This post was updated Oct. 10 at 8:06 p.m.
The Bruins were unable to maintain their ground during the crunch in Arizona.
UCLA women’s volleyball (9-7, 1-5 Pac-12) took on its first Pac-12 road trip, securing just one set victory en route to defeats to Arizona (6-11, 1-5) and No. 23 Arizona State (17-1, 5-1) by scores of 3-1 and 3-0 on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
After going down by two sets, UCLA’s third frame against Arizona saw multiple scoring runs that catapulted the visitors to larger leads. A 4-0 scoring burst early handed it a five-point advantage at 7-2.
The Bruins’ momentum grew as they embarked on three separate scoring runs, the most notable of which was a six-point gallop that stretched their lead to 23-12. Redshirt senior middle blocker Anna Dodson was pivotal to her side’s offensive spurts, racking up five kills in the set – nearly half of her 13 of the game.
But the Bruins’ third-set comeback failed to amount to anything more, and the Bruins fell in the fourth set.
Sophomore libero Mokihana Tufono said UCLA is a team that can handle hardship.
“We know that we are a team that is not going to shy away from adversity,” Tufono said. “Hard times are going to come, and there’s an ability from all of us to just stay in it and stay engaged.”
Following a then-season-high 12 digs Friday, Tufono matched her career high of 16 at Sunday’s match against Arizona State – where she started as UCLA’s libero for the first time this season.
Senior opposite hitter Kate Lane said the Bruins’ mutual support is key to their team’s unity and morale.
“I think we really stay together and stay connected with each other because we have each other’s backs,” Lane said.
Although the Arizona game marked its fourth Pac-12 loss, UCLA continued to see offensive improvement. It notched 17 more kills in its game against Arizona compared to Utah last week, with 45 kills in total on Friday.
Coach Alfee Reft said his squad is regrouping after players have suffered injuries.
“We have had a couple of tough matches with a few injuries that have occurred,” Reft said. “We had a little shuffle of personnel.”
The loss was repeated just two days later when the Bruins were swept by the Sun Devils. Their opponents’ defensive strategies limited the Bruins to a .066 hitting percentage, including negative figures in the second and third sets.
Four Bruins were limited to negative hitting percentages. Accompanied by 25 errors among the squad, the Bruins were unable to find the offensive prowess to come away with a win against Arizona State.
The Bruins secured three scoring runs of at least three points against the Sun Devils in yet another third-set rally. Attack errors by sophomore outside/opposite hitter Grayce Olson and senior setter Audrey Pak gave Arizona State two points in the crunch, allowing their opponents to go up 24-22 and ultimately win the match.
Despite repeated losses, Reft said he is hopeful for his team.
“We believe so deeply in our team, and we can’t stop believing in them,” Reft said. “All we have to do is coach them better.”
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