No. 18 UCLA Women’s Volleyball Hopes to Get Back on Track Against Arizona

UCLA women’s volleyball endured one of its worst offensive games against Washington State. The bout against Washington was even worse.

In back-to-back games, the Bruins posted hitting percentages of .126 and .122. But while the Cougars managed to match their mediocrity last Friday, the Huskies didn’t allow it.

No. 11 Washington made quick work of No. 18 UCLA, coming away with a 3-0 sweep by scores of 25-21, 25-16, 25-23. It was just the third time this season that the Bruins were swept by its opponent – the other two came against Nebraska.

Just one player from each squad enjoyed relatively impressive nights – Washington’s Carly DeHoog and UCLA’s Madeleine Gates. Every other player struggled mightily, especially the platoon of pin hitters.

None of the Bruins’ three top outside hitters managed to accrue 10 or more kills. Freshmen Mac May and Jenny Mosser tallied just five and seven kills, while senior Riley Buechler recorded nine.

The Huskies didn’t need anyone to eclipse the 10-kill mark, though DeHoog did. But since UCLA garnered 22 errors, Washington had the advantage for most of the match.

As a result of the loss, the Bruins are on its second losing streak of the season. Yet they return home with opportunities to climb up the Pac-12 rankings and work their way back into contention.

It begins Friday against Arizona (9-12, 3-9 Pac-12), one of two teams in the conference with a losing record.

The Bruins quickly swept the Wildcats earlier this season, and there’s no reason why they can’t pull off a similar effort in Pauley.

Surprisingly, Arizona boasts a higher hitting percentage that its opponents on average. But individually, Wildcat players own poor percentages, as the two players with the most kills sport a .132 and a .176 percentage, respectively.

Stanford is running away with the conference title, and unless the Cardinal lose out, UCLA doesn’t stand much of a chance. But it can still earn a higher seed in the NCAA tournament.

And who knows, maybe a Bruin victory can spark a season turnaround.

This is your UCLA women’s volleyball vs. Arizona game thread.