficient side‑out offense, and sustained serving pressure, finishing with a season-high .346 hitting percentage and holding the Cyclones (5-4) to .150. UCLA also won the defensive battle, out‑digging ISU 44-33 and forcing 17 attack errors.
Eliana Urzua delivered an outstanding all‑around outing, posting 11 kills on .526 hitting, two blocks, and 12 points, repeatedly providing first‑ball sideouts in all three sets.
Brooke Harwood turned in one of the most efficient showings of the season, hammering 11 kills on .688 hitting with a lock, giving UCLA a dominant presence on the right side.
Maggie Li added a team‑high 12 kills, five digs, and an ace, including three straight kills during the decisive serving run that closed set two and another burst that helped break open set three.
At setter, Kate Duffey steered the offense with 34 assists, distributing cleanly and guiding UCLA to hitting marks of .303, .385, and .344 across the three frames.
In the back row, Lola Schumacher anchored the defense with 18 digs and delivered the match’s most impactful serving stretch with a run of two aces and three consecutive Li kills that flipped both the second and third sets in UCLA’s favor.
Marianna Singletary added seven kills, four blocks, and an early ace, stabilizing UCLA’s front line and contributing to the Bruins’ 5.5 team blocks.
UCLA opened the set with a 7-2 surge behind Singletary’s ace and a long Hickman serving run that produced multiple Iowa State attack errors and three straight Bruin kills. The Cyclones chipped back to 10-10, and the teams traded points through the middle of the frame. Schumacher then flipped the set with a dominant serving stretch with two aces followed three straight Li kill, pushing UCLA from 18-18 to 22-18. The Bruins closed cleanly, siding out on three of the final four rallies and sealing the set 25-20 on a Li service ace.
UCLA and Iowa State traded points for most of the second set, with neither team creating separation until the closing stretch. UCLA’s offense leaned heavily on Urzua, who produced multiple sideout kills throughout the frame, while Li added steady production in transition. Iowa State countered with Nayeli Ti’a and Mesaiya Bettis, keeping the set tight through 18018. From there, UCLA took control behind Schumacher’s serving, which generated consecutive Li kills and pushed the Bruins ahead 22-19. Although the Cyclones briefly closed the gap, UCLA finished the set with clean sideouts and a final block from Singletary and Urzua, securing the 25-22 win.
UCLA controlled the third set from the midpoint onward, turning a tight 11-11 frame into a decisive closing run driven by superior serving pressure and front‑row execution. After the teams traded swings, the Bruins gained separation when Hickman’s serve produced consecutive Iowa State errors and Harwood added two kills to push UCLA ahead. The turning point came at 13-13, when Schumacher rotated back to serve and UCLA unleashed a dominant stretch. The Cyclones committed five straight attack errors, including two blocks from Singletary, followed by a Duffey kill that extended the lead to 18-13. Iowa State never recovered, and UCLA closed the set with steady sideouts, a Singletary kill for set point, and a final block from Singletary and Urzua to finish the frame 25-15 and complete the sweep.
The Bruins are back inside Orleans Arena tomorrow at 2 p.m. (PT) to take on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.