The message was simple: just like practice.
With No. 13 UCLA down 21-18 in the second set of its matchup with Cal on Sunday, women’s volleyball coach Michael Sealy called a timeout to talk to his team. Sealy was confident because the Bruins had been drilling for moments exactly like this throughout the past week of practice.
“In this drill, we start being down 19-21 and you try to come back. We had been doing this drill all week and we pointed it out to the girls: ‘Hey, we’ve been doing it all week,'”Sealy said. “Volleyball is a game of runs and a three-point run is pretty standard. We had patience and overcame some errors that allowed them to get that little cushion.”
The Bruins (10-2, 1-1 Pac-12) carried the momentum from their second-set comeback to win the third set comfortably and close out a straight-set victory over the Golden Bears (6-7, 0-2) 25-20, 27-25, 25-16.
Junior outside hitter Jordan Anderson led the team with 20 kills on a .515 hitting percentage and was joined in the double-digit kills club by sophomore Reily Buechler, who recorded 11 kills on a .429 hitting percentage.
Anderson and Buechler’s performances helped UCLA bounce back from Wednesday’s season-low hitting percentage of .056 against USC with a season-high hitting percentage of .337 against Cal. By coming out on the offensive, the Bruins created a pace of play that better suited their style.
“We were playing more competitively today. When we were playing USC, it was more that we were on the defensive side and they were more on the offensive side. They were able to attack us,” said Buechler. “We knew our opponents much better today and we were able to establish our offense rather than being on defense as much.”
Redshirt sophomore setter Ryann Chandler contributed in all aspects, with a team-high 36 assists, one of the four Bruin aces and five digs. After becoming the primary setter in the second and third sets, Chandler was a major catalyst in generating an attacking rhythm for UCLA. The Bruins increased their side-out percentage from 47 percent to 66 percent to 68 percent over the course of the match, highlighting the effectiveness of not only Chandler’s performance but also the coaching staff’s preparation.
“There is always a few points where you are adjusting and getting your touches on the ball,” said Chandler. “But, I think it was a pretty easy transition and carry over (from practice) for me.”