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UCLA women’s volleyball faces Iowa, Oregon in last shot at postseason hopes

Graduate student middle blocker Anna Dodson goes for a spike at Pauley Pavilion. Dodson was absent from UCLA women’s volleyball’s contest with Indiana on Friday because of illness, but she returned Saturday to post 14 kills against Illinois. (Tszshan Huang/Daily Bruin)

Women's Volleyball


Iowa
Wednesday, 7 p.m.

Pauley Pavilion
B1G+
No. 13 Oregon
Friday, 1:30 p.m.

Stadium or City
Peacock

By Gabriela Garcia

Nov. 26, 2024 8:36 p.m.

The Bruins’ last set of the regular season looms around the corner, possibly signaling the end of their 2024 season.

Returning home for its last two conference games, UCLA women’s volleyball (13-14, 7-11 Big Ten) is set to face Iowa (10-20, 4-14) and No. 13 Oregon (21-6, 13-5) on Wednesday and Friday, respectively, at Pauley Pavilion. With the Bruins below .500, these games are their last chances to push for a postseason berth.

In UCLA’s last pair of road games, the team was swept by Indiana but rebounded with a win against Illinois – winning in four sets after dropping the first.

Graduate student middle blocker Anna Dodson missed the match against the Hoosiers because of illness. In her absence, redshirt freshman middle blocker Brooklyn Briscoe got her first start since Nov. 2, recording a .357 hitting percentage and eight kills. Dodson returned to the Bruins’ lineup against the Fighting Illini, posting 14 kills and four blocks.

“(I’m) proud of our team, proud of our ladies for battling and staying in it. The Big Ten is no joke, and they keep coming back to the table and finding ways,” said coach Alfee Reft.

The Bruins have only seen the Hawkeyes twice in program history – winning both battles – but the schools haven’t met since September 2015.

With Iowa now in the same conference, UCLA will become familiar with the Hawkeyes’ outside hitter Malu Garcia, who is 28th in the Big Ten in kills per set with a 2.74 average. In high school, the Hilo, Hawaii, local was an Under Armour All-American. Hawkeye veteran outside hitter Michelle Urquhart nearly matches Garcia’s caliber, sitting at seventh in the Big Ten in service aces. This year, she has recorded 40 aces – or .36 per set – but she finished third in service aces and fourth in aces per set in the Big Ten in 2023.

Oregon, on the other hand, is a longtime conference foe, battling UCLA 46 times since 2000. The Bruins hold a 28-18 record against the Ducks but have lost to the Ducks in their last five games.

Their most recent match ended in a sweep Nov. 2 in Eugene, Oregon. However, UCLA was able to keep Oregon outside hitter Mimi Colyer – an All-Pac-12 team honoree the last two years – quiet for most of the night, only allowing her to post eight kills. The Lincoln, California, local is coming off six straight matches with double-digit kills and is currently ranked seventh in the Big Ten in kills per set, averaging 3.98. On the other hand, outside hitter Michelle Ohwobete was able to put up 15 kills, three aces and two blocks against the Bruins. Ohwobete is fresh off one of her most dominant performances against Michigan, in which she posted 12 kills, seven digs, two assists and two aces.

But the Bruins’ mentality stays the same no matter whom they’re facing.

“We don’t change, but we’re certainly always excited to get back home and get back to training,” Reft said.

The Bruins will kick off their home stand at 7 p.m. Wednesday night followed by Senior Day on Friday at 1:30 p.m.

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Gabriela Garcia
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