Three matches, three sweeps.
No. 22 UCLA women’s volleyball (11-8, 6-6 Pac-12) has lost three consecutive matches for the first time since 2005, dropping the Bruins to fifth in the Pac-12.
In numerous sets in recent matches, UCLA has squandered leads late.
UCLA was up 20-19 in the first and had set point at 24-23 against Stanford. Against Washington State (17-5, 8-4), UCLA was leading 17-13 in the first and 18-15 in the third. Similarly, the Bruins were winning 22-20 in the third set against the California Golden Bears (12-11, 4-8) before dropping the next five points.
“Definitely disappointing to not take a set away,” said sophomore outside hitter Mac May. “We would’ve loved to keep going, maybe go to five with them (Stanford).”
Coach Michael Sealy said the team has been focusing on improving its side-out rate during practice to stop teams from going on big runs.
“We need to keep siding out better,” Sealy said. “Our side-out numbers are lower than ideal. Getting our defensive numbers up is a function of our quality of touch on all aspects of the ball.”
UCLA has had 91 reception errors this season, as opposed to 86 for its opponents.
“When we do get aced, we just have to let it go,” May said. “If we do get in kind of a rut, we just need to get the ball up. We don’t need to pass a perfect ball every time.”
Of the 12 Pac-12 teams, 11 have earned a top-25 ranking or have received votes. Six teams are currently in the top 25, down from nine teams last week.
The Pac-12 includes four of the top offenses in the nation in terms of kills per set. Stanford is third at 15.20 kills per set, Oregon is fourth at 14.73, Arizona is 12th at 14.41 and USC is 17th at 14.03.
Apart from Stanford, who is undefeated in the conference, all the Pac-12 teams possess a higher winning percentage in nonconference matchups compared to conference games.
“It’s the Pac-12. You just have to bounce back,” said senior libero Zana Muno. “We just have to learn from the past and not dwell on it.”
UCLA will face Oregon State (11-13, 1-11) – which is ranked last in the Pac-12 – Friday evening.