This story was updated Sept. 27 at 9:04 p.m.
When Iman Ndiaye jumps into the air, the crowd knows what to expect.
The senior outside/opposite hitter’s 163 kills on the season have been enough to lead the Bruin pack and rank her sixth in Pac-12 individual standings.
“Iman has been steady for us,” said head coach Alfee Reft. “And she just continues to get better.”
While the introduction of an entirely new coaching staff has elevated the Bruins’ defensive attack, a strong offensive showing will be a constant variable the squad may need to overcome in its next two conference matches.
On the heels of back-to-back losses, UCLA women’s volleyball (8-4, 0-2 Pac-12) will round out its four-game homestand with a chance to clip its two-game losing streak against Colorado (9-4, 1-1) and extend its winning streak against Utah (6-6, 1-1) on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
In terms of making improvements for these matches, associate head coach Jen Malcom said sticking to their strengths will be key for the Bruins to pocket a win.
“Let’s just keep upgrading where we’re at,” Malcom said. “We’ll continue to do that this week.”
Colorado is also entering this matchup after dropping a home match to Stanford. The loss aside, the Cardinal’s resident kill leader – outside hitter Lexi Hadrych – spearheaded the team with 10 kills, pushing her 153 kill-total that much closer to Ndiaye’s 163 and solidifying her 11th-place rank in Pac-12 standings.
While Utah and UCLA are yet to play any of the same opponents – the former will face USC on Friday – the Utes’ most recent loss was at the hand of the Buffs. That night, Utah’s outside hitter Lauren Jardine notched 14 kills, living up to her standing as the team’s top killer. But despite her efforts, she couldn’t overpower Colorado’s outside hitter Maya Tabron, who notched her fourth double-double of the season – yet another offensive threat on UCLA’s radar.
Although UCLA’s hitters have showcased their prowess, they can’t go solo in crunch time.
Junior defensive specialist/libero Peyton Dueck said the team has been honing in on its defensive strategies.
“You have to persevere for a ball, so our team is really good about that,” Dueck said. “We worked on defense a lot this week, and I think that was definitely an upgrade in our game.”
Considering the Bruins’ track record of errors – Malcom’s explanation of the last two home losses – they will need to maximize their earned points. Beyond seeing six games of 20 or more errors each, the loss against Oregon resulted in a negative hitting percentage for the home team.
Effective attacking will be integral for UCLA, especially when countering defensive specialist/libero Avery Bolles’ recent contribution of 12 aces in a game – a higher figure than sophomore outside hitter Cherdiyn Leverette’s cumulative 11.
Ultimately, UCLA will need to take advantage of the end of its home stretch to counter two consecutive losses and muster a victory before a four-game road trip.
And while the Bruins have been hard at work perfecting their strategy, Malcom said a packed Pauley Pavilion this week couldn’t hurt the team’s morale.
“Being home is big,” Malcom said. “The atmosphere that we have is going to be huge heading into the next week.”
First serve against Colorado will be Friday at 7 p.m., followed by Utah on Sunday at 12 p.m.
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