The women’s volleyball team continues down the home stretch of the regular season this week. As the Bruins pursue a top-16 seed in the NCAA Tournament, two freshmen – setter Zana Muno and outside hitter/middle blocker Kyra Rogers – figure to be instrumental in UCLA’s tournament berth.
Muno has been starting for a while now, posting eight-straight double-doubles since an injury sidelined redshirt sophomore setter Ryann Chandler Oct. 23. Rogers has emerged more recently, impressing with increased time as the team’s third outside hitter.
For all her statistical success, Muno said the transition proved difficult at times, considering college volleyball requires significantly more mental toughness than high school volleyball.
“There have been times where I just wanted to break down, but the support of my teammates definitely helps me through it,” Muno said. “Also, just knowing that I deserve to be here and I’ve worked hard enough to get here gives me the peace of mind to know that I belong.”
Rogers has also weathered the transition period with the guidance of older players.
“When I’m on the bench, I am always talking to my teammates about who does what, which allows me to stay in the moment of the game,” Rogers said. “When coach (Michael) Sealy does call me to go in, I’m just ready to go and I know everything that is going on.”
Neither Muno nor Rogers played a significant role the last time No. 11 UCLA (21-5, 12-4 Pac-12) faced the No. 24 Arizona State Sun Devils (19-8, 8-8) or the No. 23 Arizona Wildcats (17-11, 7-9). Muno did not play, and Rogers played in just one of the six sets.
The Bruins won both of those early-season matches in straight sets. If they can replicate their success this weekend in road rematches with the Arizona teams, they will help themselves greatly in their quest to grab home-court advantage in the early stages of the NCAA Tournament.
The Bruin offense fired on all cylinders during the first matchups, hitting a healthy .266 against the Sun Devils and committing a season-low six errors against the Wildcats. To repeat those strong performances, Sealy is placing the focus on providing hitters with good opportunities.
“A lot of good offense starts from good passing,” Sealy said. “If we pass really, really well, it will keep us in system and our hitters will be in a lot of good hitting situations. But if we don’t pass that great, and get more high balls to the outside, then the opposition will have better block defense.”
Fortunately for UCLA, Arizona State will still be without star outside hitter Macey Gardner, who suffered a season-ending injury three matches before the teams’ first battle. But the Sun Devils have now had plenty of time to adjust to life without Gardner, and could pose different challenges for the Bruins this time around.