This post was updated Feb. 6 at 11:16 p.m.

Several Bruins are returning home this weekend despite competing away from Pauley Pavilion.

As one of the two undefeated Big Ten programs remaining, No. 6 UCLA (6-2, 3-0 Big Ten) will face Washington (1-6, 0-3) on Friday at the Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.

Coach Janelle McDonald, freshman Macy McGowan and assistant coach BJ Das are all from Seattle, while junior Jordan Chiles hails from Vancouver, Washington. Das is also a Washington alumnus and competed with the Huskies from 2003 to 2004.

“It’s pretty exciting that we have a couple student-athletes and a couple coaches that have a lot of roots up in the Pacific Northwest,” McDonald said. “To be able to go back home per se and compete in front of our family and friends, it’s going to add a little bit more special feelings to the competition.”

Unlike other opponents in the Big Ten, Washington is a familiar foe for UCLA. As two former members of the Pac-12 conference, the Huskies and Bruins have met 18 times throughout their history, with UCLA holding the all-time record of 15-3.

Washington’s most recent victory over UCLA came in 2020 at Pauley Pavilion, when the Huskies upset the Bruins – the then-No. 3 team in the nation – after three falls on beam resulted in UCLA’s lowest team score on any event since 2011.

Entering the contest, UCLA is ranked No. 7 on beam. However, the Bruins’ beam score has gradually sunk across the last three meets. Last week, senior Emma Malabuyo – who ranks No. 4 nationally on the apparatus – was the only gymnast in the lineup to reach the 9.900 mark.

“We have not put all four together yet as a team, and we’re still able to put up these scores and still have that resilience and fight,” said graduate student Chae Campbell. “Each meet is a confidence builder that we’re on the right track, and once we put it together, we’re going to be unstoppable.”

While UCLA has yet to find consistency on the beam, the event is statistically Washington’s best. The Huskies are ranked No. 18 nationally on beam and earned a season-high 49.150 last week against then-No. 18 Minnesota, also earning season-highs on vault and bars, notching 48.850 on both events.

UCLA’s season-highs on vault and floor last weekend contributed to its comeback victory over No. 5 Michigan State. The Bruins’ 49.350 on vault was the team’s fifth consecutive season-high on the event. Meanwhile, their nation-high 49.800 mark on floor is the program’s highest total on the event since 2020.

“It shows what we’re capable of,” said graduate student Brooklyn Moors – who leads the nation on floor. “We could do better, honestly. The really exciting part is we haven’t hit our max yet, and we can bring more.”

UCLA has the ability to continue its undefeated conference streak and find consistency across all four events Friday.