This post was updated Oct. 1 at 12:12 a.m.

A team full of new players will have its growing pains.

But it is only a matter of time before a fresh squad reaches its growth spurt.

And No. 24 UCLA women’s volleyball (8-4, 2-0 Big Ten) proved that those pains do not last forever, defeating Ohio State (3-7, 0-2) in a five-set thriller at the Covelli Center, before upsetting the reigning national champions No. 16 Penn State (7-5, 1-1) in four sets at Rec Hall in University Park. The Bruins are 2-0 to begin conference play for the first time since 2021.

The Nittany Lions have recorded just three home losses across the last two seasons, but the pandemonium at Rec Hall was not enough to stymie the Bruin defense, a force that registered 21 block assists.

“Talk about a gutsy weekend,” said coach Alfee Reft. “It’s a tough group. They keep steering through adversity, and they’re staying in it. The resilience is pretty remarkable, and it’s fun to watch the growth that’s happening very quickly with this team.”

After dropping a tightly contested first set 25-22, UCLA opened the second set on a 5-1 run – a stanza where the team produced 15 kills, five of them coming from freshman outside hitter Eliana Urzua. The squad also embraced a defensive approach to help tie the match, posting three collective blocks throughout the second frame.

Although UCLA’s second set win gave the squad momentum, it never relented; the contest did not come without a battle. There were 17 tied points across the final two sets.

Senior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette led the attacking charge with a team-high and individual season-high 20 kills, giving her four straight double-digit kill performances.

“She was cleaning up for us today,” Reft said. “In a lot of tough situations, she took some big swings that turned the tide of the match.”

Despite the block party, the Bruins had trouble limiting Penn State outside hitter Kennedy Martin, who sported 34 kills on a .403 hitting percentage. However, the Bruins stifled the rest of the Nittany Lion attack, posting 66 digs and limiting the rest of the squad who posed more than one attempt to sub-.300 hitting clips. Sophomore defensive specialist/libero Lola Schumacher anchored the back row with a season-high 24 digs.

“It was just one swarm of blue coming after our opponents … and we all had tunnel vision,” Leverette said. “The fans get kind of crazy in this venue (Rec Hall), but we didn’t care. We wanted to silence the crowd and create our own energy on our side, and that’s what we did.”

The squad’s energy was prominent upon entering Rec Hall, after coming away with a back-and-forth victory at the Covelli Center, with the Bruins hitting the hardwood defensively and the attack relying on an aggressive and hard-hitting approach.

Against the Buckeyes, sophomore setter Kate Duffey orchestrated the offense, posting a career-high 53 assists to help lead the Bruins to a .258 hitting percentage. Urzua commanded the net with her second 20-kill game of the season on a .381 clip, while also showcasing her defensive prowess, notching five digs and two blocks.

The Bruins mustered an early scoring run in the fifth set, jumping out to a 10-4 lead that senior outside hitter Carly Hendrickson helped spearhead with back-to-back aces. But the Bruins committed three-straight attacking errors, allowing the Buckeyes to record six-straight points later in the stanza.

Just as the team responded to early-season struggles, the Bruins rallied together and scored four of the frame’s final five points to seal their victory against the Buckeyes.

The Bruins concluded their 12 consecutive road matches to begin the season and will return home to Westwood after the five weeks away. Although traveling can be exhausting, the squad benefited from the time together on the road.

“Traveling really bonded us as a team,” Urzua said. “I got closer to girls, and that translates into our play as well, having to do with trust.”

As the Bruins continue to grow their identity, they will finally have the opportunity to do so at home.