The Reft era has been characterized by ups and downs.
Coach Alfee Reft had mustered a 32-27 overall record with no postseason appearances before the start of the 2025 season. The departures of key players – setter Audrey Pak and middle blocker Anna Dodson – to graduation led Reft to the transfer portal.
And that is arguably where he had the best outcome.
He picked up five new players, three of whom came from consistently top-10 ranked squads in Texas, Louisville and Wisconsin. These acquisitions gave me high hopes in the summer, especially after the Big Ten committee chose UCLA to finish fifth in the Big Ten Women’s Volleyball Preseason Poll – six spots higher than its 2024 ranking.
But UCLA barely squeaked out a five-set win against Long Beach to open the 2025 campaign. And Reft’s new-look squad lost to Pepperdine in four sets the very next day.
I thought to myself, it’s just new-team jitters.
The Bruins had an unusual start to the campaign since they played all 10 of their preseason matches and began their conference campaign on the road. This allowed the players to develop bonds quicker as they traveled together for the first month of play.
And UCLA reflected this elevated chemistry in its play, closing out its non-conference slate 6-4 before beating Ohio State and upsetting Penn State – the reigning national champion – in Rec Hall. The hostile road atmospheres helped the Bruins acclimate to noise while developing comfort away from Westwood.
The new look squad appeared poised to hold its own in the Big Ten after a lackluster inaugural season in the conference. Sophomore libero Lola Schumacher and redshirt junior middle blocker Marianna Singletary – two of the Bruins’ five transfers – along with senior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette helped the team discover a novel identity. The senior had a breakout junior campaign, earning herself First Team All-Big Ten honors after posting 435 kills and averaging 4.14 per set.
And I was excited to see the team flourish.
But then the Bruins met a new monster – the 20s.
UCLA was just one point away from upsetting then-No.13 Purdue in its home opener, but the Boilermakers fought off four Bruin set points to eventually secure the reverse sweep. And two days later, UCLA fell to unranked Indiana in four sets.
The Bruins couldn’t close out sets.
And although I didn’t know it at the time, this was just a glimpse into what was in store for UCLA.
Whenever the Westwood bunch took one step forward, it would subsequently take three steps back.
Every good win was followed by an embarrassing loss.
Two back-to-back sweep upsets against then-No. 14 Minnesota and then-No. 22 USC on Oct. 8 and Oct. 11, respectively, showed UCLA could dominate. However, Reft’s team then lost three of its next five contests including one to an unranked Oregon squad and another to crosstown rival USC.
Amid the squad’s struggles, Schumacher and Singletary thrived.
Schumacher recorded a conference-leading 4.38 digs per set and Singletary ranked No. 4 in blocks per set, averaging 1.30 by the end of the 2025 campaign.
And despite the setbacks, UCLA ended its three-year postseason drought, receiving its first NCAA tournament bid in the Reft era. After putting together a 18-12 overall record and a 12-8 conference record – the highest since 2021 – the Bruins had the opportunity to showcase their grit once again.
Tested time and time again, Reft’s squad demonstrated its continued development. The Bruins may retain the rest of their starting lineup for the 2026 campaign since they are only losing Leverette to graduation.
And a question I’ve continued to ask myself is: Did the team live up to preseason expectations?
I’ve felt conflicted with my answer since the end of the Kentucky match, but I believe the Bruins flashed their potential.
Consistency creates dynasties like Nebraska – a storied program that consistently boasts the nation’s best talent.
Still, the Bruins proved they can compete in the uber-competitive Big Ten despite finishing tied for sixth in the conference.
And it’s just the beginning for Reft and his program. With the right tools and time, UCLA can be a tournament constant in the coming years.
The 2025 squad paved the way to redefine the current era of Bruin volleyball.
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