No. 19 UCLA Outlasts Long Beach State in Season Opener

LONG BEACH, Calif. – No. 19 UCLA girls’s volleyball opened the 2025 season in dramatic style, outlasting Long Beach State in a five-set thriller Monday evening on the Walter Pyramid.

Set scores have been 18-25, 25-18, 25-23, 21-25, 15-8.

UCLA has now opened the season with a win for the second straight season and grow to be winners of eight of its final 11 season-openers. Monday’s five-set battle additionally marked the Bruins’ first win in a five-set match since defeating Georgia Tech within the 2024 season opener, snapping a five-match dropping streak in prolonged contests.

Six Bruins made their UCLA debuts. Transfers Maggie Li, Marianna Singletary, Lola Schumacher, and Zayna Meyer made their UCLA debuts in Blue and Gold, whereas freshmen Sakura Codling and Eliana Urzua noticed their first collegiate motion.

Zayna Meyer delivered a standout efficiency off the bench, orchestrating the offense with 38 assists regardless of not beginning at setter. The Wheaton, Ill. native made probably the most of her return to her former residence fitness center, coming only one dig shy of a double-double. She additionally added two kills and contributed on the internet with 4 key blocks, capping off a formidable evening in her UCLA debut.

Cheridyn Leverette and Li tallied 18 kills every to guide all gamers on Monday evening. Leverette went for her sixth profession double-double, snuffing out 10 digs on the defensive finish.

Li led the Bruins in factors with 19, sending again a pair of blocks along with her excellent attacking show.

Singletary was dominant in her first UCLA begin, pulling down 12 kills and 9 blocks whereas posting an environment friendly .423 hitting share. Schumacher racked up 17 digs on the libero place to guide all gamers.

Brooklyn Briscoe chipped in with 9 kills at a team-best .467 kill and contributed three blocks defensively.

UCLA was vibrant to start out the competition when Singletary linked on her first swing in a UCLA uniform earlier than Briscoe collected two early kills. However, a 5-0 run allowed the hosts to take the momentum into the latter levels of the set. Long Beach State hit .458 as a staff within the first set to down the Bruins, 25-18.

The Bruins instantly responded when Singletary ignited the momentum shift, delivering a kill and a block on consecutive performs to push UCLA forward 9-7. Long Beach State countered with a surge of its personal, claiming seven of the subsequent 9 factors to construct a three-point cushion. Maggie Li then caught fireplace, fueling a dominant stretch through which the Bruins captured eight of 9 factors to shut out the set with a commanding 25-18 win.

UCLA held the Beach to a hitting share of .000 within the second set.

Two fast Leverette kills sparked a 4-0 UCLA run to start out the third set, forcing a Long Beach State timeout. Li continued to develop into the sport, slamming down six kills within the set to grow to be the primary Bruin to ascend into double-digits. Long Beach got here from behind to knot issues up at 20-20, however the firepower of Singletary propelled UCLA to the 25-23 win when she delivered three kills for the staff’s last three factors of the body.

Long Beach State continued to battle behind the attacking efforts of Logan King and Anabel Kotzakov within the fourth set. The duo, which mixed for 34 complete kills (17 every), lifted the Beach to a 25-21 set victory to ship the match to a decisive fifth body.

It was all UCLA within the final set when Li and Leverette mixed for 5 kills to make it an 8-2 benefit when the groups switched sides. Briscoe obtained in on the motion, pulling down a pair kills down the stretch. Li capped her glorious evening with the match-winning kill, handing the Bruins their first win of the 2025 season.

UCLA will journey to Malibu, Calif. tomorrow night to tackle Pepperdine inside Firestone Fieldhouse at 6 p.m. (PT).