UCLA women’s volleyball sweeps Washington in upset win

The Bruins started October with a loss to the Huskies.

They ended the month with a win over their Pacific Northwest foe.

No. 16 UCLA women’s volleyball (17-3, 10-2 Pac-12) swept No. 8 Washington (16-4, 9-3) in Pauley Pavilion on Sunday afternoon. The Huskies reverse-swept the Bruins the last time they faced each other in Seattle on Oct. 1.

In that early October match, UCLA was missing starting freshman outside hitter/opposite Charitie Luper, who contributed 13 kills Sunday afternoon.

Both teams entered Halloween tied in the Pac-12 standings with a 9-2 conference record. With the win, the Bruins took sole claim of first place while the Huskies fell to second following their first loss in 10 matches.

The Pac-12 match started with a tip kill by Luper on the outside, who said she saw the spot open before her approach.

“I was seeing the court today,” Luper said. “I was seeing what I had open and what I didn’t have open.”

Washington out-blocked UCLA in Seattle while the Bruins out-aced the Huskies. In Westwood, however, the reverse occurred. UCLA finished with nine blocks and two aces, and Washington had six blocks and three aces.

The Huskies recorded two service aces within the first 10 points of the match, but coach Michael Sealy said the Bruins passed well overall which counteracted the road team’s block.

“We were in system more often,” Sealy said. “The balls that we did get blocked on, our hitters were trying to drag it down and hit too hard to the floor, where you have to actually attack higher and flatter at the hands.”

After the first set ended 25-21, the Bruins held on to the advantage except for one tied score in the third set at 1-1.

The top Washington blockers, middle blockers Lauren Sanders and Marin Grote, average 1.42 and 1.06 blocks per set, respectively, and Washington’s top libero clocks in at 2.78 digs per set. UCLA’s top two middle blockers average 1.07 and 1.05 blocks per set while senior libero/defensive specialist Zoe Fleck records 4.23 digs per set.

By the match’s conclusion, however, Sanders and Grote finished with four and two blocks, respectively. The Bruins’ top blockers found six and three.

“We took advantage of our quick arm swings and tried to tire (the blockers) out to help us,” senior outside/opposite hitter élan McCall said.

The Bruins swung at .330, almost triple the hitting percentage of the Huskies – who had three players hitting below zero.

Luper said she defended further back according to Sealy’s game plan because she knew her opponent’s tendencies.

“(The Huskies are) known for just blasting high hands and the ball goes deep, so I can get those hard-driven balls off the hands,” Luper said.

UCLA finished with same number of digs as Washington’s total number of kills. The Huskies surpassed 20 points in the first and third set, but the Bruins eventually finished off both sets.

“We were like, ‘Every single point we’re going to work as hard as we can and we’re going to do as much as we can to win,’” McCall said. “We went out and did that.”