Thursday, October 2
Los Angeles, CA
7:00 PM (PT)
UCLA
vs
No. 13 Purdue
Lola Schumacher
Photo by: Jake Cammarata
No. 24 UCLA Hosts No. 13 Purdue, Indiana in Home-Opening Weekend
September 30, 2025 | Women's Volleyball
Game 1
No. 24 UCLA (8-4, 2-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 13 Purdue (10-2, 1-1 Big Ten)
Date/Time:ย Thursday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m. (PT)
Location:ย Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial)
Watch:ย Big Ten Network
Talent:ย Paul Sunderland (pxp); Holly McPeak (analyst)
Live Stats: ucla.statbroadcast.com
ย
Game 2
No. 24 UCLA (8-4, 2-0 Big Ten) vs. Indiana (11-1, 2-0 Big Ten)
Date/Time:ย Saturday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m. (PT)
Location:ย Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial)
Watch:ย B1G+
Talent:ย Bryan Fenley (pxp); Victoria Dennis (analyst)
Live Stats: ucla.statbroadcast.com
ย
NO. 24 UCLA HOSTS NO. 13 PURDUE, INDIANA FOR HOME-OPENING WEEKEND
The No. 24-ranked UCLA women's volleyball team will play its first home matches of the 2025 season when it hosts No. 13 Purdue on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. (PT) and Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. (PT). Friday's contest will be broadcast on Big Ten Network while Saturday's match will be featured on B1G+.
ย
FIRST SERVE
LAST TIME OUT
UCLA opened Big Ten play with a pair of gritty road wins, first outlasting Ohio State in a five-set thriller and then stunning defending national champion No. 15 Penn State in four sets. In Columbus, freshman Eliana Urzua led the charge with 20 kills and a .381 hitting percentage, while setter Kate Duffey dished out a career-high 53 assists to guide the Bruins to a 15-11 fifth-set victory. Two days later in Rec Hall, UCLA earned its first ranked win of the season behind Cheridyn Leverette's 20 kills and Urzua's first career double-double. Middle blockers Brooklyn Briscoe and Marianna Singletary anchored the net, combining for 17 kills and 7 blocks, while libero Lola Schumacher totaled 45 digs across both matches. The Bruins improved to 8-4 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play, returning home to face No. 13 Purdue.
ย
FIRST SET IS KEY
UCLA boasts a perfect 5-0 record this season when securing the first set. Of these five victories, four were achieved in straight sets, while one extended to a four-set contest against Texas State. Additionally, the Bruins hold a 8-1 record when winning the third set and remain undefeated (8-0) when achieving a hitting percentage above .200.
ย
EXCELLENT ELIANA
Eliana Urzua was named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week after shining in UCLA's perfect Big Ten opening weekend, delivering back-to-back standout performances. In the opener, she led the Bruins with 20 kills on a blistering .381 hitting percentage, adding five digs and two blocks for 21 total points. She followed it up with a clutch 16-kill outing against No. 15 Penn State, securing her first career double-double with 14 digs and sealing the match with a well-placed tip. Urzua led the Bruins with a team-high 36 kills across the weekend, averaging 4.00 kills per set while hitting at an impressive .313 clip.
ย
SUPER SCHUMACHER
Lola Schumacher received Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors after anchoring UCLA's back row with elite defensive play throughout the weekend, recording 21 digs in the opener and following it up with a UCLA-best 24 digs against No. 15 Penn State. She averaged 5.00 digs-per-set over the weekend.
ย
UCLA PICKED FIFTH
UCLA was picked to finish fifth out of 18 teams in the 2025 Big Ten Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll. In its first season as a Big Ten member, UCLA women's volleyball finished 14-15 overall and 8-12 in conference play. The Bruins recorded notable wins over No. 14 Georgia Tech, No. 24 Washington, and Ohio State, while pushing several ranked opponents to five sets, including reigning NCAA National Champion Penn State. Nebraska was picked as the conference favorite, followed by Penn State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The Cornhuskers posted a regular season record of 33-3 and finished atop the Big Ten standings with a 19-1 mark in conference play. Four Bruins earned spots on the 20-member Big Ten Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team, tying Nebraska for the most selections in the league. Outside hitters Cheridyn Leverette and Maggie Li joined middle blockers Marianna Singletary and Phekran Kong in receiving the preseason honors.
ย
No. 24 UCLA (8-4, 2-0 Big Ten) vs. No. 13 Purdue (10-2, 1-1 Big Ten)
Date/Time:ย Thursday, Oct. 2, 7 p.m. (PT)
Location:ย Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial)
Watch:ย Big Ten Network
Talent:ย Paul Sunderland (pxp); Holly McPeak (analyst)
Live Stats: ucla.statbroadcast.com
ย
Game 2
No. 24 UCLA (8-4, 2-0 Big Ten) vs. Indiana (11-1, 2-0 Big Ten)
Date/Time:ย Saturday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m. (PT)
Location:ย Los Angeles, Calif. (Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom Financial)
Watch:ย B1G+
Talent:ย Bryan Fenley (pxp); Victoria Dennis (analyst)
Live Stats: ucla.statbroadcast.com
ย
NO. 24 UCLA HOSTS NO. 13 PURDUE, INDIANA FOR HOME-OPENING WEEKEND
The No. 24-ranked UCLA women's volleyball team will play its first home matches of the 2025 season when it hosts No. 13 Purdue on Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. (PT) and Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. (PT). Friday's contest will be broadcast on Big Ten Network while Saturday's match will be featured on B1G+.
ย
FIRST SERVE
- UCLA has won seven of its last eight contests
- The Bruins come into this week ranked No. 24 in the AVCA Coaches Poll
- Eliana Urzua (4.00 kills-per-set) and Lola Schumacher (5.00 digs-per-set) received Big Ten Conference weekly honors
- Urzua was named Freshman of the Week and Schumacher was named Defensive Player of the Week
- Cheridyn Leverette leads the team in scoring with 3.77 points-per-set and 3.48 kills-per-set
- Leverette was named the Most Valuable Player of the Sun City Classic
- Phekran Kong knocked down a team-high 12 kills (.450) in her UCLA debut on Sept. 20
- Marianna Singletary and Kate Duffey were named to the Sun City Classic All-Tournament Team
- Freshman Eliana Urzua has made an immediate impact, notching two 20+ kill performances and is UCLA's second-leading scorer at 3.21 points-per-set
- Lola Schumacher leads the Big Ten in digs-per-set (4.25)
- Carly Hendrickson has emerged as one of UCLA's most important players in her return from injury, averaging 1.72 points-per-set, 0.53 blocks-per-set, and a team-best 14 service aces.
- UCLA was ranked No. 18 in the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll
- UCLA posted an overall record of 14-15 (8-12 Big Ten) in its inaugural season in the Big Ten
- The Bruins finished tied for 10th in the conference standings, sharing the spot with Michigan and Indiana with an 8-12 record
- In 2024, UCLA went 1-5 in five-set matches, including defeats to No. 12 Minnesota, No. 16 USC, No. 3 Penn State, and No. 10 Purdue
- The Bruins prevailed in a five-set thriller in the season-opener at Long Beach State
- The season-opening win marked UCLA's first five-set win since its 2024 season opener
- UCLA welcomes 10 newcomers (five transfers, five freshmen) for the 2025 season
- Head Coach Alfee Reft enters his third season at the helm
- Nick Vogel joined Coach Reft's coaching staff in the summer. Vogel spent three seasons as the head assistant for the UCLA men's volleyball program
- Junior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette garnered Honorable Mention AVCA All-American acclaim after her stellar campaign
- Leverette leads the Bruins in points (464), kills (435), points-per-set (4.43), and kills-per-set (4.14)
- Leverette achieved double-digit kills in 20 consecutive matches from Aug. 30 to Nov. 2. She is just the fifth Bruin in the 25-point rally scoring era (2008-present) to achieve that feat
- Leverette ranked sixth in the conference in kills-per-set (4.14) and 10th in total kills (435)
- Five transfers bolster Alfee Reft's 2025 squad, including Maggie Li (Cal), Phekran Kong (Louisville), Zayna Meyer (Long Beach State), Marianna Singletary (Texas), and Lola Schumacher (Wisconsin)
LAST TIME OUT
UCLA opened Big Ten play with a pair of gritty road wins, first outlasting Ohio State in a five-set thriller and then stunning defending national champion No. 15 Penn State in four sets. In Columbus, freshman Eliana Urzua led the charge with 20 kills and a .381 hitting percentage, while setter Kate Duffey dished out a career-high 53 assists to guide the Bruins to a 15-11 fifth-set victory. Two days later in Rec Hall, UCLA earned its first ranked win of the season behind Cheridyn Leverette's 20 kills and Urzua's first career double-double. Middle blockers Brooklyn Briscoe and Marianna Singletary anchored the net, combining for 17 kills and 7 blocks, while libero Lola Schumacher totaled 45 digs across both matches. The Bruins improved to 8-4 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play, returning home to face No. 13 Purdue.
ย
FIRST SET IS KEY
UCLA boasts a perfect 5-0 record this season when securing the first set. Of these five victories, four were achieved in straight sets, while one extended to a four-set contest against Texas State. Additionally, the Bruins hold a 8-1 record when winning the third set and remain undefeated (8-0) when achieving a hitting percentage above .200.
ย
EXCELLENT ELIANA
Eliana Urzua was named Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week after shining in UCLA's perfect Big Ten opening weekend, delivering back-to-back standout performances. In the opener, she led the Bruins with 20 kills on a blistering .381 hitting percentage, adding five digs and two blocks for 21 total points. She followed it up with a clutch 16-kill outing against No. 15 Penn State, securing her first career double-double with 14 digs and sealing the match with a well-placed tip. Urzua led the Bruins with a team-high 36 kills across the weekend, averaging 4.00 kills per set while hitting at an impressive .313 clip.
ย
SUPER SCHUMACHER
Lola Schumacher received Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors after anchoring UCLA's back row with elite defensive play throughout the weekend, recording 21 digs in the opener and following it up with a UCLA-best 24 digs against No. 15 Penn State. She averaged 5.00 digs-per-set over the weekend.
ย
UCLA PICKED FIFTH
UCLA was picked to finish fifth out of 18 teams in the 2025 Big Ten Women's Volleyball Preseason Poll. In its first season as a Big Ten member, UCLA women's volleyball finished 14-15 overall and 8-12 in conference play. The Bruins recorded notable wins over No. 14 Georgia Tech, No. 24 Washington, and Ohio State, while pushing several ranked opponents to five sets, including reigning NCAA National Champion Penn State. Nebraska was picked as the conference favorite, followed by Penn State, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. The Cornhuskers posted a regular season record of 33-3 and finished atop the Big Ten standings with a 19-1 mark in conference play. Four Bruins earned spots on the 20-member Big Ten Volleyball Preseason All-Conference Team, tying Nebraska for the most selections in the league. Outside hitters Cheridyn Leverette and Maggie Li joined middle blockers Marianna Singletary and Phekran Kong in receiving the preseason honors.
ย
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's VolleyballHighlights - UCLA W. Volleyball vs. Penn State (Sept. 28, 2025)
Sunday, September 28
Highlights - W. Volleyball at Ohio State (Sept. 26, 2025)
Saturday, September 27
Highlights - W. Volleyball at Ohio State (Sept. 26, 2025)
Friday, September 26
UCLA W. Volleyball Postgame - Oregon (Nov. 29, 2024)
Friday, November 29