This post was updated Sept. 23 at 11:21 p.m.
The time has come.
UCLA women’s volleyball (9-2) will kick off Big Ten play on the road with a matchup against No. 18 Indiana (7-2) on Thursday and an outing versus Northwestern (7-4) on Saturday. The Bruins are coming off a successful weekend in Las Vegas, where they went 3-0 to take the Lucky Aces Volleyball Invitational title.
“I’m really excited to start into conference play because we’ve had all these preparation games that we have been able to prove ourselves,” said freshman middle blocker Brooke Harwood. “We know what’s coming. We’re not underestimating anyone in the conference, and we know that it’s going to be some hard competition that we’ve got to be ready for.”
The Mesa, Arizona, local has kicked off her collegiate career by accumulating 97 kills at a .400 clip. Fellow freshman setter Vivian Hickman has also made a notable debut for the Bruins as a defensive specialist, with 73 digs under her belt thus far.
Hickman has also been holding things down for the Bruins from the service line, tallying at least one ace in six of the nine games she has appeared in so far.
Also a powerful threat from the baseline is junior libero Lola Schumacher. She has recorded 10 aces through the year and went on key serving runs for UCLA during the five-set championship game thriller against Hawaiʻi.
Entering conference play, the squad is looking to make some adjustments.
“The setters, there’s some interchange and they’re finding their rhythm, making sure that they’re consistent,” said coach Matt Werle. “We’re still figuring some things out. I don’t know who we’re going to start, which is a blessing and a curse for a coach, but it allows for a lot of opportunities for these athletes to show what they’re all about.”
Junior setters Ava Sarafa and Kate Duffey have found themselves running the offense. Duffey – who has notched 257 assists so far – most recently directed the attack, leading to a season-high team hitting clip of .378 in the Westwood squad’s affair against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi.
A big contributor to those numbers is fifth-year middle blocker Marianna Singletary.
While the pin hitters tend to be seen as the go-to play, Singletary has established herself as a key contributor in scramble plays and has put up consistent numbers from the middle. She leads the team with 103 kills at a .357 clip entering Big Ten play.
As a veteran on the team, Singletary is helping to make sure the whole team gels.
“We’re bringing everybody in, using this energy to create this environment for everyone,” said senior outside hitter Maggie Li. “We’re really focused on being consistent with what each of us is bringing. So, not only do we have the fire that’s going on, but also we wanted to be in that consistent level for each other and build off the trust with my teammates and the coaches.”
Consistency will be key if the Bruins are looking to improve from their fifth place finish in the Big Ten last year.
And the coaches are ready too.
“I’m excited,” Werle said. “I’m going up against some buddies. One of them was in my wedding, so it’ll be fun to open the Big 10 with some friends and in a place that I’ve actually been to before. So there’s some familiarity there, but I’m just excited to get rolling.”
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