The Bruins are returning to Westwood and gearing up to serve off in front of stands adorned in blue and gold.
Just as it has for the last few years, UCLA women’s volleyball (8-2) will open up Pac-12 play across the net from USC (6-4) on Wednesday night in an attempt to lock in its first victory of the season at Pauley Pavilion. The contest against their crosstown rivals marks the Bruins’ first of a four-game homestand.
“We know that it’s going to be a battle on Wednesday night – it always is, being that it’s USC – but we can play in big-time environments,” said associate head coach Jen Malcom.
While the Bruins are coming off of a win and a loss, the Trojans are on the heels of a road trip of their own where they achieved a pair of wins thanks to outside hitter London Wijay, who was awarded Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for her part in the four-set victory.
The new coaching staff may not have experienced a match in Pauley Pavilion before, but the Bruins are no stranger to a Trojan home opener. Last year, USC emerged victorious from this Pac-12 kickoff battle. Sophomore opposite/outside hitter Grayce Olson said the stakes of this contest will be negligible for UCLA’s strategy.
“We know it’s going to be a good game and a big game – a lot of people are going to be at it – but making sure that we’re treating the game the same that we treat every game, trying not to let nerves get to us or anything like that,” Olson said. “We know how to play our style of volleyball, so just sticking to that.”
On the back of a career-high eight digs over the weekend, Olson has already surpassed her previous personal bests in kills, assists and points entering conference play.
Across town, however, USC’s players have been racking up their own records. Senior Skylar Fields was named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week ahead of the Indiana matches. Meanwhile, senior opposite/outside hitter Iman Ndiaye received recognition as UCLA Student-Athlete of the Week, having mustered 40 kills over three Bruin victories.
When comparing both teams side by side, UCLA holds a narrow lead in kills and assists but falls short of USC in digs. Ndiaye said the upcoming Pac-12 competition will be the fuel the Bruins need to continue playing at their best.
“I think there’s a lot of excitement to start conference play, especially playing USC. That’s always a really great match for us to start with at home,” Ndiaye said. “We just want to assert our dominance from the start and just play our game.”
Considering the two teams’ rooted history, neither school has anything to prove but everything to gain.
“I think we’re just ready to come out swinging,” Ndiaye said.
The competition will serve off in Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
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