November brings a fresh start.
The autumn air gets chillier and leaves start to fall, but one thing remains at the forefront of UCLA’s mind – a chance to snap a four-game losing streak.
UCLA women’s volleyball (15-8, 6-6) will contest Illinois (16-7, 8-4) on Thursday at Huff Hall in Champaign, Illinois, and No. 14 Purdue (14-7, 7-5) on Saturday at Holloway Gymnasium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
The Bruins only have five more games left of the regular season, with their final regular season matchup against their crosstown rivals. These upcoming Midwest games will be the last away games for the squad, who have maintained a consistent 8-5 away record.
“I think leaning into all the hard travel keeps us together as a team,” said senior libero Kat Lutz. “Honestly, this is probably the closest team that I’ve been on or a part of.”
The Bruins start their away contests with the Fighting Illini.
Illinois is fresh off a four-game winning streak, with its most recent win being in sweeping fashion over Ohio State on Sunday. Middle blockers Kristina Starostenko and Ashlyn Philpot contributed seven kills on a .545 clip and nine kills on a .571 clip, respectively. Defensively, libero Talita Goncalves had a near perfect reception game with 21 digs and one error.
But one thing differentiates the squad from the Bruins – their attendance.
The Fighting Illini boast a total of 26,742 fans in attendance this season, more than four times as much as the Bruins’ total attendance. Despite multiple hotly contested five-set matches at home, UCLA’s numbers have remained drastically low – something UCLA Athletics has sought to resolve across numerous sports.
“It takes a lot to build respect with your team,” said sophomore outside hitter Ava Utterback. “But these girls made it super easy for me, and I’ve loved every second of it, no matter if the season is up or down.”
And a sold-out stadium awaits the Bruins in Indiana.
Saturday is the Boilermakers’ Senior Night, recognizing the squad’s four seniors. One of the four – AVCA Second Team selection Kenna Wollard – logs a career 784 kills on a .241 clip. However, she has been notably absent from the lineup this season due to a recent cancer diagnosis she announced via Instagram on Oct. 29.
The Boilermakers boast a 2-0 historical record against the Bruins – and both matchups ended in five sets.
And with the way both teams are performing this season, this matchup is also on track to be tightly contested.
Purdue’s most efficient hitters include Lameen Mambu and Grace Heaney, who have recorded a combined 409 kills this season. Adding to the frontcourt is setter Taylor Anderson who averages 10.41 assists per set thus far.
UCLA slightly tops Purdue’s serve errors with 147 compared to 144. However, the Bruins have maintained a strong serve game otherwise with 95 aces for the season.
The Westwood squad will seek to secure two final away wins before finishing off the season back home in Pauley Pavilion.
“The girls have done a nice job of elevating their plays,” said coach Matt Werle. “They’ve been really good in the five setters. When things get rowdy for us, I let them focus on their game.“
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