This post was updated Oct. 10 at 9:42 p.m.
UCLA women’s volleyball (8-6, 2-2 Big Ten) will face No. 14 Minnesota (13-2, 3-1) at Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday evening. The Bruins lost back-to-back conference contests against No. 13 Purdue and Indiana at Pauley Pavilion on Oct. 2 and Oct. 4, respectively, a pair of defeats that came after the Bruins bested Big Ten juggernauts Penn State and Ohio State to open conference play. The Golden Gophers have swept nine teams this year, two of which were Michigan State and Rutgers in late September. UCLA fell to Minnesota last year in a five-set battle and has only ever beaten Minnesota once in program history, which happened more than two decades ago. Here is the conference matchup scouting report from Daily Bruin assistant Sports editor Grant Walters.
Minnesota
Coach: Keegan Cook
Starting lineup: S Stella Swenson, OPP Carly Gilk, OH Julia Hanson, MB Lourdès Myers, OH Alex Acevedo, L/DS McKenna Garr
Strength: Defensive tenacity
Weakness: One-dimensional offense
X-Factor: McKenna Garr
Defensive injuries can derail championship aspirations.
The Detroit Lions had nearly 20 defensive players on injured reserve heading into the 2024-2025 NFL Playoffs. After capturing a franchise-record 15 wins last regular season, the defense forfeited 45 points in their season-ending NFL Divisional Round loss to the Washington Commanders.
And Minnesota found itself in a similar situation when junior libero/defensive specialist Zeynep Palabiyik – who ranked seventh in the Big Ten with 3.86 digs per set last year – suffered a season-ending knee injury in the team’s victory against St. Thomas Aug. 31.
But this opened a prime opportunity for McKenna Garr.
The libero/defensive specialist has anchored the back end in the wake of Palabiyik’s ACL tear. The freshman boasts 3.55 digs per set, good for sixth in the Big Ten, and has worked in tandem with backline partner junior Kate Thibault, whose 2.71 digs per set complements Garr’s defensive prowess.
The duo has helped spearhead a squad that sports the second-most digs per set in the conference with 13.75, even without the Gophers’ anticipated defensive leader.
Minnesota’s defense doesn’t just excel at the back end, though. The unit also dominates at the net. Graduate student middle blocker Lourdès Myers leads the team with 58 blocks and posts 1.21 denials per set. The former Purdue player transferred during the offseason and reached the NCAA tournament three times throughout her stint in West Lafayette, Indiana.
But just as Garr has embraced the challenge of leading the libero unit, another youthful weapon has bolstered the middle-blocking arsenal.
Freshman Jordan Taylor flashes a teafm-leading 1.28 blocks per set, which ranks eighth in the Big Ten. The Houston, Texas, local uses her 6-foot-5 frame – which is the tallest on Minnesota’s roster – to stifle opposing hitters.
The Gophers’ defensive prowess has limited opponents to a sub-.200 hitting percentage, which could spell trouble for a Bruins’ attack that sports the third-lowest conference hitting percentage with a .231 clip.
And graduate student middle blocker Phekran Kong’s absence may amplify this issue. Kong has played in just three games for the Bruins after transferring from Louisville before the 2025 campaign. The Bruins won each game that Kong started, and she made a substantial offensive and defensive impact, combining for 29 kills and 11 blocks across those three games.
Although the Gophers have multiple strong defenders, their hitting arsenal may not be as versatile.
Senior outside hitter Julia Hanson has dominated the pins, posting the seventh-most kills per set in the Big Ten with 3.91 on a near-.300 clip. The unanimous 2024 All-Big Ten First Team selection eclipsed four kills per frame last season, but she has embraced a more efficient attacking approach this season, recording a .300 hitting percentage jump from 2024 to 2025.
But Hanson also commands the bulk of Minnesota’s offensive production.
Fellow pin hitter Alex Acevedo notches 2.64 kills per stanza – less than Hanson by more than one – and the redshirt sophomore has logged just 15 kills across her last eight sets played. Acevedo suffered an apparent knee injury Sunday, and her health status remains unclear.
Freshman opposite hitter Carly Gilk has struggled despite a strong start to her inaugural collegiate season. Gilk flashed her potential to marshal Minnesota’s offense across her first two starts, when she combined for 20 kills while committing just five attacking errors. But the first-year option has yet to record a double-digit kill outing since her 11 against Cal Poly Aug. 29.
Still, a middle blocker that can dominate the net on both ends is arguably a team’s most valuable asset – one that Minnesota appears to lack.
Although Myers and Taylor each boast a plus-.300 hitting percentage, along with a formidable defensive presence, they have not showcased the offensive firepower synonymous with versatile middle play.
The blocking tandem posts less than 3.5 kills per stanza combined, good for a 1.67 pair average, and Taylor has specifically struggled to tantalize opposing blockers. The freshman has racked up just 49 kills this season across 32 sets played despite her team-leading height.
But UCLA has struggled to limit opposing attacks as of late. The team’s defense has allowed a plus-.200 opponent hitting percentage while forfeiting more than 50 kills in each of its last four games.
The Bruins’ defensive inconsistency may be largely due to their lackluster blocking numbers – they currently boast just 2.15 stuffs per frame, the fifth-fewest in the conference.
Redshirt junior middle blocker Marianna Singletary will likely be the Bruins’ primary defensive option, since the Texas transfer sports a team-leading 66 blocks.
The middle has still been a glaring weakness for the Bruins, especially with Kong’s prolonged absence.
UCLA has relied on redshirt sophomore middle blocker Brooklyn Briscoe to fill the void, but the San Diego local notches fewer than one block per set and has recorded just one stuff across her last nine sets played.
Yet, a matchup against a one-dimensional attack may allow coach Alfee Reft to craft an effective game plan to limit Hanson’s impact on the contest, forcing Minnesota’s complementary options to step up.
The Bruins must exploit the Gophers’ homogeneous attack to match the latter’s defensive intensity, and whichever defensive unit outperforms its rival arsenal will likely decide the game’s outcome.
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