After losing 3-0 to both Cal and Stanford last weekend, the UW volleyball team will look to regain its momentum tonight against No. 8 UCLA in the first of a two-game road trip against UCLA and No. 11 USC.

The double home sweep marks the first time the UW has been swept twice at home since 2000, when they lost to both Arizona and Arizona State.

“There is no magic to the thing,” coach Jim McLaughlin said. “When you play a really good team they expose some weaknesses, and we have some weaknesses that we need to improve.”

UCLA and USC also had tough matches last week, each losing to Oregon and splitting games against Oregon State while dropping in the national rankings. But the Huskies are still taking the upcoming challenge very seriously.

“Both teams are top-10 teams and they are both very good so we have got to play well against these guys,” McLaughlin said.

UCLA (11-3, 2-2 Pac-10) will not make it easy for them. The Bruins, one of the top teams in the nation in blocks per set, will have extra motivation to defeat the Dawgs — it’s their home opener. UCLA is 18-4 all-time in its first Pac-10 home game and 6-1 when opening against Washington. The Bruins also lead the all time series 40-13, but Washington has won the last three matches and seven of the last nine.

The UW will have to watch out for UCLA freshman Amanda Gil, who leads the Pac-10 in blocks per set with 1.45, and is eighth in the nation. Gil also leads the Bruins in hitting percentage (.316) and points per set (3.60) and is second on the team in kills per set (2.74).

“She’s a kid that can get over the net and can take away some area,” McLaughlin said. “She’s upgraded their team significantly.”

The UW will take on USC (8-4, 1-2 Pac-10) tomorrow. The Trojans lead the all-time series against the Huskies 33-14 with the two teams splitting their matches last season.

USC’s offense is led by freshman outside hitter Alex Jupiter. Jupiter has 155 kills (3.69 kps) with 11 service aces (0.26 saps), 67 digs (1.60 dps), 25 blocks (0.57 bps) and 184 points (4.38 pps). She has been the Trojans’ leading kill producer in seven of 12 matches this season, recording double-digit kills every time and ranking fourth in the Pac-10 in points and fifth in kills.

“She’s another one that’s good,” coach McLaughlin said. “We’re gonna have to keep an eye on her and know where she is at all times.”

The rest of Washington’s Pac-10 schedule won’t get much easier. Seven conference schools are ranked in the top 25 with five of them — Stanford, Cal, Oregon, UCLA, and the UW — in the top 10. Washington will have to maintain its intensity after this weekend as it takes on No. 7 Oregon and No. 24 Oregon State next week.

Reach reporter Zach Ruby at sports@dailyuw.com.