| Men’s Volleyball |
|---|
| UCLA — 3 |
| Menlo — 0 |
No. 1 UCLA men’s volleyball (24-1, 11-1 MPSF) defeated Menlo (3-18, 2-10 MPSF) in straight sets Sunday afternoon in Atherton, winning 25-23, 25-16, 25-16. After a tense first set, the Bruins found their rhythm and overwhelmed the Oaks with cleaner hitting, steadier serving and far more depth across the lineup.
UCLA finished with 36 kills and a .347 hitting percentage while holding Menlo to .127. The Bruins also piled up 11 service aces, gradually wearing down a Menlo team that had made the opening set uncomfortable.
Sophomore outside hitter Sean Kelly led UCLA with eight kills, two aces and a .400 hitting clip. Redshirt junior opposite David Decker added seven kills and two aces, while senior outside hitter Zach Rama finished with five kills and two aces.
Senior middle blocker Cameron Thorne and junior middle blocker Micah Wong Diallo each contributed four kills, and freshman opposite Grayson Bradford chipped in an ace and an assist in reserve action.
The match began without much separation.
UCLA and Menlo traded points through most of the first set, and the Bruins held only a 12-11 edge midway through. Kelly helped steady the offense, and a block from Kelly and Wong Diallo pushed UCLA ahead 15-13.
But Menlo kept answering.
The Oaks eventually tied the set at 22-22, putting real pressure on the Bruins late. Thorne gave UCLA life with a kill, and a Menlo attack error brought up set point. Even after a UCLA service error trimmed the margin to 24-23, senior setter Andrew Rowan found Wong Diallo in the middle for the final point, allowing the Bruins to escape with the opening frame.
That moment changed the feel of the match.
Rama sparked the second set with an ace and back-to-back kills, helping UCLA build a strong 12-6 lead. Kelly later added an ace of his own, and Bradford pushed the advantage further with a service ace that made it 21-14. Decker closed the set with a kill, sending UCLA ahead two sets to none.
The third set followed a similar script, though Menlo made one last push.
UCLA and Menlo battled head to head to a score of 8-8. But once again, the Bruins responded.
Sophomore setter Trent Taliaferro added a rare kill to make it 15-10, and UCLA never looked back. Junior outside hitter Luca Curci closed the door with back-to-back kills, then a Menlo service error ended the match, 25-16.
The numbers reflected the shift.
UCLA hit .290 in the first set, then raised its efficiency to .440 in the second before finishing at .316 in the third. Menlo, meanwhile, never found sustained offense against the Bruins’ block and serve pressure.
Rowan finished with 17 assists and five digs, while Taliaferro added 13 assists, one ace and a kill as UCLA split setting duties effectively. Redshirt junior libero Christopher Connelly added two digs, and freshman libero Brogan Glenn posted two digs as well.
For one set, Menlo made UCLA work.
After that, the Bruins looked exactly like the top-ranked team in the country.
UCLA returns to Pauley Pavilion to go against BYU on Thursday at 7 p.m. PST.
