The Trojans had a successful trip to Indiana for the Boilermaker Challenge this past Thursday and Friday, defeating Illinois and Purdue as they got a preview of what Big Ten play will be like after this season. USC’s next challenge, UCLA, will be a tough one; the Bruins are 8-2 and will be looking forward to returning to Los Angeles after their two-match split against Oklahoma.

“I’m just so excited … I’ve never been a part of anything like it … they’re a great team,” said freshman outside hitter London Wijay in an interview with the Daily Trojan.

Wijay, a new member of the team, will aim to continue her stellar play, as she is coming off a career-high 18 kills and three assists in the match against Purdue. Wijay was awarded Pac-12 Freshman Volleyball Player of the Week thanks to her performance.

While the rivalry is new for some, other Trojans have experience against the familiar foe. Senior middle blocker Lindsey Miller, who led the Trojans with three aces against Purdue, emphasized the excitement of the matchup.

“I got to play UCLA at home last year … I look forward to shutting up a crowd,” Miller said. “It’s always more fun to shut up a crowd than make a crowd cheer.”

Given that this coming rivalry match will officially kick off the final Pac-12 season for both teams, the intensity will be high, not just on the court, but also in the stands.

While the Trojans are in the midst of a win streak, two of their stronger victories came against their two most recent opponents. USC scored totals of 81 points and 82 points respectively, which were team-highs on the season.

Along with Wijay, senior outside hitter Skylar Fields had a large impact in the win against Purdue, leading the team with 27 kills and 12 digs. Fields will strive to replicate her success from the last three matches, as she collected at least 25 kills in each one.

While UCLA is coming off a nice victory of its own, posting a .296 hitting percentage in the second match against Oklahoma, the Bruins committed at least 20 errors in each of the two matches — something the Trojans could certainly take advantage of.

“The number one thing is continuing to work on the small stuff … you have to slowly build it piece by piece,” said Head Coach Brad Keller. “It’s just like any other game in the sense that you’ve got to figure out what the weaknesses are … as much as it’s a rival game … you have to stay in the moment.”

While both the Trojans and Bruins have found recent success in non-conference matches, this match will be critical in terms of starting conference play on the right foot. Last season, USC got the better of UCLA, defeating the Bruins in both matches.

“These great women have decided they’re all in on it, and so they’re reaping the benefits of it … slowly but surely being able to grind out tough points and being resilient,” Keller said.

One Bruin to look out for is senior outside/opposite hitter Iman Ndiaye, who leads the team in kills and played a critical role in UCLA’s recent win against Oklahoma. On the defensive side, graduate middle blocker Desiree Becker leads the Bruins with 53 total blocks, and led the team with seven in its recent win.

Women’s volleyball will take on the Bruins Wednesday 7:00 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion.