There is no party like a UCLA floor party.

And the Bruins have slowly turned up the music at the best show in Los Angeles.

Excluding its meet against Nebraska on Jan. 17, No. 5 UCLA gymnastics has improved its floor score every meet, culminating in a nation-leading 49.700 score against Washington on Saturday.

“Something that really stands out with UCLA’s floor parties is how much fun we are having, and it is just so natural,” said freshman Tiana Sumanasekera.

Floor remains the Bruins’ lowest-ranked event despite these improvements, coming in at No. 9 in the nation. Following a 2025 season in which UCLA led the nation on the apparatus, this year’s floor squad has room to grow in the 2026 rankings.

When asked about the team’s floor progress last week, head coach Janelle McDonald praised recent improvement.

“If we dial (the little details) in … floor is going to continue to be one of our strongest events,” McDonald said. “The placement does not quite show it yet, but I am actually pretty comfortable and confident with where floor’s at and where we are headed.”

Just a couple of days later, on Jan. 30, every gymnast in the floor lineup – including exhibitioners – delivered a mark that either matched or eclipsed their previous season highs. Senior Jordan Chiles notched a perfect 10 for the second-straight week.

The Bruins opened 2026 with three sub-49.200 floor tallies after only dipping below 49.375 once in 2025. This period of adjustment may have stemmed from the graduations of key floor performers, including 2025 NCAA Floor Exercise Champion Brooklyn Moors and lineup staples such as Chae Campbell and Olympian Emma Malabuyo.

Reliance on less experienced freshmen to fill the gaps may also account for the early-season floor inconsistency, with freshmen Ashlee Sullivan and Sumanasekera appearing in the lineup for all five meets this season. After opening 2026 with a pair of 9.775s, Sullivan has since scored a 9.825 or higher on all of her routines, including a career-high 9.950 last weekend.

However, young Bruins are not the only new faces in the lineup. Senior Ciena Alipio – who had previously competed as a beam specialist – stepped into the floor lineup this season and earned her first-career 9.900 against Washington.

“Ciena is one that I would mention that has trained floor throughout her time here, but she really is owning it now,” McDonald said. “It is cool to see the depth continue to grow and (watch) them fight for those opportunities.”

Similarly, Sydney Barros only performed three exhibition routines on floor before this season but has scored back-to-back 9.900s in 2026.

The junior has also found her stride on bars and beam, earning two scores of 9.900 or higher and a 9.850, respectively.

Many UCLA gymnasts have notched career-high numbers across the board despite lineup shake-ups from last season.

Now, it is up to the team to harness this momentum.

“It has been amazing, but it has also been hard because of how much you have to compete week-to-week,” Barros said. “But it is what I have always wanted. It is what I have been working for, and so it is a blessing, and to be under pressure like this is a privilege.”