The Bruins’ NCAA tournament dreams teeter on the edge.

With an RPI that ranks 58th in the nation, the Bruins’ postseason could easily move out of reach if they don’t have a winning record by the time they return to Pauley Pavilion.

UCLA women’s volleyball (11-11, 5-8 Big Ten) is continuing its third set of away games, next facing Maryland (10-13, 1-11) on Saturday afternoon at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland.

With an opponent toward the cellar of the Big Ten standings, the matchup provides one of the Bruins’ best opportunities to get back to a winning record.

“I know they’ve been struggling in the Big Ten, but every team in the Big Ten is good,” said junior outside/opposite hitter Grayce Olson. “Their teams are pretty scrappy, so just staying in plays a little bit longer.”

After graduate student Audrey Pak sustained an undisclosed injury, the Bruins fell in straight sets in two matches against then-No. 10 Oregon and then-No. 21 USC.

However, in Pak’s return to the lineup Thursday, the setter delivered 29 assists and four kills en route to UCLA’s sweep over Rutgers – getting the Bruins back in the win column for the first time since Oct. 26.

One thing is for certain regardless of who’s on the front line: The Bruins are back in the gym, fine-tuning their game.

“We got to get back and learn how to pass the ball,” said coach Alfee Reft. “Every team’s doing it. We got to be more efficient in our trainings with making sure we’re hammering the right skills.”

Despite the Bruins sitting at 12th place in the Big Ten standings, the squad is 14th in blocks per set during conference play.

“We’ve been working a lot on our block and defense,” said junior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette. “Historically, we’ve been a great blocking team, and we’ve put a lot of emphasis on that in our gym and just getting more stuff blocks. I feel like the work we’ve been doing will definitely come to play with our blockers and our defenders behind us too.”

As the Bruins push toward a chance at their first NCAA appearance since 2022, the stakes are high. But, Leverette said it’s essential to remember what drives the team’s effort on the court.

“A lot of the seniors on this team, they only have 20 days of this lap,” Leverette said. “I think it comes back to playing for the reason that we started playing volleyball in the first place and playing for those girls and being selfless. When I think of who’s playing for the person next to me, it just relieves all the pressure off my shoulders.”