CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The UCLA women’s volleyball team took down Miami for the second straight night, grinding out three tight frames to secure another straight‑sets victory on Saturday inside Knight Sports Complex.
Set scores were 26-24, 25-23, 25-23.
The Bruins (4-1) rallied late in all three sets, closing each frame with poise to complete their second sweep in as many nights against the Hurricanes (0-4). UCLA hit .294 as a team and featured three attackers in double‑digit kills.
Marianna Singletary led the way with a team‑high 15.0 points, striking for 11 kills at a blistering .529 clip while adding steady production at the net. Mija Bendziute delivered one of her most complete outings of the season, posting 10 kills at .474, two digs, and two blocks. Ava Utterback joined them in double figures with 10 kills and contributed five digs defensively.
At setter, Ava Sarafa orchestrated the offense with another strong performance, handing out 40 assists while guiding UCLA to its .294 hitting mark.
In the back row, Vivian Hickman snuffed out 11 digs and delivered two clutch aces in the match‑clinching third set. Lola Schumacher matched her with 11 digs at the libero spot, anchoring the Bruins’ defensive effort.
UCLA and Miami traded points through the early stretches of the opening frame until Urzua unloaded a thunderous swing to cap a 3-0 Bruin burst and create a 10-7 cushion. Miami clawed back and eventually nudged in front at 19-18, but UCLA countered when Harwood and Utterback delivered back‑to‑back conversions to reclaim a 20-19 edge. Three straight Bruin attacking errors swung the momentum back to the Hurricanes at 22-20, prompting a UCLA timeout. A Miami service error returned the ball to the Bruins, and Sarafa won a joust at the tape to level the frame at 22-22. Harwood delivered the swing for UCLA’s first set point, and after Miami fought it off, Singletary hammered home the finishing blow on the second opportunity to secure the set, 26-24.
UCLA opened the second frame with the first two points, but Miami answered with a five‑point burst to grab a 5-2 lead. The Bruins steadied and worked their way back, using a strong roof and a series of heavy swings from Utterback to move in front 14-12. Miami responded with three straight points to take a 15-14 edge at the halfway mark, and the set settled into a tight, point‑for‑point rhythm down the stretch. UCLA finally broke through with a late 3-0 push, as Bendziute and Singletary delivered back‑to‑back kills to close out the frame, 25-23.
UCLA fell behind early in the third frame as Miami opened on a 4-1 push, but the Bruins steadied and chipped away until leveling the set at 13-13. From there, UCLA grabbed control by winning four of the next five rallies, highlighted by a crafty Sarafa dump and an Utterback dig that dropped for a kill. Miami clawed back once again, eventually surging ahead 22-21, but the Bruins showed their trademark resilience. Singletary delivered two clutch swings to knot the score at 23-23, and Hickman stepped to the line and came up ice‑cold, ripping two straight aces to seal the 25-23 frame and close out the match.
The Bruins continue their road trip next week when they head to Logan, Utah to take on Utah State on Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. (PT). The contest will available for viewing on the PAC-12 YouTube channel.