LAS VEGAS – The UCLA women’s volleyball team staged a gritty, resilient performance to outlast Hawaii in five sets on Sunday afternoon at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas to claim the Lucky Aces Volleyball Invitational title.
Set scores were 19-25, 25-22, 20-25, 25-17, 18-16.
UCLA (9-2) erased a 14-11 deficit in the fifth set, wiping out a trio of Hawaii (8-3) match points to level the frame at 14-14. Both teams traded high‑stress points, but Maggie Li rose to the moment with clutch swing following a long rally, and then two Wahine miscues concluded the comeback at 18-16.
This marks UCLA’s best 11-game start to a season since 2021.
The Bruins finished the tournament with a perfect 3-0 record and were named champions after a thrilling five-set win over Hawaii. UCLA hit .192 for the match and out‑dug Hawaii 83-63, while producing 15.0 team blocks to counter the Rainbow Wahine’s physical front line.
Li delivered a standout performance, finishing with 20 kills on .265 hitting, 11 digs, and two blocks, repeatedly supplying the go‑to swings that steadied UCLA in tight moments, including multiple clutch kills in the decisive fifth set.
Marianna Singletary anchored the Bruins at the net with 11 kills, nine total blocks, and a service ace, controlling key stretches of sets four and five. Eliana Urzua added 12 kills, an ace, and three blocks, providing timely scoring in transition.
Kate Duffey turned in a strong all‑around setting performance, finishing with a season-high 54 assists and 14 digs. She added two blocks and chipped in timely dump kills to help fuel the comeback.
Lola Schumacher anchored the back row with a standout defensive outing, posting a career-high 29 digs while adding two service aces.
UCLA dropped a tight, back‑and‑forth opening set to Hawaii, falling 25-19 after the Rainbow Wahine closed on a late surge. The Bruins started strong behind early kills and a solo block from Singletary, plus an ace from Li, but a string of attack errors and a sustained serving run from Holcomb flipped the momentum. Hawaii’s offense found rhythm through Tali Hakas and Panna Ratkai, and despite side‑out swings from Li, Mija Bendziute, and Singletary, UCLA was unable slow the Wahine’s closing push, with Ratkai and Hakas delivering the final two points to seal the set.
UCLA edged out a tight second set, 25-22, responding each time Hawaii threatened to take control and closing with a late push. The Bruins traded points through the midpoint when Urzua, Singletary, Li, and Bendziute all supplying key side‑outs, but a string of Rainbow Wahine blocks and transition kills kept the frame even deep into the teens. Urzua’s ace and Harwood’s solo block helped UCLA regain momentum, and Harwood added two more kills in the closing stretch to give the Bruins separation. After Hawaii fought off two set points, Singletary delivered the final swing off a Duffey set to secure the frame and even the match at one set apiece.
UCLA couldn’t keep pace in the third, falling 25-20 as Hawaii strung together the key runs late in the set. The Bruins jumped out to a 5-1 start behind Singletary’s early scoring and two Bendziute blocks, but the Wahine quickly flipped the frame with a long Holcomb‑led serving stretch and steady side‑outs from Ratkai and Hakas. UCLA briefly regained the lead at 15-14, yet Hawaii answered with a decisive push when Leilani Lopez’s serve sparked a multi‑point run, Miliana Sylvester took over offensively, and Hakas closed out the set. Despite a couple late side‑outs, the Bruins couldn’t slow the momentum, and Hawaii finished the match on Ratkai’s kill.
UCLA punched back in the fourth set, 25-17, delivering its most complete frame of the night to force a decisive fifth. The Bruins jumped out quickly behind Urzua and Singletary, then stacked multiple blocks to build a 10-5 cushion. Li and Utterback kept the offense rolling, while Schumacher’s serving run, highlighted by two aces, stretched the lead even further. Singletary, Ava Utterback, and Li supplied steady side‑outs down the stretch, and Hickman’s serve set up Li for match point before a Ratkai error closed the set. UCLA’s strong finish sent the match to a winner‑take‑all fifth.
UCLA outlasted Hawaii in a tense, momentum‑swinging fifth set, 18-16, closing the match with clutch side‑outs and late defensive pressure. The frame swung early after Leyva’s serving run put the Wahine up 8-4, but the Bruins steadied behind Singletary, Li, and Utterback, chipping away until they pulled within one at 9-8 and again at 10-9. Hawaii then pulled ahead 14-11 after another push, but UCLA mounted a gutsy effort, fighting off three match points. Singletary sided out with a kill to make it 14-12, and on the next rally Harwood delivered a clutch swing off a Duffey set, trimming the deficit to 14-13. With Hawaii still on match point, Li stepped up and buried a cross‑court kill to tie it at 14-14, erasing the Wahine’s third chance to close the match. Li struck again, hammering another Duffey‑set ball to level the frame at 15-15, then pushed the Bruins ahead 16-15 with a third straight kill, giving UCLA its first match point of the set.
After Hawaii tied it once more at 16-16, the Bruins delivered the final blow. A service error handed UCLA match point at 17-16, and on the next rally, the Wahine committed an attacking error to hand the match to the Bruins.
The Bruins begin Big Ten Conference play on Thursday, Sept. 24 when they take on Indiana. First serve is set for 4 p.m. (PT) and the match will be available for viewing on B1G+.