In a highly anticipated rematch, the No. 3 UCLA men’s volleyball team delivered a 3-2 victory over No. 2 UC Irvine on Saturday night at Pauley Pavilion. The Bruins’ triumph consisted of scores: set 1: 21-25, set 2: 25-21, set 3: 20-25, set 4: 25-14 and set 5: 15-10.
Junior middle blocker Cameron Thorne led the Bruins’ offense with a career-high of 17 kills, achieving an impressive .842 hitting percentage. Outside hitter Cooper Robinson contributed 15 kills, enhancing UCLA’s offensive depth. The team’s collective effort resulted in a .444 hitting percentage for the match.
The opening set was tight with both teams exchanging points early in the set. The Anteaters initially took the lead, but the Bruins quickly responded, tying the set at 20-20 following their 4-0 scoring run. But the Anteaters seemed to quickly take the lead and defeat the Bruins in the opening set, 21-25.
The second set seemed to be another close set, as both teams continued to score back to back. Irvine takes the lead for the first time in the second set at 5-6. Closer to the end of the set, the Bruins begin to lead at 21-17 and it is quickly followed by a spike from Thorne to get another point for UCLA. As the Bruins near the end of the set, Thorne gets an ace bringing the score to 24-19. After a timeout, UCLA is able to get the winning point and secure their first set of the night.
In the third set, Irvine quickly gets the lead at 4-8. UCLA continues to score, attempting to shorten the gap that Irvine has created but fails to do so as Irvine held onto their lead the rest of the set. UCLA came close to taking the lead at 19-20 but the Anteaters managed to win the third set, 20-25.
The fourth set was definitely the Bruins’ best as they completely dominated the Anteaters the entire set. UCLA got the first point, followed by a point by Irvine but once UCLA got their second point, they held onto their lead the rest of the set. Their largest lead was at 21-10. Thorne continued to spike the ball several times, causing Bruin fans to cheer for the junior. Outside hitter, Ido David got back to back aces helping the Bruins stretch their lead. UCLA won the fourth set at 25-14 meaning they were now going into the fifth and final set of the match.
The final set of the night resulted in a win for the Bruins. Both teams exchanged points back and forth but ultimately UCLA won the set meaning they were the winners of tonight’s match. This win comes after they defeated the Anteaters on Wednesday night at Irvine, 3-0.
This victory elevates UCLA’s record to 8-3, while UC Irvine falls to 10-2. The Bruins are set to face UC Santa Barbara on February 26, hoping to build upon their current momentum. Meanwhile, the Anteaters seek to rebound from this setback on Friday against University of Hawaii at Manoa.
UCLA #1 Cameron Thorne erupts in celebration after clinching the 4th set, tying the game. Photographed by Ryan Zhang/BruinLife
UCLA #11 Cooper Robinson launches himself high to deliver a thunderous serve. Photographed by Ryan Zhang/BruinLife
UC Irvine #9 Nolan Flexen leaps into action, preparing to deliver a powerful spike over the UCLA blockers. Photographed by Ryan Zhang/BruinLife
UCLA #1 Cameron Thorne jumps high to spike the ball over UC Irvine blockers. Photographed by Ryan Zhang/BruinLife
UCLA's #10 Sean McQuiggan sets the ball to #21 Zach Rama, who positions himself to unleash a powerful spike. Photographed by Ryan Zhang/BruinLife
