She Posted. It’s done. Utterback is a Bruin!
Ava Utterback officially commits to UCLA, and the volleyball world is REACTING.
Here’s How We Got Here
Let’s recap for anyone just joining us, because this story has been brewing.
Ava Utterback is a 6-foot outside hitter from Plainfield, Indiana, Prep Volleyball’s most complete OH in the class of 2024, Fab 50, ACVA All-American Watch List, the whole résumé. She signed with Louisville under Dani Busboom Kelly and redshirted her first season. Then, DBK left for Nebraska in January 2025, Dan Meske stepped up and ran a solid 26-7 Sweet 16 season, but for Ava, the writing was already on the wall. When the coach who recruited you is gone, you get to ask new questions.
And those answers came from Westwood.
Why UCLA Makes All the Sense
New head coach Matt Werle just took over the Bruins program in February 2026, an offensive-minded builder who turned Grand Canyon into a nationally ranked program from scratch and then helped Kansas to a Sweet 16. He came to UCLA hungry. He came recruiting. And apparently, he made this decision feel easy for Ava.
“This staff believed in me and made this decision feel so easy.” That’s not an unsure girl. That’s a girl who found exactly what she was looking for: a coach who sees her, a program with tradition, and a Big Ten stage big enough for what she’s capable of.
Ava Utterback is a redshirt sophomore with every year of eligibility ahead of her. She has never played a full collegiate season. She is, by every measure, completely untapped.
UCLA just got a weapon. And the Big Ten has been warned.