There was nothing flashy about it, and that was the point. In a match defined by long rallies, service pressure and razor-thin margins late in every set, No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball (4-0, 1-0 MPSF) stayed calm when it mattered most. Behind senior outside hitter Zach Rama’s consistency and senior setter Andrew Rowan’s control, the Bruins swept No. 6 Loyola Chicago 25-23, 25-19, 26-24 on Sunday night at the First Point Collegiate Challenge.
UCLA never let the match speed dictate its play. After dropping the opening set against Ball State the night before, the Bruins entered Sunday sharper in closing moments and cleaner in transition. They hit .506 as a team and outlasted Loyola in all three sets that reached the final five points.
Rama led all players with 23 kills on 34 swings, hitting .618 while repeatedly bailing UCLA out in high-pressure moments. Sophomore outside hitter Sean Kelly added eight kills on .538 hitting, while senior middle Cameron Thorne finished with seven kills on nine attempts and was efficient in the middle. Junior middle Micah Wong Diallo chipped in five kills and added key block touches that slowed Loyola’s momentum late.
Rowan orchestrated the offense with 44 assists, guiding UCLA to 49 total kills while keeping the Bruins balanced across the net. Rowan also contributed defensively, helping UCLA win extended rallies that defined the match’s closing stretches.
The opening set set the tone. UCLA and Loyola traded points deep into the frame before Rama delivered multiple late kills to flip momentum. Loyola pressured from the service line, but UCLA survived a late ace and closed the set 25-23 on a clean side-out.
Set two saw UCLA gain separation earlier. After Loyola briefly tied the score in the middle of the set, UCLA leaned on its middle attack and transition offense. Thorne and Wong Diallo were effective on quick sets, and Kelly steadied the serve-receive unit as UCLA pulled away 25-19.
The third set was the most chaotic and most telling. Neither team led by more than two points after 16-16, and service errors piled up on both sides. Loyola briefly grabbed momentum with back-to-back aces that tied the set at 23-23, forcing a UCLA timeout. Coming out of the break, Kelly answered with a kill to earn set point, and Rama closed the match moments later with his final kill at 26-24.
Rama finished as the match’s point leader, while Rowan’s decision-making late ensured UCLA never rushed swings or forced errors. Despite committing 15 service errors, the Bruins limited damage by siding out efficiently and winning key rallies in transition.
With the win, UCLA improved to 4-0 on the season and completed an undefeated weekend at the First Point Collegiate Challenge. The Bruins will return home next, hosting Fort Valley State at Pauley Pavilion on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7:00 p.m. PST, as they look to carry their early season rhythm into another home matchup.
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Featured Image Photographed via BruinLife Archives
