Friday, October 6
Tucson, AZ
7:00 PM
UCLA
at
Arizona
L-r: Cheridyn Leverette, Peyton Dueck and Kate Lane (photo: Marie Goldfarb)
Photo by: Marie Goldfarb
UCLA to Play Arizona, Arizona State
October 04, 2023 | Women's Volleyball
LOS ANGELES โ The UCLA women's volleyball team travels to Arizona and No. 23 Arizona State for its first Pac-12 road trip this week. The Bruins (9-5, 1-3) play the Wildcats (5-10, 0-4) Friday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. (PT) in the McKale Center and the Sun Devils (15-1, 3-1) Sunday, Oct. 8 at 1 p.m. (PT) in Mullett Arena. UCLA-Arizona will be available for viewing on the Pac-12 Networks.
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UCLA (9-5, 1-3) at Arizona (5-10, 0-4)
Date: Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 โ 7 p.m. (PT)
Location: Tucson, Ariz. (McKale Center)
Television: Pac-12 Network
Talent: Brian Webber
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
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UCLA (9-5, 1-3) at No. 23 Arizona State (15-1, 3-1)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023 โ 1 p.m. (PT)
Location: Tempe, Ariz. (Mullett Arena)
Watch: ASU Live Stream
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
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First Serve
ยท UCLA is led by first-year head coach Alfee Reft who was announced as the program's fourth head coach on Dec. 19, 2022.
ยท Reft picked up his first home win last week with a sweep over Colorado on Sept. 29
ยท The Bruins played all 10 of their non-conference matches on the road and flew approximately 10,800 miles through the air.
ยท UCLA finished the preseason with an 8-2 record.
ยท Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye leads UCLA in kills (180), kills per set (3.21), points (213.0) and points per set (3.80). Ndiaye has reached double-digit kills in 11 out of 14 matches this year and leads UCLA's pin hitters with a .313 hitting percentage.
ยท Middle blocker Desiree Becker ranks third in the Pac-12 in total blocks (68) and sixth in blocks per set (1.21).
ยท Middle blocker Anna Dodson owns a team-high .362 hitting percentage and ranks fourth on the squad with 2.89 points per set.
ยท Libero Peyton Dueck stars in the Bruins' back row with a team-high 186 digs.
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Last Time Out
UCLA split its two home matches last week, defeating Colorado in straight sets on Sept. 29 and losing in straight sets to Utah on Oct. 1. Setter Ashley Mullen recorded the first double-double of her career in the Bruins' victory over the Buffaloes with 29 assists and 12 digs. Dodson and Becker combined for 14 kills at a .440 hitting percentage and nine blocks. A furious rally featuring five UCLA digs, one stuff and a dig kill by libero Peyton Dueck helped catapult the Bruins in set three. On the ensuing three plays, Cheridyn Leverette tallied two kills and a block assist to tie up the set and give UCLA the lead, 7-5.
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Immediate Impact
Becker has been one of the most valuable transfer additions in the Pac-12 this season. Two weeks ago versus USC, Becker recorded the fourth outing of her career with at least 10 kills and zero errors. The graduate transfer from Northwestern has tallied 4.0+ blocks in 11 of 14 matches this season. At Long Beach State on Sept. 2, Becker established a new career high in total blocks with 9.0 (two solo, seven assisted). Becker has also reached seven blocks in three other contests.
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Ndiaye of the Tiger
Ndiaye has now recorded four of the five highest single-match point totals in her career in this season alone. Entering this week, Ndiaye ranks top 10 in the Pac-12 in both total kills (t-7th - 180 K) and points (7th - 213.0 PTS). The Dallas, Texas native recorded the second 20-kill outing of her career in UCLA's season-opening match at LSU with 20 at a .444 clip on Aug. 25. She is the only Bruin on the active roster to have recorded a 20-kill performance. Her first such performance came last season versus Colorado on Oct. 2, 2022 when she racked a career-high 22 kills.
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In a Double-Double Mood
Ndiaye recorded the first two double-doubles of her career in back-to-back matches at Oklahoma on Sept. 16 (16 K, 12 D) and versus USC on Sept. 20 (16 K, 12 D). Those two dig totals mark the two highest of her career. With increased playing time and improved passing, Ndiaye is averaging 1.63 digs per set this season which more than triples her average over the previous three seasons (0.42).
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Non-Conference Recap
UCLA went 8-2 in its non-conference schedule with signature wins over LSU, Pepperdine and the-No. 23 Hawai'i โ all teams who appeared in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Bruins also defeated Long Beach State a week after the Beach took down reigning NCAA Champion Texas. UCLA put up 19.0 total blocks versus Long Beach State, its third-highest single-match blocking total over the last seven seasons.
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Reft Returns
Alfee Reft returned from his seasonal assistant coaching position with the U.S. Women's National Team last week and will be on the sidelines for his first Pac-12 road matches as head coach of the UCLA women's volleyball team. He returned to UCLA after helping Team USA finish the FIVB Road to 2024 Paris Olympic Qualifier with a 6-1 record. The national team punched its ticket with a 3-1 victory over Germany last Sunday. Reft serves UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer and Team USA Head Coach Karch Kiraly. In total, Reft has spent 12 years as both a player and coach on the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams. Reft will be with the Bruins for every match the remainder of the 2023 season.
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No. 500
UCLA middles Anna Dodson and Desiree Becker both achieved the 500th kills of their collegiate careers earlier this season. Dodson reached the milestone in the Bruins' second match of the season versus LSU on Aug. 26. Becker achieved the milestone in UCLA non-conference finale versus Oklahoma on Sept. 16. The two towers are both hitting above a .333+ rate through 14 matches.
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Paking a Punch
Pak has been a big block so far this season for the Bruins. Pak has recorded 4.0+ total blocks in four matches this year, setting a career high with 5.0 versus Hawai'i on Sept. 10. Pak provided a defensive spark in the beginning of set two versus the Rainbow Wahine with a solo block and block assist to push UCLA out to an early 4-1 lead. The Moraga, Calif. native is up to 24 total blocks over 44 sets played in 2023. Her previous season high was 3 blocks over three sets in 2021.
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Dueck Double-Double
Dueck earned the first double-double of her career and UCLA's first of the season versus Pepperdine on Sept. 7 with 22 digs and a career-high 12 assists. The 22 digs marked the most in her UCLA career. While competing at Cal Poly her freshman season in 2021, Dueck snuffed out 28 digs at Cal State Fullerton. The Aptos, Calif. native has led the Bruins in digs in 10 of 14 matches in 2023.
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Unleash the Dodson
Dodson recorded 12 total blocks in the Bruins' two matches last week with five versus Colorado and seven versus Utah. She enters this week hitting a team-high .362 percentage and has eclipsed .350 in eight of her 13 matches this season. At Long Beach State on Sept. 2, she notched her best performance of the year with 12 kills for an errorless .600 hitting percentage to go along with seven total blocks (3 BS, 4 BA) for 18.0 points.
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Arizona Series History
The Bruins lead the all-time series versus the Wildcats, 64-26, dating back to 1978. UCLA has won seven consecutive meetings with four of those victories coming in sweeps. UCLA last lost to Arizona in November 2018.
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Arizona State Series History
UCLA leads the all-time series versus Arizona State, 81-11, dating back to 1974. The Bruins have won 14 out of the last 15 meetings.
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A New Era in Westwood
Reft was hired in December 2022 as the fourth head coach in program history on Dec. 18, 2022. Reft came to UCLA after leading San Diego to its first-ever National Semifinal appearance in the NCAA Tournament in his third year as associate head coach. The Oxnard, Calif. native also brings Big Ten Conference experience to UCLA after serving as an assistant at the University of Illinois from 2018-19 and at the University of Minnesota from 2010-12. He accumulated a 68-32 conference record across both stints and reached the Final Four with the Fighting Illini in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
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Dodson the Defender
Dodson has led the Bruins in blocks in each of the last two seasons with 109 in her Fall 2021 campaign and 77 in 2022. The last Bruin to lead the team in blocks in three consecutive years was Zoë Nightingale who paced UCLA across the 2012-14 seasons. The Fort Collins, Colo. native enters her fourth season in Westwood averaging 0.90 blocks per set across her career.
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Notes on Ndiaye
UCLA's top returning attacker is Iman Ndiaye who ranked second on the team with 269 kills and third with 307.0 total points in 2022. Ndiaye reached double-digit kills on 14 occasions in 2022, including a career-best performance with 22 kills at a .421 clip (22-6-38) versus Colorado on Oct. 2. She is the only active UCLA player to have a 10-block match in their career. The Plano West High School product (Dallas) was an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention recipient last season. She was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Freshman Team in Spring 2021.
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UCLA (9-5, 1-3) at Arizona (5-10, 0-4)
Date: Friday, Oct. 6, 2023 โ 7 p.m. (PT)
Location: Tucson, Ariz. (McKale Center)
Television: Pac-12 Network
Talent: Brian Webber
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
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UCLA (9-5, 1-3) at No. 23 Arizona State (15-1, 3-1)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023 โ 1 p.m. (PT)
Location: Tempe, Ariz. (Mullett Arena)
Watch: ASU Live Stream
Live Stats: uclalivestats.com
ย
First Serve
ยท UCLA is led by first-year head coach Alfee Reft who was announced as the program's fourth head coach on Dec. 19, 2022.
ยท Reft picked up his first home win last week with a sweep over Colorado on Sept. 29
ยท The Bruins played all 10 of their non-conference matches on the road and flew approximately 10,800 miles through the air.
ยท UCLA finished the preseason with an 8-2 record.
ยท Outside hitter Iman Ndiaye leads UCLA in kills (180), kills per set (3.21), points (213.0) and points per set (3.80). Ndiaye has reached double-digit kills in 11 out of 14 matches this year and leads UCLA's pin hitters with a .313 hitting percentage.
ยท Middle blocker Desiree Becker ranks third in the Pac-12 in total blocks (68) and sixth in blocks per set (1.21).
ยท Middle blocker Anna Dodson owns a team-high .362 hitting percentage and ranks fourth on the squad with 2.89 points per set.
ยท Libero Peyton Dueck stars in the Bruins' back row with a team-high 186 digs.
ย
Last Time Out
UCLA split its two home matches last week, defeating Colorado in straight sets on Sept. 29 and losing in straight sets to Utah on Oct. 1. Setter Ashley Mullen recorded the first double-double of her career in the Bruins' victory over the Buffaloes with 29 assists and 12 digs. Dodson and Becker combined for 14 kills at a .440 hitting percentage and nine blocks. A furious rally featuring five UCLA digs, one stuff and a dig kill by libero Peyton Dueck helped catapult the Bruins in set three. On the ensuing three plays, Cheridyn Leverette tallied two kills and a block assist to tie up the set and give UCLA the lead, 7-5.
ย
Immediate Impact
Becker has been one of the most valuable transfer additions in the Pac-12 this season. Two weeks ago versus USC, Becker recorded the fourth outing of her career with at least 10 kills and zero errors. The graduate transfer from Northwestern has tallied 4.0+ blocks in 11 of 14 matches this season. At Long Beach State on Sept. 2, Becker established a new career high in total blocks with 9.0 (two solo, seven assisted). Becker has also reached seven blocks in three other contests.
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Ndiaye of the Tiger
Ndiaye has now recorded four of the five highest single-match point totals in her career in this season alone. Entering this week, Ndiaye ranks top 10 in the Pac-12 in both total kills (t-7th - 180 K) and points (7th - 213.0 PTS). The Dallas, Texas native recorded the second 20-kill outing of her career in UCLA's season-opening match at LSU with 20 at a .444 clip on Aug. 25. She is the only Bruin on the active roster to have recorded a 20-kill performance. Her first such performance came last season versus Colorado on Oct. 2, 2022 when she racked a career-high 22 kills.
ย
In a Double-Double Mood
Ndiaye recorded the first two double-doubles of her career in back-to-back matches at Oklahoma on Sept. 16 (16 K, 12 D) and versus USC on Sept. 20 (16 K, 12 D). Those two dig totals mark the two highest of her career. With increased playing time and improved passing, Ndiaye is averaging 1.63 digs per set this season which more than triples her average over the previous three seasons (0.42).
ย
Non-Conference Recap
UCLA went 8-2 in its non-conference schedule with signature wins over LSU, Pepperdine and the-No. 23 Hawai'i โ all teams who appeared in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The Bruins also defeated Long Beach State a week after the Beach took down reigning NCAA Champion Texas. UCLA put up 19.0 total blocks versus Long Beach State, its third-highest single-match blocking total over the last seven seasons.
ย
Reft Returns
Alfee Reft returned from his seasonal assistant coaching position with the U.S. Women's National Team last week and will be on the sidelines for his first Pac-12 road matches as head coach of the UCLA women's volleyball team. He returned to UCLA after helping Team USA finish the FIVB Road to 2024 Paris Olympic Qualifier with a 6-1 record. The national team punched its ticket with a 3-1 victory over Germany last Sunday. Reft serves UCLA Athletic Hall of Famer and Team USA Head Coach Karch Kiraly. In total, Reft has spent 12 years as both a player and coach on the U.S. Men's and Women's National Teams. Reft will be with the Bruins for every match the remainder of the 2023 season.
ย
No. 500
UCLA middles Anna Dodson and Desiree Becker both achieved the 500th kills of their collegiate careers earlier this season. Dodson reached the milestone in the Bruins' second match of the season versus LSU on Aug. 26. Becker achieved the milestone in UCLA non-conference finale versus Oklahoma on Sept. 16. The two towers are both hitting above a .333+ rate through 14 matches.
ย
Paking a Punch
Pak has been a big block so far this season for the Bruins. Pak has recorded 4.0+ total blocks in four matches this year, setting a career high with 5.0 versus Hawai'i on Sept. 10. Pak provided a defensive spark in the beginning of set two versus the Rainbow Wahine with a solo block and block assist to push UCLA out to an early 4-1 lead. The Moraga, Calif. native is up to 24 total blocks over 44 sets played in 2023. Her previous season high was 3 blocks over three sets in 2021.
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Dueck Double-Double
Dueck earned the first double-double of her career and UCLA's first of the season versus Pepperdine on Sept. 7 with 22 digs and a career-high 12 assists. The 22 digs marked the most in her UCLA career. While competing at Cal Poly her freshman season in 2021, Dueck snuffed out 28 digs at Cal State Fullerton. The Aptos, Calif. native has led the Bruins in digs in 10 of 14 matches in 2023.
ย
Unleash the Dodson
Dodson recorded 12 total blocks in the Bruins' two matches last week with five versus Colorado and seven versus Utah. She enters this week hitting a team-high .362 percentage and has eclipsed .350 in eight of her 13 matches this season. At Long Beach State on Sept. 2, she notched her best performance of the year with 12 kills for an errorless .600 hitting percentage to go along with seven total blocks (3 BS, 4 BA) for 18.0 points.
ย
Arizona Series History
The Bruins lead the all-time series versus the Wildcats, 64-26, dating back to 1978. UCLA has won seven consecutive meetings with four of those victories coming in sweeps. UCLA last lost to Arizona in November 2018.
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Arizona State Series History
UCLA leads the all-time series versus Arizona State, 81-11, dating back to 1974. The Bruins have won 14 out of the last 15 meetings.
ย
A New Era in Westwood
Reft was hired in December 2022 as the fourth head coach in program history on Dec. 18, 2022. Reft came to UCLA after leading San Diego to its first-ever National Semifinal appearance in the NCAA Tournament in his third year as associate head coach. The Oxnard, Calif. native also brings Big Ten Conference experience to UCLA after serving as an assistant at the University of Illinois from 2018-19 and at the University of Minnesota from 2010-12. He accumulated a 68-32 conference record across both stints and reached the Final Four with the Fighting Illini in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
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Dodson the Defender
Dodson has led the Bruins in blocks in each of the last two seasons with 109 in her Fall 2021 campaign and 77 in 2022. The last Bruin to lead the team in blocks in three consecutive years was Zoë Nightingale who paced UCLA across the 2012-14 seasons. The Fort Collins, Colo. native enters her fourth season in Westwood averaging 0.90 blocks per set across her career.
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Notes on Ndiaye
UCLA's top returning attacker is Iman Ndiaye who ranked second on the team with 269 kills and third with 307.0 total points in 2022. Ndiaye reached double-digit kills on 14 occasions in 2022, including a career-best performance with 22 kills at a .421 clip (22-6-38) versus Colorado on Oct. 2. She is the only active UCLA player to have a 10-block match in their career. The Plano West High School product (Dallas) was an All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention recipient last season. She was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and All-Freshman Team in Spring 2021.
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Players Mentioned
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