Down two sets to none, the Bruins were on the brink of gifting the Golden Bears their first win in 50 conference matches.

But they swiftly flipped the script.

UCLA women’s volleyball (14-10, 8-7 Pac-12) reverse swept California (7-18, 0-15) on Thursday at Pauley Pavilion. The victory marked the Bruins’ fourth straight win, and the team’s first time this season with an above-.500 record in conference play. On the opposing side, the Golden Bears suffered their 50th straight conference loss, although they did bring their total number of sets won against Pac-12 foes this season from six to eight.

Nevertheless, the win wasn’t a pretty path for the blue and gold. An early five-point Bruin lead in the first set was squashed by a 7-2 run by the Golden Bears to even the score at 17-17 before the northern California team eventually took the first set 25-23.

Redshirt junior middle blocker Anna Dodson – who led the Bruins in kills in the set with five – said the lost lead was because of early errors.

“Our first touch, our passing was a little off in the first couple of sets,” Dodson said.

Continuing its momentum, Cal took the first three points of the second set, a lead it only expanded as the frame continued, growing to nine after 25 points of play. And the tide never turned. Bruin errors and Golden Bear blocks dominated the remainder of the second set, as Cal took the set at 25-15 – the Bruins’ largest deficit in a lost set since Oct. 28.

Despite getting 13 kills to Cal’s 12 in the second set, UCLA hit .232 lower with a team-high eight attack errors.

“Their team is really offensive and has some great hitters,” Dodson said. “We just needed to recognize that and adjust to it.”

An attack error and miscommunication from the Bruins opened up the third set to give the Golden Bears a two-point lead once again. But a kill from junior outside hitter/opposite Iman Ndiaye got the first point for UCLA, and this time, the team did not let up pressure, knotting the score at 3-3 before taking the lead at 4-3.

A back-and-forth affair followed before two Cal service errors, two service aces by graduate student outside hitter/opposite élan McCall and two more kills by Ndiaye allowed UCLA to snatch set three 25-18.

The blue and gold took the set on the back of five kills and a dig from sophomore outside hitter/opposite Charitie Luper, who ended the match with 15 kills and 12 digs, her fifth double-double of the season.

Coach Michael Sealy credited the Bruin comeback to a reset.

“Let’s just start over,” Sealy said. “(We) don’t need to push. It wasn’t about making miraculous plays. It’s just about making good volleyball plays.”

Two straight UCLA points started the fourth set out, as the blue and gold began to find its stride in an attempt for an equalizer. Nevertheless, Cal matched every lead that UCLA tried to pull away with until a kill by Dodson gave the Bruins the boost they needed to go on an 11-3 run, eventually taking the set 25-21 off a Golden Bear error to send the match to a decisive fifth frame.

The two-set comeback came from UCLA correcting its earlier errors, Dodson said.

“We really got that tuned up in the last three sets,” Dodson said. “That was really great to see and see us make that change. We also did a better job of running our offense and system and getting up some better hands-on blocking.”

With one set left in the match, the Golden Bears closed a three-point Bruin lead to tie at 6-6, but a kill from Luper kept Cal from moving in front. A failed challenge brought the teams within one point, but a slew of kills by McCall gave five points to the Bruins, only interrupted by an ace from Dodson. The flurry of attacks allowed the blue and gold to clinch the set – and the match – 15-8.

McCall ended the match with a team-high 17 kills and three service aces, alongside 10 digs for her eighth double-double of the season.

Sealy said the Bruin comeback was imperative to seeing the team’s mindset.

“It’s huge,” Sealy said. “Every pro team out there with professionals is going to have that same situation out there – it’s just not your night. It’s not working. … The girls did a good job refocusing after set two and finding a way to play our game again.”

With the reverse sweep complete, UCLA will look to extend its winning streak Saturday at 4:30 p.m, as the team readies itself for a rematch with No. 8 Stanford in Pauley Pavilion.