Tom Brady is considered the “GOAT” because of his unique ability to lead historic comebacks and prevail in crucial moments.
Seven rings speak for themselves.
Brady earned one of these rings after leading a 25-point second-half comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI – the largest squandered lead in Super Bowl history – and orchestrating a game-winning drive in overtime to secure the championship victory.
The Bruins may boast the same clutch gene.
No. 8 seed UCLA women’s volleyball (19-12, 12-8 Big Ten) edged out Georgia Tech in a five-set bout Thursday. This marked UCLA’s seventh five-set victory this year, allowing the Bruins to advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Westwood squad will face No. 1 seed Kentucky (26-2, 15-0 SEC) on Friday at Historic Memorial Coliseum in Lexington, Kentucky.
“That’s what you expect out of the NCAA tournament,” said coach Alfee Reft. “First round, five sets. Our team sure likes to go five sets. We know how to do that.”
The Bruins have now won seven of their eight five-set affairs this season and have gutted out five straight ultimate-set triumphs. The contest against the Yellow Jackets marked the third consecutive Bruin outing where both squads pushed the contest to a fifth set.
Embracing high-pressure situations, especially with the season on the line, has seemingly defined the identity of Reft’s group.
“I think that our side was literally unstoppable – especially on game point,” said redshirt junior middle blocker Marianna Singletary. “They never made an adjustment. They were so worried about this girl, (senior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette), banging it, that I was one on, and Duffy was really moving the ball – so I just felt really confident taking big rips at them.”
And Singletary may represent the Bruins’ Brady.
The Texas transfer notched 22 kills, three of which she recorded in the final set on a .556 clip against Georgia Tech. Singletary also dominated defensively, posting a season-high 11 total blocks to stifle Georgia Tech’s offense and limit the unit to a .143 hitting percentage.
But Brady was not the only Patriot who thrived under pressure.
Julian Edelman, one of Brady’s most reliable receiving weapons, juggled and corralled a pass while three Falcons defenders surrounded him in Super Bowl LI to gain substantial yardage into Falcon territory late in the fourth quarter. The Patriots tied the game on that same drive.
Leverette, Singletary’s partner at the net, recorded 18 kills – adding three in the final frame – to supplement the middle blocker’s offensive performance. The duo logged more than 60% of UCLA’s combined 65 kills against Georgia Tech.
“We’ve been working on a couple new routes in practice, so I think just implementing those and keeping our vision up,” Leverette said.
Although the Bruin defense reflected the squad’s toughness throughout the season – especially on the back end where they boast the second-most digs per set in the Big Ten with 14.21 – Reft has relied on an attack that averaged 61 kills across its past three games to stave off elimination.
But UCLA is set to battle one of the best teams in the nation.
Kentucky has yet to lose a game since falling to then-No. 7 Pittsburgh in straight sets on Sept. 10.
And the squad proved its ability to overcome adversity Nov. 25 against then-No. 3 Texas.
The Wildcats reverse-swept the Longhorns, earning three consecutive stanza victories to close out their regular season campaign. Their high-powered offense – which averages 14.77 kills per set, good for third most in the nation – recorded 73 kills to help clinch the triumph while boasting a .307 hitting percentage across the last three frames.
Overpowering Kentucky’s offense will pose a challenge for both UCLA’s block and its attacking unit, which may need to keep pace with Kentucky’s unit.
Just as Brady began his NFL career as an unknown sixth-round draft and hurdled obstacles to even earn a starting job in the league, however, the Bruins persevered throughout their 2025 campaign.
Underdogs are often the most dangerous opponents.
Brady proved that.
And UCLA may have a surprise path to the Sweet Sixteen, if the team relies on what has allowed them to make it this far – the fifth set.
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