CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The UCLA women’s volleyball team rolled to a convincing straight‑sets win over Miami on Friday night inside Knight Sports Complex,

Set scores were 25-20, 25-20, 25-23.

In the first‑ever meeting between the programs, the Bruins (3-1) controlled all three frames to secure their second sweep in their opening four matches of the 2026 campaign. UCLA posted a season‑best .310 hitting percentage and delivered seven service aces, applying steady pressure from the service line throughout the night.

Freshman middle blocker Brooke Harwood delivered another standout performance, piling up a game‑high 13.0 points behind 12 kills at a blistering .688 clip, adding two blocks and committing just one error.

In her first start as UCLA’s setter, Ava Sarafa was outstanding, distributing 32 assists with six digs while guiding the Bruins to their most efficient offensive outing of the season.

Ava Utterback continued her strong early‑season form, reaching double‑digit kills for the third time in four matches with 10 kills at .300. In the back row, Vivian Hickman anchored the defense with a team‑high nine digs and added two aces.

Marianna Singletary provided a steady two‑way presence, finishing with seven kills and five blocks to round out a balanced, composed team performance. Mija Bendziute was also highly productive with five kills at an efficient .417 percentage while getting involved in four blocks.

UCLA fell behind early in the opening frame, dropping three of the first four points before responding with a four‑point surge fueled by a Harwood kill and an Utterback ace to jump in front. Miami (0-3) countered with a 6-0 run to take an 11-7 lead and force an early Bruin timeout, but Singletary steadied things out of the break with a pair of momentum‑shifting blocks. Trailing by three at the media timeout, UCLA came out sharp when Utterback and Harwood each converted on their swings, and Vivian Hickman delivered a clutch ace to level the set at 15-15. The Bruins then seized control by winning five of the next seven rallies, with Harwood catching fire for two more kills to push the margin to 20-17 and trigger a Miami timeout. Harwood finished with five kills in the frame, and UCLA dominated from the service line with five aces to close out a composed 25-20 opening‑set win.

Singletary and Bendziute teamed up for back‑to‑back roofs to spark a 3-0 Bruin burst in the early stages of the second set, pushing UCLA out in front. A five‑point surge soon followed to build an 11-5 cushion, but Miami responded with a steady push of its own to level the frame at 14-14. The Bruins regained control out of the media break, piecing together a 5-0 run behind two Utterback swings to take a 19-14 lead. The hosts answered with a 3-0 spurt to force a UCLA timeout, but Utterback delivered the kill for a crucial sideout to halt the momentum. Singletary followed with a pair of heavy swings, setting the stage for Urzua and Bendziute to close the door with back‑to‑back kills and secure the frame, 25-20.

UCLA fell into an early deficit in the third set, but a 3-0 burst pushed the Bruins back in front as the teams traded points through the middle stages. Another 3-0 run, capped by a Hickman ace, gave UCLA a 13-10 edge. Singletary began to assert herself with two kills and a monster roof to make it 19-17, but Miami answered with a 4-0 surge to jump ahead 21-19. The Bruins battled back to 21-21 before the Hurricanes reclaimed the lead at 23-21. Harwood completely took over in the closing stages, smashing three kills and adding a roof to single‑handedly fuel a 4-0 closing run, delivering the 25-23 set win and sealing the straight‑sets victory to punctuate her outstanding night.

The Bruins will complete the two-match series against Miami tomorrow at 1 p.m. PT inside Knight Sports Complex.