Michael Sealy sees a difference in Mac May this year.
“She always had an amazing arm and hit hard, but when she was on the left her freshman year, she didn’t hit with a lot of range as far as down the lines and sharp crosscourt,” the coach said. “She showed early on (this year), even in preseason, that her range was pretty phenomenal and she could hit all the shots she needed to hit.”
Last season, May finished below outside hitters then-senior Reily Buechler and then-freshman Jenny Mosser, and then-sophomore middle blocker Madeleine Gates in total kills and kills per set.
Sophomore outside hitter May is leading No. 20 UCLA women’s volleyball’s (11-6, 6-4 Pac-12) with 241 total kills this year and 3.77 kills per set – only 41 kills behind her total of 282 kills last season and above her 2017 average of 2.59 kills per set.
May also ranks at the top of UCLA’s roster in service aces this year with 22.
“It just kind of fires everyone up to be able to have someone who can put the ball away like (May) can,” said redshirt freshman outside hitter Alexis Light. “It’s a rock for us, and I think it’s really good that we’re able to have her as our outlet.”
UCLA snapped a nine-match losing streak to Washington on Friday and was led by May, who recorded a career-high 27 kills.
“Our whole team did really well to contribute to that,” May said. “The defense and the passing was phenomenal, and then (junior setter Kylie Miller) was setting so many amazing balls just in the zone and with great pace, so a lot of that is owed to them.”
May has led UCLA in kills in 11 straight matches this year, recording double-digit kills in nine of them.
With two seniors and three juniors in the Bruins’ lineup, the sophomore is one of the youngest starters this season – but Sealy said she has become a leader.
“I’ve just been trying to be kind of vocal. … and also just being that outlet they can look to or turn to if they need to,” May said. “My goal this season has just been to be a consistent outlet on the courts so that if any ball is in trouble, I can take it.”
Sealy added that May’s performances have also motivated her teammates to play better offensively since the start of the Pac-12 schedule.
“(All) the power outside hitters in the conference are going to take a lot of attention from opponents,” Sealy said. “They’re the strongest hitters on the team, and when that person is really going off, opposing block defenses have to focus on that, so it allows other players to get good opportunities.”
As the Bruins begin the second half of conference play this weekend, Sealy said May has to continue to play as she has been all year.
“(May) does everything,” Sealy said. “She’s shown that she’s a six-rotation outside (hitter). I think that’s something she wanted to prove to herself and everybody else that it’s something she could do, and that’s why she wanted to come to UCLA.”