It’s been a season-long motto for the Bruins to “level-up.”

Whether it was coach Kelly Inouye-Perez saying it or one of her 24 players, the mindset traveled from early season tournaments to the NCAA Los Angeles regional last weekend.

And with a trip to the Women’s College World Series in reach, that agenda hasn’t changed.

“It’s a continuous mindset of getting better every day,” said sophomore infielder Jordan Woolery. “Not being satisfied with where we’re at and also not going backward. Coach always tells us: ‘You can’t go back to a level you’ve already passed.’”

No. 6 seed UCLA softball (40-10, 17-4 Pac-12) will face off against No. 11 seed Georgia (43-17, 12-12 SEC) at the Los Angeles Super Regional in a best-of-three series beginning Thursday – a rematch of the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational contest between the two teams in February.

While the Bulldogs were victorious three months ago – tallying six runs on sophomore pitcher Taylor Tinsley and holding the Bruins to two – the Bruins have gone on a 37-6 run since, winning 11 straight heading into the super regional.

Over UCLA’s current 11-game winning streak – including the Pac-12 tournament and the LA regional – a key piece to the Bruins’ success has been the outfield’s defensive performance. The collective effort from graduate student outfielder Jadelyn Allchin, redshirt senior outfielder Janelle Meoño and sophomore utility Megan Grant have kept runners at bay.

Against Virginia Tech in the LA regional semifinal, both Meoño and Grant recorded assists – cutting down a go-ahead and insurance run on the base paths, respectively. Their play in the field stopped the Hokies in their tracks, allowing the Bruins to snatch a comeback victory.

“Coach Kirk (associate head coach Kirk Walker) is hitting some of the hardest balls I’ve ever seen and these guys are making insane plays in practice so that it comes up in the game super easily,” said senior utility Thessa Malau’ulu. “It’s props to their preparation as well.”

Woolery and Grant are part of the sophomore core of the Bruins’ roster that is experiencing its first super regional after last year’s defeat in the regional round.

The former said the journey over her two years in Westwood has driven their aspirations for more – a chance to play for a trip to Oklahoma City.

“It’s really cool that we get to experience supers for the first time and potentially get to go to OKC for the first time, especially with our strong senior class,” Woolery said. “It’s playing for them and not taking every day for granted, especially the seniors because we know this can be their last at any moment.”

For Inouye-Perez, however, the focus is directly on Georgia. She said the past is in the past as her team takes on the postseason one level at a time.

“Every weekend we’ve been leveling up,” Inouye-Perez said. “Last year’s team, as coach Wooden would say, ‘is as old as dirt.’ It’s in the past, we buried it.”