Women’s volleyball maintains top rank, momentum on the court against Washington schools

Proudly sporting white oversized UCLA women’s volleyball shirts, a trio of rowdy fans attracted the attention of video cameras as the No. 1 Bruins prepared to face Washington State on Sunday afternoon.

The handwriting on their signs left something to be desired and their voices likely didn’t make it to the other side of the court, but their enthusiasm more than made up for it, as the elementary school students jumped up and down on the Collins Court bleachers.

Shouting their support for their team before the match had even started, the kids managed to stand still for the national anthem before going bananas during player introductions.

By all accounts, No. 1 UCLA had just as much fun playing this weekend as their young fans did watching, as they continued their run of dominant play with two more conference wins: against No. 10 Washington on Friday and Washington State on Sunday.

Sunday’s match allowed UCLA an opportunity to showcase its depth and give some younger players on the roster quality minutes.

Freshman outside hitter Priscilla Duke-Ezeji started the game for the Bruins and posted a team-best, career-high 14 kills against the Cougars.

“I feel good,” Duke-Ezeji said after Sunday’s game. “I don’t get to play a lot, so when I get in, I like to be able to help my team.”

“She’s great. We knew that she could play, and we can put her in any match we need to,” coach Michael Sealy added.

The Bruins were in the driver’s seat for the entirety of the match on Sunday ““ they never trailed the Cougars in three sets and kept their opponents from taking control of the game.

UCLA’s Friday match against Washington had a more intense, postseason atmosphere, with both teams making big plays as the momentum oscillated between the two squads for most of the contest.

The first set alone featured 12 ties and seven lead changes, but saw the Bruins come back to win the opener 28-26 after being down 19-14 to the Huskies at one point.

Junior outside hitter Rachael Kidder again led a balanced UCLA attack with 19 kills on Friday.

Junior outside hitter Tabi Love and freshman middle blocker Zoë Nightingale both reached double-figure kills as well with 12 and 10, respectively.

Kidder was glad the team was able to bounce back after their previous struggles against the Huskies.

“The team that lost to Washington was not us at all. We hadn’t played like that before and we haven’t played like that since,” she said.

Sealy thought the team reacted well under pressure against Washington, and noted the team’s growth since losing to Washington earlier in the year.

“We didn’t play great up in Seattle; they kind of manhandled us, and sometimes that gives them an emotional edge,” Sealy said. “It’s good to see us bounce back.”

The Bruins seized the momentum in the second set and didn’t give it up, going on to win 25-13.

The third set was a mirror image of the first, however, featuring 13 ties and five lead changes as Washington struggled to stay in the game.

UCLA stayed close with Washington, and on the third match point, closed out the Huskies on a combo block by Nightingale and freshman Megan Moenoa.

This week, the Bruins will prepare for their last road trip of the season to play Oregon and Oregon State. After that, their regular season will close with three home games.