LOS ANGELES – The UCLA women’s volleyball team bounced back in impressive fashion on Saturday night, sweeping Michigan in straight sets inside Pauley Pavilion.
Set scores were 25-12, 29-27, 28-26.
UCLA (11-4, 2-2 Big Ten) picked up its second Big Ten Conference victory of the season while handing Michigan (10-5, 1-3) its third conference loss.
The Bruins controlled the match offensively and at the net, hitting .258 with 47 kills while holding the Wolverines to .186. UCLA also finished with a 9.5-3 advantage in blocks and recorded five service aces.
Marianna Singletary powered the Bruin attack with a match-high 14 kills on .478 hitting while adding a match-best seven blocks. Brooke Harwood joined her in double figures with 11 kills on .318 hitting, while Maggie Li contributed eight kills, six digs, three blocks and an ace. Eliana Urzua added seven kills and five blocks as UCLA received contributions throughout its lineup.
At setter, Kate Duffey guided the Bruins to their .258 hitting percentage with 41 assists while adding 10 digs, two kills and a service ace for a double-double. Lola Schumacher anchored the back row with a team-high 15 digs and an ace, while Vivian Hickman added 10 digs. Mija Bendziute chipped in five kills and a match-high two service aces.
UCLA was particularly dominant in the opening frame, hitting .484 with 17 kills and just two attack errors in a 25-12 victory. Michigan pushed the Bruins in the final two sets, which featured a combined 19 ties, but UCLA prevailed in extra points in both frames to complete the sweep.
UCLA raced out to an early lead behind a 6-0 run highlighted by two Singletary kills, forcing a Michigan timeout with the Bruins ahead 8-4. UCLA connected on six of its first 10 swings and continued to apply pressure with another 5-0 run, which featured a Li ace and an Urzua kill following a lengthy rally, to build a 15-7 advantage at the media timeout. A Bendziute ace later stretched the margin to double digits at 19-9, and the Bruins never looked back. UCLA hit a blistering .484 in the frame and cruised to a 25-12 victory, its largest set win of the season.
UCLA again started quickly, using a 6-0 run to build an 8-4 advantage in the early stages of the second set. Michigan battled back to even the score at 12-12, but the Bruins responded with a 7-1 surge to move in front, 20-15. The Wolverines chipped away at the deficit and eventually earned set point at 24-23, but Bendziute answered with a clutch cross-court kill to extend the frame. UCLA ultimately erased four Michigan set points, with Singletary, Li and Bendziute each delivering set-saving kills. Singletary then punctuated the thrilling back-and-forth finish with a solo block to secure a 29-27 victory and give the Bruins a 2-0 lead in the match.
The teams traded points throughout the early stages of the third before a Bendziute ace helped UCLA move ahead, 12-9. Two more Singletary kills helped the Bruins carry a two-point advantage into the media timeout, but Michigan rallied late to take a 22-21 lead. Li responded with a crucial kill to even the score, and UCLA followed by earning its first match point at 24-22.
The Wolverines fought off two consecutive match points and later erased another after a Singletary kill gave UCLA a 25-24 edge. Michigan eventually moved in front, 26-25, and stood one point away from extending the match, but the Bruins had one final answer. A Michigan attack error erased the set point before Ella Demetrician put the Wolverines back in front with a kill. Harwood answered with a clutch kill to create UCLA's fifth match point, and the Bruins finally converted when CymarahGordon's ensuing attack sailed out, sealing a dramatic 28-26 victory and the sweep.
UCLA will head back on the road next week to continue Big Ten action, taking on Maryland on Friday, October 9. First serve is set for 3:30 p.m. (PT) on B1G+.