UCLA’s women’s volleyball team is preparing for a significant week as it faces No. 22 USC on Wednesday, October 29, at the Galen Center in Los Angeles. The match will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network. Following this, UCLA will host Washington on Sunday, November 2, at Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins have recorded notable achievements this season, including two road wins over top-15 teams: Penn State and Minnesota. Cheridyn Leverette reached her 1,000th career kill during the win against Iowa and also posted a personal best hitting percentage of .520 with 15 kills against Maryland. The team has secured three victories over ranked opponents this year—Penn State, Minnesota, and USC.
After consecutive wins over Minnesota and USC, Kate Duffey was named Big Ten Setter of the Week. She delivered standout performances by distributing a total of 66 assists in those matches.
Head coach Alfee Reft is in his third season leading the program. Nick Vogel joined the coaching staff during the summer after serving as head assistant for UCLA men’s volleyball.
Freshman Eliana Urzua has contributed immediately with three matches surpassing 20 kills and ranks second in scoring for UCLA at 3.05 points per set. Defensively, Lola Schumacher leads the Big Ten in digs per set (4.29) and stands fourth overall in total digs (270). Marianna Singletary is among conference leaders for blocks.
Maggie Li returned to the starting lineup against Maryland after an absence since early September and contributed significantly with 11 kills and eight digs.
In their most recent matches, UCLA fell to Oregon but responded with a sweep of Maryland while achieving a .321 hitting percentage. Leverette led both contests with a combined total of 27 kills.
UCLA was selected to finish fifth out of eighteen teams in the Big Ten Women’s Volleyball Preseason Poll for 2025. Four players—Cheridyn Leverette, Maggie Li, Marianna Singletary, and Phekran Kong—were named to the preseason all-conference team.
The Bruins’ roster includes ten newcomers this season—five transfers and five freshmen—with transfers such as Maggie Li from Cal and Phekran Kong from Louisville expected to play key roles.
