UCLA women’s volleyball 2019 lineup brings new and old players to empty positions
Sophomore transfer libero Kelli Barry transferred to UCLA from the University of San Diego after the 2018 season, and she has quickly established herself as a day-to-day starter at the position after former Bruin Zana Muno graduated in June. (Axel Lopez/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Coral Smith
Oct. 2, 2019 1:43 a.m.
The Bruins have a new look this season.
With Pac-12 play underway, UCLA women’s volleyball (7-4, 2-0 Pac-12) has started to solidify its day-to-day lineup, and it looks a lot different from last year’s.
Of the eight players who played in at least half of UCLA’s games last season, only three have played a set this year. Two graduated, two transferred and one is not playing this season, leaving the positions of libero, middle blocker and setter up for grabs for this year’s team.
To replace them, the Bruins have added two incoming transfers and have given bigger roles to last year’s reserves.
“There’s definitely tons of new players on the court, and some people are in different positions, just moving things around,” said junior outside hitter Mac May. “It’s kind of nice to have a different team, just start fresh and go into this season with a new slate because obviously last season wasn’t how we wanted it to go.”
Only five players played in every set for the Bruins in 2018, and three of them are no longer on the team. Former libero Zana Muno and middle blocker Kyra Rogers both graduated in June, leaving gaps in the starting rotation that needed to be filled.
Muno was a four-year starter and to replace her, coach Michael Sealy brought in sophomore Kelli Barry as a transfer from University of San Diego. Barry has played in every set this season, racking up 3.94 digs per set, which is good for seventh in the Pac-12.
Along with the spot that opened up when Rogers graduated, the other middle blocker spot was also vacated when then-junior Madeleine Gates transferred to Stanford at the end of last season. This year, redshirt sophomore Emily Ryan has taken over at the position, accompanied by redshirt sophomore Sabrina Smith and redshirt freshman Tristin Savage, who are splitting time at the position.
“We’re very inexperienced in the middle but between (Ryan, Smith and Savage), all three of those girls are really doing a great job,” Sealy said.
The setter position has also changed hands, as last year’s primary setter then-junior Kylie Miller transferred to the University of Minnesota. She was replaced by incoming senior transfer Cali Thompson, who was expected to handle most of the setting duties before spraining her ankle and missing three weeks. In her absence, the Bruins have used a two-setter offense with Devon Chang and Hawley Harrer, both being sophomores who didn’t play as much in 2018.
“Teams have different offenses and defenses, and I think being able to change it up on them is really important,” Barry said. “Then they won’t have a game plan against us. Sometimes things work, and sometimes things don’t, but if you don’t have options you never know.”
Sealy said while the changes in the lineup may seem drastic, most of the new starters were already on the team and practicing last season, so it was a much smoother transition than it would appear.
“If you think about it, well, we lost four people from last year’s team, but we only brought in two new people, so all those people were in the gym already,” Sealy said. “And for the others, we had all off-season to train with them, … so we had a nice little window to learn about each other.”
This new lineup will be tested this upcoming weekend when UCLA faces off against two top-25 Pac-12 teams, No. 24 Washington State and No. 8 Washington.
