UCLA women’s volleyball shows resilience in win against UC Davis

Despite having to come back from a first-set loss, the Bruins pulled out a season-opening victory.

Then-No. 18 UCLA women’s volleyball (1-0) defeated UC Davis (0-3) in four sets Sunday afternoon in Davis, kicking off the season after a four month break following its final game of the 2020-2021 season in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The Bruins trailed the Aggies for the entirety of the first set, falling behind by as many as four points before eventually dropping the game 21-25. UCLA ended the set with 12 kills and five errors, while allowing UC Davis to reel in 16 kills of its own.

Throughout the match, the Aggies outhit the Bruins by 20 points, recording a hitting percentage of .302 to UCLA’s .282.

Graduate student outside hitter/opposite Mac May said she recognized the challenges the team faced in finding a rhythm early on, but said there are important lessons they can learn from the match moving forward.

“We couldn’t get the serve receive down,” May said. “Once we got that down, the setting was the next thing we had to tackle and from there, the attacking – and so I think we just need to get mentally prepared before the match to come in and start firing from the beginning.”

While May hit .143 when the Aggies held a 23-18 advantage the first set, she was able to finish out the match with a with a .226 mark.

In the second set, UCLA led by as many as six points before UC Davis managed to jump out in front 23-22. Similarly, in the third set, the Bruins held a 14-11 lead before the Aggies tied the set at 23 points apiece.

Although UCLA went on to win the final three sets, coach Michael Sealy said his team exhibited apparent first game jitters, but still commended its ability to resist UC Davis’ late-set comebacks.

“I know in set two we actually had a pretty big lead and gave it up, so it took a bit of resiliency to earn those points back,” Sealy said. “We knew going in it was going to be a nervous kind of match. It’s just a question of being able to execute when we are feeling a little nervous.”

This season, UCLA gained a new addition in graduate student setter Shelby Martin from Kansas State, who earned the role as the team’s starting setter. Martin was the team’s only setter in the match’s lineup and recorded 46 total assists.

Martin said although she was nervous wearing the blue and gold for the first time, she has enjoyed her experience with the team thus far.

“My favorite part about playing with UCLA is really just the team itself,” Martin said. “Everyone has been so inclusive, so welcoming and really accepting me as part of the team.”

Before taking over as coach of the Aggies, Dan Conners played volleyball with the Bruins and was also a member of Sealy’s coaching staff. Sealy said he had high praise for his former coworker’s program.

“I am just so impressed with what he (Conners) has done up here,” Sealy said. “It’s a great program. They are a gutsy team and they are well disciplined, so you know he’s doing a great job coaching.”

UCLA’s next match up will be against Long Beach State on Thursday at 7 p.m.