It was one of those weeks where headlines could have hijacked the narrative. The online rumor mill didn’t sleep for three days – whispers that former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava was en route to Westwood from Tennessee reverberated across social media. Read more...
Photo: Redshirt senior quarterback Joey Aguilar prepares to throw the ball at Drake Stadium during UCLA football’s annual Friday Night Lights and ninth practice of the spring. (Jeannie Kim/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Josh Alger came in to shut the door in the Bruins’ 18-2 victory Feb. 15. But it was probably unclear for many in the stands why sophomore catcher Blake Balsz gave the redshirt junior right-hander a long embrace – or why past and present Bruins flooded social media with words for Alger – after a routine relief appearance in an early-season blowout. Read more...
Photo: Redshirt junior right-hander Josh Alger follows through on his motion at Jackie Robinson Stadium. After a myriad of injuries kept him off the mound since his senior year of high school, Alger had to wait till his fourth season at UCLA to make his collegiate debut, which came Feb. 15. (Renee Rubanowitz/Daily Bruin)
There is no sugarcoating it – the Bruins didn’t win the national title. A shaky beam rotation – UCLA’s worst since March 2 – nearly guaranteed Oklahoma’s victory and its third national championship in four years. Read more...
Photo: As junior Jordan Chiles finishes her NCAA-national-title-winning bars routine Thursday, coach Janelle McDonald bursts into celebration. (Zimo Li/Photo editor)
As Zach Rama stepped up to the service line, the junior outside hitter was bombarded with a cacophony of screams and taunts. But this wasn’t a match-clinching point. Read more...
Photo: Junior outside hitter Zach Rama rises to strike the ball at the opposing block. (Lex Wang/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Former Tennessee starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava has committed to UCLA football, he announced Sunday afternoon via Instagram. The former five-star quarterback officially entered the transfer portal Wednesday morning – the first day of the spring transfer window – with a “do not contact” tag, signaling he either had a destination in mind or was letting his agent handle the process. For the past four days, rumors swirled about Iamaleava potentially transferring to UCLA, but it wasn’t until Sunday afternoon that the quarterback took to Instagram to officially reveal his decision. Iamaleava’s entry into the portal came as little surprise after his split from Tennessee last week, due to a deteriorating relationship with the program. Name, image and likeness played a major factor in his departure – per On3’s Pete Nakos. Read more...
Photo: UCLA football coach DeShaun Foster claps while watching his team warm up before a game. In the midst of Foster’s second spring practice, former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferred to UCLA. (Zimo Li/Photo editor)
This post was updated April 20 at 9:17 p.m. Jordan Chiles powered the Bruins to a trip to the national stage two years ago. But without her in 2024, her team fell short. Read more...
Photo: Members of UCLA gymnastics pose with their national runner up trophy Thursday. The Bruins posted a 197.6125 to place second behind Oklahoma’s 198.0125. (Zimo Li/Photo editor)
A sea of eyes watched the court. Each gaze seemed fixed toward Cooper Robinson. But the redshirt junior’s eyes were trained on someone else. Former Bruin teammate Merrick McHenry – with the national championship ring he earned alongside the outside hitter last year glinting on his finger – gesticulated emphatically with his hands at Robinson from the sidelines, urging him on with some advice. Read more...
Photo: Redshirt junior outside hitter Cooper Robinson points across the net on the court at Pauley Pavilion. (Edward Ho/Daily Bruin)
