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Junior Brynn Murphy, shown here hitting against the Beavers, will lead the No. 8 Bruins in two ma

While it returned from the state of Washington boasting two dramatic five-game wins, the UCLA women’s volleyball team also took with it the wariness of its hard-fought victories.

Facing off against Arizona and Arizona State this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. at Pauley Pavilion, the No. 8 Bruins (12-2, 4-1 Pac-10) will again be stretching their endurance and aiming for a little more consistency in their game.

“We’re just going to go so hard at them,” middle blocker Brynn Murphy said. “We’re working on our defense and our passing.”

The game against Washington this past Friday had left the team members drained yet determined to correct their errors. Several players also managed to shine in the critical moments at the end of the game.

Both Murphy and outside hitter Heather Cullen achieved career highs in kills this past week, while outside hitter Brittany Ringel shone in the fifth and final game against Washington. The challenge that remains outside of the strength within each individual player, is to keep the team defense in line.

“It’s all about us not shooting ourselves in the foot. We’ve got to be really key in not making errors,” coach Andy Banachowski said.

“We’ve been working hard on watching our mistakes and correcting them,” Murphy said. “Nothing should be hitting the ground.”

The Bruins are also aware of Wildcat outside hitter Kim Glass, who leads her teammates in kills and holds the Arizona single-season record in kills.

One thing the Bruins can count on, however, is the familiar setting of Pauley and the fan support.

“I’m sure that we’re going to play with a lot of enthusiasm,” Banachowski said. “It’s been a kind of trademark for us to excel in the home courts. Being at home always is an advantage.”

This past season, the Bruins played two tough five-game matches at Arizona, ultimately losing to both schools on the road. In fact, UCLA also lost to the Wildcats in Pauley Pavilion in five games. Banachowski knows the Bruins must be sharp from the very beginning this weekend.

“Playing against the Arizona schools have always been a challenge for us,” he added. “We’re looking forward to a good weekend.”