Bruins' Season Ends in NCAA Second Round

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OMAHA, Neb. - Senior Mac May paced the 15th-ranked Bruins with 18 kills to go with seven digs, but UCLA's season came to an end on Thursday in the NCAA Second Round with a three-set loss to No. 14 BYU at the CHI Health Center Convention Center. Set scores were 24-26, 29-31, 17-25.

Junior Zoe Fleck recorded 14 digs, freshman Iman Ndiaye had eight kills, junior élan McCall notched seven kills, eight digs, four blocks and two aces and senior Sabrina Smith added six blocks and three kills. Freshman Audrey Pak had 17 assists and five digs, while freshman Kate Lane posted 16 assists and eight digs. 

The opening set featured eight ties and four lead changes. UCLA held a pair of four-point leads. Up 7-6, a 4-1 run on a Lane ace and three BYU errors made it 11-7. After the Cougars scored the next two, a 3-1 Bruin run on kills from McCall, redshirt sophomore Lexi Hadrych and Ndiaye put UCLA ahead 14-10. The Bruins still led 17-14 before the Cougars scored four in a row to re-take the advantage. BYU held a 23-20 edge before UCLA rallied with four in a row on kills from May and McCall, a Cougar error and a McCall/Smith block to earn a set point. But BYU (17-1) netted the next three to take the first by a score of 26-24. May, McCall and Ndiaye each had four kills for the Bruins, who were out-hit .222 to .206.

UCLA (15-7) didn't take its first lead in the second until a 5-0 run midway through the set. Down 12-11, three combo blocks by Smith and McCall, an Ndiaye kill and a BYU error put the Bruins ahead 16-12. After the Cougars scored the next two, the Bruins responded with four in a row on kills by McCall and Ndiaye, a McCall ace and a May kill to take a 20-14 advantage. UCLA still led 23-18, but BYU scored the next three. A May kill earned the Bruins three set points, but BYU saved them all. In total, the Bruins would have seven set points, but were unable to convert, as BYU won the second, 31-29. May had nine kills in the second, while Fleck added five digs. The Bruins were out-hit .234 to .082.

The Bruins held as much as a two-point lead early in the third set, but at 7-6, BYU scored the next four and held on to the advantage for the remainder of the match. The Cougars won 25-17. May had five kills, while Fleck had seven digs. The Bruins were out-hit .324 to .083.