Making their way to Texas, the Bruins shook off the dust and put on their boots.

UCLA women’s volleyball (5-2) traveled to Fort Worth, Texas, as it participated in the Fight in the Fort, facing off against Prairie View A&M (2-8), Texas A&M-Commerce (2-7) and No. 25 TCU (5-2). In the end, the Bruins walked away with two wins Thursday and a loss Friday.

UCLA swept both A&M schools, limiting them to 18 points or less in each set.

New and old faces alike rose to the occasion, with the team consistently hitting at a .362 hitting percentage across both matches.

“We have had a lot of people that contributed,” said coach Alfee Reft. “We played two matches, and we saw a lot of people play.”

During their first match Thursday, the Bruins were powered by three-time All-Pac-12 graduate student Anna Dodson. The middle blocker delivered a match-high 14 kills while hitting at a.545 clip. Dodson also made a significant impact on defense, falling just one block short of a double-double.

The Bruins’ defense was equally formidable, holding the Panthers to a – 0.12 hitting percentage.

Junior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette reached double figures in kills for the fifth consecutive match. In the final set, the Bruins posted a hitting percentage of .409, cruising to a 25-11 win – their largest margin of victory this season.

Thursday afternoon was no different as the Bruins secured their second win of the trip.

Against the Lions, the Bruins continued their strong attacking performance, hitting over .300 for the third straight match. Freshman outside hitter Kiki Horne led the way with 14 kills and a .355 hitting percentage as the team collectively hit .378 with only nine attack errors. Junior opposite hitter Grayce Olson also reached double figures with 10 kills at a .409 clip.

“We do a really good job of understanding the hitting tendencies and speaking with the block coaches,” Olson said.

Thursday’s double-header prepared UCLA for its matchup against TCU where they lost 3-1 – the Bruins’ second defeat against a ranked opponent of the season.

The Horned Frogs delivered an early wake-up call to the Bruins in the first set and continued to reestablish control throughout, limiting the Bruins to a hitting percentage of .228 across the match – far lower than Thursday’s matches.

A brief 3-0 run by the Bruins brought them closer, narrowing the gap to four in the opening set. However, their comeback efforts fell short as the Frogs secured the set 25-19, holding the Bruins to a .143 hitting percentage.

The Bruins won the second set 25-23, but their efforts were not enough to ultimately beat the Frogs. In the third set both teams traded set points in a closely fought frame. Throughout the back-and-forth play, neither side could pull ahead by more than three points. Leverette and Horne continuously exchanged kills until UCLA gained a slight edge with a two-point lead at 23-21. However, TCU surged in the final moments, scoring three straight points to clinch the set point.

TCU edged out UCLA in the third and fourth sets – to scores of 28-26 and 25-21, respectively – as the Frogs eclipsed the Bruins in hitting percentage by .092 points in the third set and .110 points in the fourth.

TCU outside hitter Melanie Parra stole the show, notching 33 kills, nine digs and two service aces all while hitting at a .373 clip.

“I think our fight against them was there, and we tried our best, but their outside was really good,” said graduate student setter Audrey Pak.