After a slow start to the season, the Bruins are riding a wave of consecutive wins.

That wave could carry them to victory in Pauley Pavilion this Saturday, when No. 8 UCLA (4-2, 1-0 Big Ten) hosts No. 26 Illinois (3-1, 1-0) for the Bruins’ first home meet of the season.

“There’s always this Pauley magic, and there’s nothing like competing there,” said coach Janelle McDonald. “It’s just a really special environment.”

The Bruins face the opportunity to turn to Westwood with their heads held high following a sequence of two 197.550 team scores, which secured four wins for the squad.

UCLA continued its climb up the national rankings this past week and has landed the No. 3 spot on both beam and floor. Senior Emma Malabuyo earned a No. 3 national ranking on beam after she posted a 9.975 last week, which helped lead the Bruins to their highest beam ranking since 2019.

Malabuyo is joined in the individual national rankings by graduate student Brooklyn Moors and junior Jordan Chiles. Moors snatched a No. 2 ranking on floor, adding depth to the Bruin’s highest-scoring event, while Chiles’ No. 4 bars ranking could prove helpful in the team’s lowest ranked event.

Last weekend, the Bruins triumphed against Maryland in their first dual meet since joining the Big Ten, notching a score to match their new conference name. Chiles’ bars performance helped secure UCLA’s first perfect score of the season – adding a ninth tally to her record of perfection.

Moors will look to add another 10 to the list this weekend, which would mark the first of her career. Perfection may be within reach for Moors, who recorded floor scores of 9.900 or higher at all three competitions so far this season. Her 9.950 mark against Maryland was enough to win the event title and was named one of the Big Ten Event Specialists of the Week.

“I want to get a 10 on floor,” Moors said. “I’m doing literally everything I can to try to get that.”

But UCLA isn’t the only team trending upward. Illinois stumbled in its first competition of 2025 after posting a 194.175 at the Ball State Quad Meet. Illinois bounced back a week later and defeated No. 26 Nebraska at home after posting a 196.275 – over two points of improvement from its season opener.

UCLA printed a carbon copy of that exact pattern, following up its first meet loss with an increased score of over two points and a quad meet victory.

As the Bruins began to find their footing this season, their home city of Los Angeles suffered from devastating wildfires. Just as the team did the past two meets, the Bruins will continue to dedicate their performance to LA this weekend. UCLA Health is sharing some of that “Pauley magic” by donating 1,000 tickets to wildfire victims and first responders ahead of Saturday’s meet.

“We wanted to do something as far as making sure that we can try to bring joy to our community,” McDonald said. “I think being able to give tickets, and in a time that’s pretty tough for people, could put a smile on their face.”

All ticket proceeds for Saturday’s meet will be donated to individuals affected by the Southern California fires.

The meet will begin at 2 p.m. and will be broadcasted on Big Ten+.