| Men’s Volleyball |
|---|
| Pepperdine — 1 |
| UCLA — 3 |
No. 1-ranked UCLA men’s volleyball (then 20-1 overall, 7-1 MPSF) returned home with something to prove.
Just 48 hours earlier, the Bruins suffered their first and lone loss of the season in a five-set thriller at No. 6-ranked Pepperdine (18–4 overall, 9–0 MPSF).
It was a rare stumble for a team that has spent most of the year overwhelming opponents with efficiency and an offense that has consistently ranked among the nation’s most dangerous.
Saturday night presented an immediate opportunity for response — and the Bruins did exactly that.
Set 1 immediately felt like a continuation of Thursday night’s battle.
The Bruins struck first, but neither side was able to create real separation as the score stayed within a point or two for most of the frame. Kill shots from sophomore outside hitter Sean Kelly, senior middle blocker Cameron Thorne and senior outside hitter Zach Rama helped the Bruins keep pace, while a strong block from junior middle blocker Micah Wong Diallo briefly gave UCLA momentum midway through the set.
Still, Pepperdine continued to respond, matching every push with a counter.
Late in the set, the intensity rose even higher. With the score tied 24–24, neither team could create separation, trading points as the set extended well beyond regulation.
Pepperdine moved ahead 25–24, and UCLA answered.
26–25 Pepperdine.
UCLA answered again.
The back-and-forth continued until 27–27, when the Waves finally strung together the final two points to take the opening set 29–27.
Set 2, however, looked very different.
After another tight opening stretch, the Bruins began to separate midway through the frame, using its physicality at the net to take control. Wong Diallo set the tone with a strong kill to keep the score even at 4–4, before teaming up with redshirt junior opposite David Decker for a momentum-shifting roof that gave the Bruins an 11–8 lead.
From there, UCLA never looked back. Kelly continued to lead the attack from the outside, while Thorne combined with senior setter Andrew Rowan for another emphatic block that forced a Pepperdine timeout.
With the offense clicking and the block creating problems for the Waves, UCLA pulled away comfortably and closed out the set 25–16 to even the match. This was the turning point that shifted momentum firmly in the Bruins’ favor as they powered through the remainder of the contest to secure the win.
Set 3 is where UCLA really began to take control.
After trading early points, the Bruins created separation behind strong serving pressure and an increasingly dominant presence at the net. Kelly sparked the run with an ace that pushed UCLA ahead 10–6, forcing Pepperdine to play from behind for much of the set. Decker capitalized on an overpass soon after, extending the lead to 13–8 and prompting the Waves to call an early timeout as momentum continued to swing in UCLA’s favor.
The Bruins continued to apply pressure from multiple angles. Decker and Kelly combined for key kills to maintain the advantage, while Wong Diallo made his presence felt both offensively and defensively (delivered a clean kill through the middle before teaming up with Kelly for an emphatic block that stretched the lead even further)
With Pepperdine struggling to slow UCLA’s rhythm, the Bruins closed the set in convincing fashion at 25-17, giving UCLA full control of the match heading into the fourth.
Set 4 brought the tension back, but UCLA never let the momentum slip.
The Bruins and Waves traded early points before UCLA began to gain a slight edge behind strong play at the net. Kelly delivered another clutch ace to give the Bruins a 9–8 lead, and the block followed soon after. Rama and Wong Diallo combined for another roof that pushed UCLA ahead 11–8, forcing Pepperdine to burn an early timeout.
Pepperdine attempted to close the gap, cutting the lead to just one at 13–12, but UCLA continued to respond at key moments. Decker came through with an important kill to maintain the Bruins’ advantage, while Wong Diallo continued to be a factor in the middle, using high hands to extend the lead. Rama later added a cross-court finish that kept UCLA in control as the set moved into its final stretch.
The Waves made one last push late, trimming the deficit to 23–21, but the Bruins stayed composed. Kelly delivered a big back-row kill to bring UCLA within one point of the match, and moments later, Pepperdine misfired on a serve, sealing the 25–22 set victory.
The Bruins improve to 21–1 overall (8–1 MPSF) with the 3–1 victory and now turn their attention to April 9, when they hit the road to face UC Merced at 6 p.m. PST.
