After a 5-1 start to the season and a first-place finish at the Outrigger Hotels Invitational tournament last weekend, the Bruins open up Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference play with a freight train of momentum behind them as they get set for a home game against Stanford.

Through the first six games, UCLA has proven to be a dominant team, both offensively and defensively, and the stats back it up. In fact, the only category the Bruins do not outplay their opponents in is in serves, an area coach Al Scates has repeatedly stressed improvement in.

“We served the best we ever served this season and preseason in our last match against Hawai’i,” Scates said. “I think our serving will be ready to go. We served 86 percent of the balls in with heat, and I was quite pleased with that.

“We’re going to serve them tough. … (The players) have the green light to go ahead and serve tough.”

Struggles in serving haven’t stopped the Bruins from winning three straight matches, as the strength of their passing and defense have more than compensated for their weakness. All three wins came in dominant fashion, as they lost just one of the 10 sets in the tournament.

The No. 3 Bruins will be challenged from the start, facing a No. 4 Cardinal squad who will also come into the game with a three-match winning streak. Stanford (3-0) will be the toughest challenge since the Bruins’ loss to UC Irvine nearly two weeks ago.

“They’ve had a pretty soft preseason, but we know they’re good,” Scates said. “They only lost one starter and they dominated us last year. They beat us in Pauley (Pavilion) three straight. It’s a good club – well-coached team.”

Without a Wednesday game, UCLA has had four days to prepare for the Cardinal and is treating this game differently.

“It’s not just another game for sure,” sophomore outside hitter Gonzalo Quiroga said. “The first game of the season is really important for us to get pumped up and get all the confidence, so hopefully we’ll have a good match.”

Senior setter Kyle Caldwell, who won the Most Outstanding Player honors at the Outrigger Hotels Invitational, added that the Bruins will be playing with added intensity.

“We’ve been playing a couple preseason games, a couple tournaments and stuff like that, but now that it’s league, it’s like we’re ready to go,” Caldwell said. “We’ve been waiting since summer to do this. It’s our first league game, first home game against a tough opponent, so we’re very focused and ready to go.”

The Bruins won’t face as strong competition in Saturday’s game against No. 15 Pacific (2-2). However, Scates is urging his team to not look ahead.

“Well, Pacific, you know I can’t even think about them right now,” Scates said. “It’s been all about Stanford. I’ll start on Pacific Saturday morning.”

Scates had a message for the fans, as well.

“We had over 3,000 (fans) for the Stanford game in Pauley (last year), but (the John Wooden Center) only seats 1,800, so I suggest our students get there early if they want to watch the game.”

Those who do attend will witness one of the top college matchups so far this season.

“It’s going to be a good game,” Caldwell said. “We’re hoping for a good battle, but I think if we play our volleyball, we can beat them.”