David Decker led the UCLA Bruins men’s volleyball team to a four-set victory over Ball State at the First Point Collegiate Challenge in Phoenix, Arizona. Decker recorded a career-high 22 kills and hit .621 as the Bruins defeated the Cardinals 3-1.
Four Bruins finished with double-digit points: Decker with 22 kills, Zach Rama with 17, Sean Kelly with 14, and Cameron Thorne with 10. Senior setter Andrew Rowan guided the offense to a .473 hitting percentage and posted a game-high 53 assists, also leading his team in digs with six.
Ball State ended the match with a .358 hitting percentage. Patrick Rodgers was their top scorer, finishing with 18 kills.
The first set saw Ball State take an early lead before UCLA responded to go ahead. The teams traded points until Ball State pulled away after capitalizing on Bruin errors and secured the set 25-22.
In the second set, Ball State again started strong but UCLA came back to tie it at several points. Trent Taliaferro’s serving put pressure on Ball State late in the set, allowing UCLA to win it 26-24 after key plays from Thorne and Rowan.
The third set followed a similar pattern; Ball State took an early lead before UCLA went on a run following a timeout. The teams remained close until Decker’s scoring efforts helped push UCLA ahead. The Bruins won another close set, finishing at 26-24 after Kelly served an ace.
UCLA built momentum in the fourth set after consecutive points by Rama and Decker put them ahead. The Bruins extended their advantage through consistent attacking and benefited from Cardinal errors. They closed out the match by winning the final set 25-20.
UCLA will next face No. 6 Loyola Chicago on Sunday at 6 pm PT. The match will be broadcast on ESPNU.
