2023-11-15 02:04:58
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THE ANGELS – The UCLA women’s volleyball team plays its final home games of the season at Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom this week versus No. 2 Stanford and California. The Bruins (16-10, 8-8), who have won five out of their last six matches, play the Cardinal (22-3, 15-1) Friday at 7 p.m. (PT) and the Golden Bears (15-12, 4-12) Sunday at 12 p.m. (PT). Both contests are available for viewing with a subscription on the Pac-12 Networks.
UCLA will be honoring four of its seniors – Desiree Becker, Kate Lane, Iman Ndiaye and – Audrey Pak before the beginning of Sunday’s match once morest California.
Fans who attended UCLA’s “LA Volleyball Day” match versus Arizona on Nov. 5 can receive free admission to this Friday’s match versus Stanford by showing their ticket from the UCLA-Arizona match at Pauley Pavilion box office on game night.
Supporters of the program are encouraged to attend “Brunch with the Bruins” in the Pavilion Club before Sunday’s match versus California. Head coach Alfee Reft will be giving a pre-match chalk talk.
UCLA (16-10, 8-8) vs. No. 2 Stanford (22-3, 15-1)
Date: Friday, Nov. 17, 2023 – 7 p.m. (PT)
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom)
Watch: Pac-12 Los Angeles
Talent: Jim Watson
Listen: ucla.leanplayer.com
Talent: Denny Cline
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
UCLA (16-10, 8-8) vs. California (15-12, 4-12)
Date: Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023 – 12 p.m. (PT)
Location: Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom)
Watch: Pac-12 Networks
Talent: Anne Marie Anderson
Listen: ucla.leanplayer.com
Talent: Denny Cline
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
First Serve
· UCLA is led by Alfee Reft who was announced as the program’s fourth head coach on Dec. 19, 2022.
· UCLA improved 10 spots in the latest ratings percentage index (RPI) this week, climbing to 42nd.
· The Bruins are currently sixth in the Pac-12 Conference standings following reaching a .500 winning percentage in conference play for the first time this season with two wins over then-No. 9 Washington State and Washington last week.
· UCLA has won five out of its last six contests and is playing its best stretch of volleyball since the non-conference schedule.
· The Bruins are coming off their biggest win of the season last week, upsetting then-No. 9 Washington State in five sets on Nov. 10.
· UCLA has two wins over ranked opponents (def. No. 9 Washington State, 3-2, and No. 23 Hawai’i, 3-1).
· Anna Dodson received the first Pac-12 weekly honor of her career Monday, being named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week.
· Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye leads UCLA in kills (305), kills per set (3.08), points (363.0) and points per set (3.67).
· Ndiaye has reached double-digit kills in 17 out of 25 matches this year and leads UCLA’s pin hitters with a .261 hitting percentage.
· Middle blockers Anna Dodson and Desiree Becker rank third and sixth in blocks in the Pac-12 with 121 and 112, respectively.
· Dodson owns a team-high .388 hitting percentage and ranks third on the squad with 3.08 points per set.
· Dodson ranks third in the Pac-12 in both hitting percentage (.388) and solo blocks (21).
Riding the Momentum
UCLA chalked up two road wins in a five-setter versus then-No. 9 Washington State on Friday, Nov. 10 and a four-setter once morest Washington on Sunday, Nov. 12. The Bruins’ victory over the Cougars marked their first road win over a top-10 opponent since Nov. 12, 2016 when they defeated then-No. 2 Stanford at Maples Pavilion.
UCLA mounted an epic fifth-set comeback to defeat Washington State. Trailing by as much as six points at 8-2 in the fifth, Ndiaye chipped away at the lead with a stretch of six straight kills to bring UCLA within one at 13-12. Setter Audrey Pak connected on three consecutive plays to Dodson, Grayce Olson and Ndiaye to give the Bruins’ their first lead of the final stanza. Pak once once more went to Ndiaye for the finishing blow. The Dallas, Texas native slammed a ball of Washington State’s block and into the stands to seal what was head coach Alfee Reft’s biggest win in his first year with the program. It was Ndiaye’s ninth kill of the set and her 21st of the match. Pak recorded her first double-double of the season with 61 assists, 11 digs, four blocks, four kills and two service aces.
Outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette paced the team with 16 kills at a .355 hitting percentage in UCLA’s 3-1 win once morest the Huskies. Dodson matched Leverette’s points output with 18.0 deriving from 13 kills, six blocks and two service aces.
Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week
Dodson earned the first Pac-12 weekly honor of her career this Monday, being named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week. Dodson led all Pac-12 middle blockers with 37.5 points last weekend, totaling 19.5 in the Bruins’ (16-10, 8-8) upset over then-No. 9 Washington State and 18.0 in their victory over Washington. Defensively, Dodson swatted 11 blocks with five once morest the Cougars and a team-high six versus the Huskies. In UCLA’s upset of Washington State, she recorded a career-high 17 kills at an efficient .577 hitting percentage. Two days later at Washington, Dodson put forth another plus-.500 performance with 13 kills for .545. She had just three errors on a combined 48 swings in the two victories. Dodson has now recorded at least 10 kills for a .400 hitting percentage or better seven times this season.
In This Stretch
UCLA owns a 5-1 record in its last six matches for its best stretch in Pac-12 play. In that span, Dodson has averaged a .471 hitting percentage (55-7-102) and 1.50 blocks per set (1 BS, 32 BA). Ndiaye is averaging a team-best 3.41 kills per set for a .242 hitting percentage (71-32-158). Leverette is also averaging over three kills a set (3.23 KPS) at a .247 clip. Pak, the Bruins’ primary setter for the last 11 matches, is averaging 10.95 assists per set and 1.05 blocks per set.
Seeing 20-20
Ndiaye totaled 21 kills for a .314 clip in the Bruins’ upset over Washington State last Friday. Nine of those kills came in the fifth set alone. It was Ndiaye’s second 20-kill performance of the season and third of her career (had 20 kills in the 2023 season opener at LSU on Aug. 25). Ndiaye also tallied four blocks and a service ace in the match to help set a new career high in points with 24.0.
Leverette also reached a career-high 21.0 points in the match with the Cougars. The Hampton, Ga. native tallied 16 kills (.250%) and matched a career high with four service aces. She now has two 20-point performances this season (20.0 at LSU on Aug. 26). Leverette concluded last week with another 16 kills at a .355 rate at Washington on Sunday.
Serving Looks
UCLA recorded its two highest service ace totals of the season in the two wins over Washington State (13 aces) and Washington (11 aces). Leverette and Mokihana Tufono recorded a team-high four aces in each match, respectively. Two of Tufono’s service aces versus the Huskies secured a set point and match point. Eight UCLA players dealt at least one ace once morest the Cougars and six Bruins had at least one ace once morest the Huskies. There were 10 total service line runs of 3+ points in the two matches, with four at Washington State and six at Washington. Against the Cougars, Leverette had two runs of 3+ points while Tufono and freshman Sydney Breon each had one. Against the Huskies, Ndiaye had three runs of 3+ points while Leverette, Tufono and Breon each had one.
Pack a Punch
In the win over Washington State, Audrey Pak set career highs in assists (61) and points (8.0) and tied career highs in kills (4) and digs (11). The last Bruin to record 61 assists in a match was Sarah Sponcil five years ago on Nov. 16, 2017 versus Stanford. The performance also secured Pak’s first double-double of the season and second of her career. The senior is having her best year yet in Westwood, posting season-highs in assists (621), blocks (57), digs (101) and kills (26).
Dodson Domination
Dodson is putting together another All-Pac-12 caliber season with a team-leading .388 hitting percentage and 1.26 blocks per set. Both marks are currently season highs for Dodson. She has four hitting performances with no errors this season and has eclipsed a .350 hitting percentage in 14 of her 25 matches in 2023.
Defensively, she ranks third in the Pac-12 with 21 solo blocks. Dodson has recorded multiple solo blocks in seven contests. Over her last 14 matches, Dodson has recorded 71 total blocks for an average of 1.82 blocks per set.
Elite Duo
Becker and Dodson have combined for 233 total blocks which is the most among all Pac-12 blocking duos this season. In second is No. 7 Oregon’s Kara McGhee and Karson Bacon with 225 total blocks. Dodson has established a new season-high in blocks with 121 in 2023. She is chasing the first 150-block season by a Bruin since Zoë Nightingale in 2012. Becker (112 BLK) has now recorded back-to-back 100-block campaigns dating back to her time at Northwestern and is seven blocks away from surpassing her former season high of 118 set in 2022 as a Wildcat.
Remember When?
The last time a No. 2-ranked Stanford Cardinal team came to Pauley Pavilion was on Oct. 25, 2019, and the Bruins handed them a three-set upset loss. Dodson was the only Bruin on the 2019 team who is still on the active roster. In that match, then-junior Mac May recorded a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs. Set scores were 25-22, 25-22 and 25-18.
Postseason Outlook
UCLA is searching for marquee wins to bolster its resume for postseason candidacy. The Bruins’ notable preseason victories include Indiana, Long Beach State, Pepperdine and then-No. 23 Hawai’i. The next four matches are a crucial stretch for the Bruins, which include No. 2 Stanford and No. 24 USC who defeated UCLA in the first half of Pac-12 play.
Immediate Impact
Becker has been one of the most valuable transfer additions in the Pac-12 this season. The graduate from Northwestern has tallied 4.0+ blocks in 17 of 26 matches this season. At Long Beach State on Sept. 2, Becker established a new career high in total blocks with 9.0 (2 BS, 7 BA). Becker has also reached 7+ blocks in five other contests.
Offensively, she has been efficient when distributed the ball with a .336 hitting percentage, which is good for ninth in the Pac-12. Becker’s most impressive offensive display of the season came in UCLA’s home opener versus USC on Sept. 20 in which she hit for an error-free 12 kills. It was her fourth career performance with at least 10 kills and no errors.
Blocking Setter
This season, Pak has recorded 4.0+ total blocks in nine matches this year and is up to 61.0 total blocks over 87 sets played. Her previous season-high blocking total was three over three sets in 2021. Pak is averaging 0.70 blocks per set which ranks second among Pac-12 setters, trailing only Washington State’s Argentina Ung (0.79 B/S).
Ndiaye’s Best Yet
Ndiaye has recorded five of the six highest single-match point totals in her career in this season alone. The Dallas, Texas native recorded the third 20-kill outing of her career in UCLA’s match at Washington State on Nov. 10 with 21 kills at a .314 clip. She is the only Bruin on the active roster to have recorded a 20-kill performance. Her first such performance came last season versus Colorado on Oct. 2, 2022 when she racked a career-high 22 kills. She also registered 20 kills in UCLA’s 2023 season opener at LSU on Aug. 25.
Milestone Watch for Audrey
Pak is 23 assists shy of 1,000 in her collegiate career. She enters the weekend averaging 7.14 assists per set and ranks third on the team with 0.70 blocks per set. Pak’s three highest single-match assist totals have come in UCLA’s last six matches.
Defensive Improvement
Ndiaye has reached double-digit digs in eight matches in her career, all coming this season. She recorded 12 in her last match at Washington on Nov. 12. Ndiaye notched the fourth double-double of her career in UCLA’s loss to then-No. 15 Arizona State with 10 kills and 14 digs. The 14 digs marked a career high. She recorded the first two double-doubles of her career in back-to-back matches earlier this season at Oklahoma on Sept. 16 (16 K, 12 D) and versus USC on Sept. 20 (16 K, 12 D). She picked up her third career double-double in UCLA’s win over Washington on Oct. 20 (14 K, 11 D). Ndiaye is averaging 1.87 digs per set this season which more than quadruples her average over the previous three seasons (0.42). She has also tripled her former season-high dig total of 51 set in 2022 with 185 in 2023.
500 Block Club
UCLA middles Anna Dodson and Desiree Becker both achieved the 500th kills of their collegiate careers earlier this season. Dodson reached the milestone in the Bruins’ second match of the season versus LSU on Aug. 26. Becker achieved the milestone in UCLA non-conference finale versus Oklahoma on Sept. 16.
Reft, Team USA Qualifies for 2024 Paris Olympics
Alfee Reft returned from his seasonal assistant coaching position with the U.S. Women’s National Team on Sept. 29. He returned to UCLA following helping Team USA finish the FIVB Road to 2024 Paris Olympic Qualifier with a 6-1 record. The national team punched its ticket with a 3-1 victory over Germany. Reft serves UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer and Team USA Head Coach Karch Kiraly. In total, Reft has spent 12 years as both a player and coach on the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams. Reft will be with the Bruins for every match the remainder of the 2023 season. Associate Head Coach Jen Malcom filled in as acting head coach during Reft’s absence for a record of 4-3.
Stanford Series History
UCLA trails in the all-time series versus Stanford, 57-42, dating back to 1976. The Cardinal are the only program in the Pac-12 the Bruins have a losing record to. UCLA lost to Stanford in a four-set affair in the first meeting of the season on Oct. 15.
California Series History
UCLA leads the all-time series versus California, 72-9, dating back to 1980. The Bruins have won eight consecutive meetings once morest the Golden Bears with their last loss coming in October 2018. UCLA swept California in its first matchup of the season on Oct. 13. Set scores were 26-24, 25-13 and 25-23.
UCLA Picked Fifth
UCLA was picked to finish fifth in the annual Pac-12 Preseason Coaches Poll. UCLA is coming off a seventh-place finish in the Pac-12 a year ago with a 10-10 conference record. The Bruins’ notable 2022 wins included a five-set comeback at then-RV Hawai’i in the Outrigger Volleyball Challenge on Sept. 4 and their lone victory over a ranked foe at then-No. 25 Washington State on Nov. 22.
Dodson: Preseason All-Pac-12
Redshirt senior middle blocker Anna Dodson was named to the Preseason All-Pac-12 Team for the first time in her career in 2023. Last season, Dodson was selected to the All-Pac-12 Team and AVCA Pacific South All-Region Honorable Mention following leading UCLA with a .330 hitting percentage on her 259 kills. Dodson achieved double-digit kills in 13 matches and ranked second on the team with 2.54 kills per set in her 27 starts and 102 sets played. She is UCLA’s second-highest returning point scorer (259) behind outside hitter Iman Ndiaye.
A New Era in Westwood
Reft was hired in December 2022 as the fourth head coach in program history on Dec. 18, 2022. Reft came to UCLA following leading San Diego to its first-ever National Semifinal appearance in the NCAA Tournament in his third year as associate head coach. The Oxnard, Calif. native also brings Big Ten Conference experience to UCLA following serving as an assistant at the University of Illinois from 2018-19 and at the University of Minnesota from 2010-12. He accumulated a 68-32 conference record across both stints and reached the Final Four with the Fighting Illini in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
Dodson the Defender
Dodson has led the Bruins in blocks in each of the last two seasons with 109 in her Fall 2021 campaign and 77 in 2022. The last Bruin to lead the team in blocks in three consecutive years was Zoë Nightingale who paced UCLA across the 2012-14 seasons. The Fort Collins, Colo. native enters her fourth season in Westwood averaging 0.90 blocks per set across her career.
Ndiaye Notes
UCLA’s top returning attacker is Iman Ndiaye who ranked second on the team with 269 kills and third with 307.0 total points in 2022. Ndiaye reached double-digit kills on 14 occasions in 2022, including a career-best performance with 22 kills at a .421 clip (22-6-38) versus Colorado on Oct. 2. She is the only active UCLA player to have a 10-block match in their career. The Plano West High School product (Dallas) was an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention recipient last season. She was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Freshman Team in Spring 2021.
Dodson Selected to USAV Collegiate National Team
Two-time All-Pac-12 middle blocker Anna Dodson received national attention this offseason when she was named to the USA Volleyball 2023 Collegiate Women’s National Team (CNT). From June 18-24 in Anaheim, Calif., Dodson trained alongside the Women’s National Team Olympic Champions as the prepared for the Volleyball Nations League.
Big Ten Bound in 2024-25
UCLA Athletics announced its decision to join the Big Ten Conference on June 30, 2022. This move will go into effect at the start of the 2024-25 season. In doing so, the Bruins will be joining the preeminent volleyball conference in the country with five of the last 10 NCAA Women’s Volleyball champions coming from the Big Ten. Joining UCLA in this move are USC, Washington and Oregon. UCLA and USC have combined for seven NCAA Women’s Volleyball Championships. UCLA won 10 conference championships while in the Pac-12, all coming under Hall of Fame Coach Andy Banachowski. Overall, the Bruins have played in 38 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournaments which ranks fourth among all programs behind only Penn State, Stanford and Nebraska. In addition, UCLA has advanced to the NCAA Final Four 12 times and has posted a record of 94-35 in the NCAA Tournament.
Glad for Grads
Two Bruins on this year’s 2023 roster have earned undergraduate degrees. In Spring 2023, Dodson added two bachelor degrees to her résumé in sociology and gender studies. She now is working toward her master’s degree in John Wooden’s Transformative Coaching and Leadership (education major). Becker earned her bachelor of arts in history from Northwestern in 2023. She is now pursuing a master’s degree in legal studies with the career objective of becoming an entertainment lawyer.
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