Volleyball returns from Arizona with two wins

The No. 10 UCLA women’s volleyball team traveled to Arizona this weekend looking to gain some ground in the conference standings. They will return to Westwood having accomplished at least that much.

In addition to bringing home a pair of wins against two teams in the conference’s lower half, the Bruins found the offensive rhythm they’ve been looking for in the desert.

In Friday night’s match, the Bruins took down Arizona in four games, 25-15, 20-25, 25-21, 25-22.

The Wildcats (12-6, 2-4 Pac-10) came into the game with the same conference record as UCLA but could not contain the Bruins’ front line, even with one of the best blocking crews in the country.

“I think that we outplayed them in that area,” UCLA coach Andy Banachowski said about the team’s play at the net.

“So that’s a really good thing we can hang our hats on.”

The player of the weekend was freshman middle blocker Amanda Gil, who had 15 kills against Arizona with an outstanding .538 hitting percentage. As UCLA’s schedule progresses and the games become ever more important, the newcomer Gil continues to step up and play without trepidation.

“I think I’m just feeling more confident because my team is really supporting me and telling me to push hard,” Gil said. “I’m doing it for the girls, so it’s extra motivation.”

In Saturday’s match, UCLA (14-4, 4-3 Pac-10) swept ninth-place Arizona State (10-10, 1-6 Pac-10) with set scores of 25-17, 27-25 and 25-17.

The Bruins clocked a .333 hitting percentage on the night to win with ease.

Sophomore outside hitter Dicey McGraw led the team with 14 kills and senior setter Nellie Spicer, who notched 41 assists in the match, also contributed to the attack by recording a career-high eight kills with no errors.

“Our offensive output was really good this weekend,” Banachowski said. “They generated a lot by really a more intense, a more aggressive attitude by everyone out on the court. It was good to see us grow like that.”

With these two victories, the Bruins get their first series sweep, a feat that is necessary for teams that wish to stay at the top of the Pac-10.

“It’s really gratifying to get these two wins on the road to distance ourselves from some of the (other) teams,” Banachowski said. “We played better. That’s the best thing. We played better Friday night than we did before and we played better tonight than we did last night. So, we’re pretty happy about that.”

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