This post was updated July 20 at 9:50 p.m.

As UCLA Athletics takes a break for the summer, professional sports are still in full swing, with many Bruins representing. Each week during the summer, Daily Bruin Sports will look at the standout performances of UCLA alumni, current athletes and future stars as we count down the days until fall.

Softball: Maya Brady, Madilyn “Bubba” Nickles-Camarena, Lisa Fernandez, Jadelyn Allchin, Megan Faraimo, Sharlize Palacios

Championship teams in most professional leagues have to endure a strenuous regular season along with a hard-fought postseason.

But the Athletes Unlimited Softball League is no ordinary league.

The Talons secured a finals bid 13 days before the scheduled AUSL championship series after the Volts lost 1-3 to the Blaze on July 12.

And the squad is receiving reinforcements just before the ultimate series.

Former UCLA softball utility Maya Brady joined two Bruin alumni – catcher Sharlize Palacios and pitcher Megan Faraimo – on the Talons’ roster Wednesday, holding the two-hole batting order spot in the lineup. The Thousand Oaks, California, local recorded two singles and a walk in her AUSL debut, contributing to the squad’s 4-1 victory over the Blaze.

But Brady showcased her power Thursday, recording three hits and blasting a two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth, plating the game-winning run in the Talons’ 5-4 victory against the Blaze. Through her seven plate appearances, the former Bruin has racked up five hits and two walks.

Brady’s Grade 2 hamstring strain during a scrimmage with the Toyota Medics in the Japan Diamond League in early April hampered her ability to play during the start of the AUSL season. The setback was a first for the two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year, who, prior to this spring, had never sustained an injury throughout her softball career.

The utility player recovered while attending USA Softball training camps in late June, as she’s one of five former Bruins on the United States Women’s National Team roster.

The 2023 Pac-12 Batting Champion replaced fellow Bruin alumnus outfielder Jadelyn Allchin, who the Talons assigned to the reserve athlete pool Wednesday.

And Brady may help the Talons, who sport a league-high 16 wins compared to just four losses, capture the inaugural AUSL championship.

The secret behind the Talons’ success is what defines many successful softball and baseball teams: quality hitting.

Talons’ coach Howard Dobson explains how the team’s plate approach focuses on using pitchers’ scouting reports to jump expected pitch windows. The unit doesn’t adhere to the “see ball, hit ball” plate standard that teaches batters to watch a pitch travel deep into the zone before swinging.

Instead of letting opposing pitchers set the tone, the Talons command counts.

And it’s this plate approach that has helped the Talons sport a league-high batting average, with runners in scoring position at a .355 mark.

UCLA associate coach and Talons general manager Lisa Fernandez enlisted Dobson to share his expertise with the Talons’ players, motivating the squad’s aggressive philosophy. Dobson served as an assistant coach at LSU from 2012 to 2024, helping achieve over a dozen individual hitting campaigns that broke program records while producing 13 All-Americans.

Yet, even dominant teams lose games.

Former UCLA outfielder-turned-assistant coach Madilyn “Bubba” Nickles-Camarena, who plays for the Bandits, may hold responsibility for the most recent Talons’ defeat, snapping their eight-game winning streak.

The Merced local boasted four hits in the Bandits’ 9-1 triumph over the Talons July 12, including two home runs and a double to plate four runs. The outfielder has recorded five of her six home runs against the Talons this season.

Nickles-Camarena faced fellow UCLA alumnus pitcher Megan Faraimo, who completed just two innings in her fifth start of the season, forfeiting six hits, four earned runs and two home runs.

But the Bandits still lost two contests against the Talons in their three-game series between July 11 and July 13.

Nevertheless, the Bandits need just one win over the Volts to capture a championship berth after defeating them 8-7 Thursday. The two squads have three games against each other from July 18 to July 20 to conclude their four-game series.

A potential title matchup between the Talons and Bandits – starring five of the seven UCLA alumni in the AUSL – may allow former Bruins to showcase their talents on softball’s biggest professional stage.

The AUSL three-game championship series is set to occur July 26 and July 27, with a possible third game scheduled for July 28.

Men’s volleyball: Hagen Smith

Mastering volleyball is difficult.

From learning the proper bumping technique to refining hitting skills, the demands of the sport are taxing.

But it helps when volleyball is a family tradition.

Former UCLA men’s volleyball setter Hagen Smith competed in the Association of Volleyball Professionals league last week at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles with his father, Sinjin Smith, cheering on the sidelines.

Sinjin Smith, a UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame inductee, captured a pair of men’s volleyball national championships in the 1970s but primarily excelled on the beach, achieving 139 AVP titles before retiring in 2001.

Now, he is watching his son perform in the same league.

Hagen Smith and his partner Logan Webber, won back-to-back contests July 11 and July 12 with the LA Launch. The duo boasts an undefeated record and sits atop the AVP standings.

The UCLA alumnus flashed his passing and defensive skillset, averaging a 98% passing clip across both affairs to help Webber sport 36 collective kills while racking up 11 combined digs.

But the setter also displayed his attacking prowess, recording 16 kills in the pair’s victory over the Palm Beach Passion’s Phil Dalhausser and Trevor Crabb on July 12. After dropping the first set, Hagen Smith and Webber persevered through the last two frames to post back-to-back 18-16 set victories.

The Pacific Palisades local helped spearhead the comeback with an eight-kill performance in the second frame on a .600 hitting percentage after posting a .000 clip in the first set.

Hagen Smith will return to AVP action Aug. 1 at the H-E-B Center in Austin, Texas.

Beach volleyball: Devon Newberry

Injuries open opportunities.

And UCLA beach volleyball alumnus Devon Newberry joined the San Diego Smash of the AVP to replace Toni Rodriguez, who suffered a shoulder injury June 6. Newberry competed in two matches last week at the Intuit Dome on July 11 and July 12.

The two-time All-Pac-12 selection performed in the AVP last year, partnering with fellow Bruin alumnus Jaden Whitmarsh to help capture third at the Denver Contender Series.

During this year’s AVP circuit Newberry is partnering with Geena Urango.

Although the duo got off to a shaky start, dropping a three-set affair to the LA Launch’s Terese Cannon and Megan Kraft on July 11, they responded in their second contest the following day.

Newberry and Urango boasted a multifaceted and efficient attack, each sporting 10 kills on .550-plus hitting clips to help cement their sweeping triumph over the Miami Mayhem women’s pair.

The Santa Monica local also showcased her defensive prowess, sporting seven combined individual solo blocks while racking up 11 collective digs across her first two outings.

And Newberry’s arrival to the San Diego Smash may elevate its chance to finish the season strong, with the squad currently boasting a 2-4 record and holding the fifth-place position in the women’s standings.

The San Diego pair will return to the court Saturday against Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie Wilkerson.