LOS ANGELES — First-year UCLA women’s volleyball coach Matt Werle saw an opportunity to change a program that had gone dormant.
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The Bruins posted winning records in two of the past three seasons, but the standard is to win titles. UCLA has won seven but none since 2011 while falling in and out of the AVCA national rankings.
Werle saw nothing wrong with the way players had trained under past coaches or the way past teams competed.
“It was just getting these girls to believe in themselves,” Werle said. “They don’t have to be perfect. I just wanted them to start freeing up their bodies and going to be the best athletes they are capable of being. It was more so focusing on the mental side rather than the physical side.”
Easing pregame expectations has led to on-court success for UCLA women’s volleyball.
The program is trending upwards and started the regular season 15-4, including 6-2 during Big Ten Conference play, with five consecutive wins, including over No. 16 Penn State.
UCLA receives a major test against No. 1 Nebraska at 4 p.m. Thursday in Lincoln.
Senior middle blocker Marianna Singletary and Ventura native setter Kate Duffey have been key factors to UCLA’s success. Singletary transferred from Texas after the 2024 season, while Duffey has entered her third year in Westwood.
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Singletary has posted a team-leading 176 kills and 244 points with an efficient .335 hitting percentage, and Duffey dictates the offense for UCLA with 550 assists.
“(Singletary and Duffey) have a connection that is pretty special,” Werle said. “Marianna has the physicality to be one of the best middles in the country. And when they are together, they know how to turn it up another notch.”
Singletary has also become key in mentoring freshman middle Brooke Harwood. Harwood’s .359 hitting percentage is the highest at UCLA, while finishing with 168 kills alongside Maggie Li. A transfer from Cal after 2024, Li and has added 175 kills for the Bruins.
“Mari has not only been successful in helping us in the wins and loss column, but she’s helping her team grow,” Werle said. “Duffey is not ego-driven, and when she’s running the offense, everyone is going to go. She turns good attackers into great attackers, and it’s great to see her growth throughout this year.”
Werle has transitioned into the realm of women’s volleyball after coaching men at the collegiate level for 14 years. He was the offensive coordinator for Kansas in 2025 and accumulated over 100 wins as head coach at Grand Canyon from 2014-24.
“The history is so strong,” Werle said. “The foundation of our sport is already ingrained, but now these wins are giving us some confidence. We are just trying to show the world what this program is capable of doing.”