This post was updated Oct. 1 at 9:58 p.m.
Explosive runs amid a roaring Pauley Pavilion crowd marshaled the Bruins to their first Pac-12 win.
UCLA women’s volleyball (9-5, 1-3 Pac-12) hosted Colorado (9-5, 2-2 Pac-12) on Friday night for its third-consecutive home game of the season, where the Bruins swept the contest 3-0. Aggressive offense highlighted the match, with UCLA garnering a .252 attack percentage.
Coach Alfee Reft was sentimental following his first time coaching at home. Reft spent the Bruins’ last two home games assisting the U.S. Women’s National Team in beating Germany to land a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It’s like I had to take a moment to look around and see our team play,” Reft said. “This is awesome.”
UCLA’s matchup against Colorado came after two consecutive losses at home. And in its third attempt to defend Pauley Pavilion, the Bruins managed to flip the script.
A 25-23 opening frame that landed in UCLA’s favor helped set the squad’s tone for the remainder of the match.
The Bruins pressured the Buffaloes early on with a 6-2 run to clinch an early lead. Led by two kills from sophomore outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette and an ace by junior defensive specialist/libero Peyton Dueck, Colorado called for a timeout early in the affair.
Redshirt senior middle blocker Anna Dodson said the Bruins’ plays and early success all come from the training ground.
“I think it starts in practice,” Dodson said. “We really emphasize to go with intent.”
When the squads were knotted at 19 points apiece, the Bruins regained momentum with a solo block by sophomore opposite/outside hitter Grayce Olson and a kill by graduate student middle blocker Desiree Becker, forcing their adversaries to take yet another timeout in the opening frame.
The Bruins approach each rep in practice purposefully, striving to replicate pressure during games, Leverette said.
“We treat every rep like it is the last we will ever get,” Leverette said. “I think being intentional in practice translates well to the game when you are under that pressure.”
Freshman setter Ashley Mullen completed her first career double-double with 29 assists and 12 digs. Mullen assumed setter duties for the majority of the match, as senior setter Audrey Pak saw limited minutes, contributing three assists all in the final set.
As the momentum continued to build in the second and third sets, the Bruins picked up offensively and reaped the benefits of the Buffaloes’ nine errors in the second frame. Lackluster offense by the visitors – striking at a .162 hitting percentage – led to its demise in what became the final frame.
Leverette saw her name on individual leaderboards with one ace, nine kills, seven digs and four assists.
“Cheridyn brought us back with her serving,” Reft said. “And we emphasized serving a lot and serving tough.”
The third and final set saw a minor resurgence for Colorado when UCLA had a four-point advantage at 17-13. The Buffaloes created three consecutive points to bring the contest to a one-point margin, but an 8-1 Bruin scoring run extinguished any spark of hope for the Buffaloes.
“That was our goal today – protecting Pauley,” Dodson said. “And I think we did a dang good job doing that.”
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