It takes time for teams to find their rhythm.

But for the Bruins, it is second nature.

No. 1 UCLA beach volleyball (11-2) will glide 18 miles along the California coast to Manhattan Beach, California, in the East Meets West Invitational on Friday and Saturday. The Bruins will face No. 8 Arizona State (10-0), No. 12 LSU (10-4), No. 5 Texas (7-3) and FIU (5-4, 0-1).

Redemption has been the underlying theme for the Bruins this season. After a 3-2 start in their first tournament in Hawai‘i, the Bruins swept their next eight games. UCLA’s success may be attributed to its home-court comfort, but the team’s communication and spirit may have also factored into its winning streak.

“Coming off of Hawai‘i, where we lost two games, we just wanted to really prove to everybody that we’re the best team out there,” said redshirt sophomore Kaley Mathews.

UCLA’s first matchup this weekend will likely test the team’s resilience.

Arizona State has held itself to a high standard. With an undefeated record in the books, the closest the squad came to defeat was a 3-2 victory against crosstown rival Arizona. Ava Kirunchyk and Samaya Morin are the Sun Devils’ court one duo – one of three Sun Devil pairings that boast an 10-0 record.

Similar to UCLA, LSU has also struggled away from home.

The Tigers lost against three top-ten teams in the nation – then-No. 1 Stanford, then-No. 10 California and then-No. 3 USC – last weekend. LSU has switched up its rotations this season, and its leading pairs are composed mostly of underclassmen.

Challenging the status quo is also a part of the Bruins’ game plan.

“We’ve got people who can block and defend,” said coach Jenny Johnson Jordan. “That’s why we made so many switches, because we want to try different things until we find out what the right thing is for our team.”

After UCLA’s clean sweep against Texas in its first matchup, the Longhorns have the opportunity to avenge themselves. The Bruins are 3-0 all-time against the Longhorns. However, the Austin bunch went 2-1 against three ranked teams this past weekend at Mapes Beach, including wins over then-No. 16 Grand Canyon and then-No. 18 Washington.

UCLA’s final opponent, FIU, has yet to play a top-10 team this season. With nine games in the books, the Panthers have lost four of them. Similar to Texas, UCLA has yet to lose to FIU, boasting an 11-0 historical record against the Panthers.

“We’re just getting better every single day,” said sophomore Alexa Fernandez. “We’re pushing each other more than anyone knows.”