Sunday, September 28
University Park, PA
9:00 AM (PT)
UCLA
8-4,2-0Big Ten
3
at
1
No. 15 Penn State
7-5,1-1Big Ten
1
2
3
4
F
UCLA
22
25
25
25
3
Penn St.
25
19
23
23
1
Photo by: Jake Cammarata
UCLA Topples No. 15 Penn State to Cap Perfect Big Ten Weekend
September 28, 2025 | Women's Volleyball
UNIVERSITY PARK, Penn. โย UCLA women's volleyball delivered a signature win on Sunday afternoon, toppling defending national champion No. 15 Penn State inside Rec Hall to complete a flawless opening weekend of Big Ten play.
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Set scores were 22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-23.
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Winners of seven of its last eight contests, UCLA (8-4, 2-0 Big Ten) earns its first ranked win of the season by handing Penn State (7-5, 1-1 Big Ten) just its third home defeat in the last two seasons.
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The Bruins hit .264 as a team with setter Kate Duffey orchestrating the offense nearly to perfection, handing out 47 assists in the contest. The Ventura, Calif. native also tallied seven digs, two blocks, and one kill.
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Outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette dropped a team-high 20 kills in an excellent performance from the 2024 AVCA All-American. Leverette was highly efficient, hitting at a .340 clip.
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Freshman Eliana Urzua delivered the finishing blow for UCLA, capping off her 16-kill showing with a delicate tip. She enjoyed her first career double-double, racking up 14 digs on the defensive end.
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UCLA's middle blockers were highly impactful as Brooklyn Briscoe knocked down a career-high 10 kills (.533) in the best offensive display of her career while Marianna Singletary was dominant at the net, accounting for seven of UCLA's 11 total blocks.
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Libero Lola Schumacher was terrific defensively, totaling 24 digs, her most in the Blue and Gold.
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UCLA opened the set with two early kills from Briscoe, sparking a 6-4 lead before Penn State surged ahead. The Bruins responded with a dominant 6-0 run fueled by Singletary's blocks and Leverette's swing to take a 13-10 edge. The Nittany Lions countered with a 6-1 burst to reclaim the lead at 16-14, but UCLA tied it again behind an Urzua kill and Singletary ace. A late 3-0 Penn State run pushed them ahead 20-18, and despite UCLA tying it at 22-all, Penn State closed the set with another 3-0 run. Martin led the charge with an impressive 11 kills in the frame.
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UCLA carried its momentum into the second set with a strong 5-1 start, powered by Briscoe's two kills and two blocks. The Bruins extended their lead to 13-6 after a 4-0 run capped by an Anastasija Ivkovic kill. Urzua added a key block and capitalized on an overpass to keep UCLA rolling. Penn State responded with a 4-0 run to narrow the gap, prompting a timely timeout from Head Coach Alfee Reft. UCLA maintained control throughout, never trailing in the set, and leveled the match behind Urzua's dominant five-kill performance.
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UCLA opened the third set with a 4-1 burst, but Penn State responded to edge ahead 12-11. Leverette's back-to-back kills swung the momentum back to UCLA at 14-13, though the hosts regained control at 18-16. The Bruins clawed back to tie it at 22-all, then won a gritty rally capped by a Singletary kill to go up 23-22. Leverette sealed the frame with her eighth and ninth kills of the frame, delivering set point in dramatic fashion.
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UCLA continued its strong play in the fourth set, jumping out to an 8-5 lead capped by a block from Ivkovic and Singletary. Duffey's dump kill extended the margin to 12-9, and the Bruins built a 17-13 cushion before the Nittany Lions rallied to even the score at 17-all. Leverette delivered three clutch kills to help UCLA pull away, and Urzua sealed the deal with back-to-back finishes, one for set point and the other to clinch the match.
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UCLA will return to Los Angeles, Calif. for its home opener against No. 10 Purdue on Thursday, Oct. 2. The contest will broadcast on Big Ten Network.
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Set scores were 22-25, 25-19, 25-23, 25-23.
ย
Winners of seven of its last eight contests, UCLA (8-4, 2-0 Big Ten) earns its first ranked win of the season by handing Penn State (7-5, 1-1 Big Ten) just its third home defeat in the last two seasons.
ย
The Bruins hit .264 as a team with setter Kate Duffey orchestrating the offense nearly to perfection, handing out 47 assists in the contest. The Ventura, Calif. native also tallied seven digs, two blocks, and one kill.
ย
Outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette dropped a team-high 20 kills in an excellent performance from the 2024 AVCA All-American. Leverette was highly efficient, hitting at a .340 clip.
ย
Freshman Eliana Urzua delivered the finishing blow for UCLA, capping off her 16-kill showing with a delicate tip. She enjoyed her first career double-double, racking up 14 digs on the defensive end.
ย
UCLA's middle blockers were highly impactful as Brooklyn Briscoe knocked down a career-high 10 kills (.533) in the best offensive display of her career while Marianna Singletary was dominant at the net, accounting for seven of UCLA's 11 total blocks.
ย
Libero Lola Schumacher was terrific defensively, totaling 24 digs, her most in the Blue and Gold.
ย
UCLA opened the set with two early kills from Briscoe, sparking a 6-4 lead before Penn State surged ahead. The Bruins responded with a dominant 6-0 run fueled by Singletary's blocks and Leverette's swing to take a 13-10 edge. The Nittany Lions countered with a 6-1 burst to reclaim the lead at 16-14, but UCLA tied it again behind an Urzua kill and Singletary ace. A late 3-0 Penn State run pushed them ahead 20-18, and despite UCLA tying it at 22-all, Penn State closed the set with another 3-0 run. Martin led the charge with an impressive 11 kills in the frame.
ย
UCLA carried its momentum into the second set with a strong 5-1 start, powered by Briscoe's two kills and two blocks. The Bruins extended their lead to 13-6 after a 4-0 run capped by an Anastasija Ivkovic kill. Urzua added a key block and capitalized on an overpass to keep UCLA rolling. Penn State responded with a 4-0 run to narrow the gap, prompting a timely timeout from Head Coach Alfee Reft. UCLA maintained control throughout, never trailing in the set, and leveled the match behind Urzua's dominant five-kill performance.
ย
UCLA opened the third set with a 4-1 burst, but Penn State responded to edge ahead 12-11. Leverette's back-to-back kills swung the momentum back to UCLA at 14-13, though the hosts regained control at 18-16. The Bruins clawed back to tie it at 22-all, then won a gritty rally capped by a Singletary kill to go up 23-22. Leverette sealed the frame with her eighth and ninth kills of the frame, delivering set point in dramatic fashion.
ย
UCLA continued its strong play in the fourth set, jumping out to an 8-5 lead capped by a block from Ivkovic and Singletary. Duffey's dump kill extended the margin to 12-9, and the Bruins built a 17-13 cushion before the Nittany Lions rallied to even the score at 17-all. Leverette delivered three clutch kills to help UCLA pull away, and Urzua sealed the deal with back-to-back finishes, one for set point and the other to clinch the match.
ย
UCLA will return to Los Angeles, Calif. for its home opener against No. 10 Purdue on Thursday, Oct. 2. The contest will broadcast on Big Ten Network.
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Team Stats
UCLA
PSU
Kills
57
62
Errors
18
26
Attempts
148
163
Hitting %
.264
.221
Points
73.5
71.0
Assists
54
56
Aces
5
3
Blocks
11.5
6
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
20
Aces
1
Blocks
1
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
5
Aces
1
Blocks
7
Players Mentioned
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
OH/OPP
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's Volleyball
DS/L
/ Women's VolleyballMB
/ Women's VolleyballOH
/ Women's VolleyballHighlights - UCLA W. Volleyball vs. Penn State (Sept. 28, 2025)
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