The UCLA women’s volleyball team made a statement Thursday night, and not just in the way the team won (which was epic, dramatic and unbelievable). The win means this team is for real.

The Bruins, for the first time this decade, are now a legitimate threat to win the national title.

Thursday’s 3-2 win over Washington, the defending NCAA champions, not only keeps the team undefeated 16 matches into the season, but it changes the team’s whole image.

For the past few years, UCLA has always been a strong team, but not enough to be among the nation’s elite.

This team is for real. They belong with the nation’s elite now.

This team showed its toughness Thursday night, both physically and mentally.

Instead of being deflated after losing the first two games, UCLA was more motivated than ever.

Washington was playing like the team that won the title a year ago and seeking revenge for its one loss that year.

“I told the team that they weren’t playing like they were capable of,” UCLA coach Andy Banachowski said. “I just thought we lost the tempo and we worked really hard to get it back.”

With their backs against the wall, the Bruins stepped up their game, as championship-caliber teams do.

They dominated Game 3 and most of Game 4 before encountering their biggest test.

Leading 29-21 in Game 4, UCLA lost eight straight game-points, something that almost never happens.

“We cut it a little close,” Banachowski said, in the understatement of the day.

But championship-caliber teams know how to regroup when things aren’t going their way. UCLA did just that, winning the next six points.

The Bruins then led 14-11 in Game 5 and lost two match points in a row. But learning from the previous game, they put the match away right there – as championship-caliber teams do.

“We just talked about being able to play the way we’ve been playing throughout the year,” Banachowski said. “We had gotten ourself out of rhythm.”

“It was a great win,” senior outside hitter Colby Lyman said. “We were a little bit nervous. We thought they were going to come out strong the first two games and they did. It caught us off guard. But we came back and won the next three.”

It’s hard to be undefeated 16 matches into the season, as UCLA has done. You have to be among the nation’s powerhouses to do that.

UCLA’s win over No. 4 Washington was its biggest win of the season, but it wasn’t the team’s only quality win. UCLA beat No. 5 Florida and No. 7 Hawai’i earlier this season. In years past, the Bruins might get one quality win like this in a season, but never two, and especially not three. One win against a top-10 can be a fluke. Two means you’re great, but not necessarily that you belong with the elite. Three wins means you’re in the club.

“In the past, we had a hard time beating ranked teams and now we can actually do that,” Lyman said.

E-mail Quiñonez at gquinonez@media.ucla.edu.