On the road again.

UCLA women’s volleyball (4-1) continues its time on the road, traveling to face Utah State (0-5) on Wednesday, No. 25 BYU (4-1) on Friday and Utah (4-2) on Sunday, at Wayne Estes Center, Smith Fieldhouse and Jon M. Huntsman Center, respectively.

The Bruins are coming off a pair of sweeps at Miami – a welcome result after falling to No. 3 Kentucky (5-1) in straight sets Sept. 2.

Coach Matt Werle will be facing familiar foes in the three Utah squads.

“He (Utah State’s head coach) was one of my assistants for a long time,” Werle said. “I actually officiated his wedding, so it’ll be fun to go up against a buddy of mine, and I’m very familiar with BYU as well. Smith Fieldhouse is an amazing environment to play in, and then wrapping up the weekend at Utah.”

He’s not the only one returning to familiar ground.

Back in the era of the Pac-12, UCLA and Utah faced each other often. In 2023, the Bruins were swept before winning the second matchup of the season 3-1.

Last season, Utah was eliminated from the NCAA tournament in a five-set thriller against Northern Iowa. So far in the 2026 campaign, the Utes swept their first four matches before falling 2-3 to Long Beach State and 1-3 to No. 2 Pittsburgh.

BYU fared the same against Pittsburgh, then bounced back to sweep Boise State. And Utah State has yet to secure its first win after playing in two tournaments with one ranked match of their own against the Wildcats.

Sophomore right side hitter Mija Bendziute said the team’s connection has helped them find success early in the season.

“Our group is so tight knit – that helps our connection on the court so much more,” she said. “The coaches have a huge factor in that – they have the perfect balance of toughness and fun – and we learn so much from them.”

Bendziute had a career-high 10 kills against Miami on Sept. 5, hitting at a .474 clip. In the match prior, she recorded two aces and four blocks.

Fifth-year middle blocker Marianna Singletary recorded two aces – a season best – in the second matchup with the Canes. Singletary has been a steady presence in the front, accumulating 46 kills and 31 blocks so far in the 2026 campaign. But her impressive skillset isn’t the only thing she brings to the court.

“Mari after that match (Kentucky) came up to Maggie Li and she just wanted to pick her brains of how she can try to help more and how she could help Maggie get out of her own way when stuff starts to unfold for her,” Werle said. “Mari has the experience to take on a little bit more of that leadership role, she’s really stepping into it, and when she wants to turn it on, she can turn it on.”

Juniors Kate Duffey and Ava Sarafa have both seen time on the court as the Bruins’ primary setter. Duffey – the 2025 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award winner – tallied 92 assists across the first three matches of the season. Nearly half of Sarafa’s 86 total assists throughout the season came in the Sept. 5 match against Miami, when she posted 40 across the three sets.

Freshman Vivian Hickman has been helping hold down the back line as a defensive specialist. She’s totalled 41 digs thus far in her collegiate debut season alongside six service aces.

After the upcoming trio of outings in the Beehive State, the Bruins only have three more stops before their return to Westwood.

“I honestly love being on the road,” said sophomore outside hitter Ava Utterback. “Us being on the road will be an advantage toward Big Ten play because we’ll be used to it by then. Getting that experience is going to be really good for us.”