The UCLA men’s volleyball team lost its first match of the 2026 season on Apr. 2, falling to Pepperdine in a closely contested five-set game. The set scores were 25-23, 29-31, 22-25, 25-18, and 13-15.
This defeat ends the Bruins’ undefeated run for the year, bringing their record to 20 wins and one loss overall and a conference record of seven wins and one loss in Mountain Pacific Sports Federation play. Pepperdine improved its own record to eighteen wins and four losses overall while remaining unbeaten at nine wins in conference play.
Pepperdine’s Cole Hartke led all players with twenty-three kills during the match. For UCLA, Sean Kelly contributed twenty-two kills with a hitting percentage of .385. Senior setter Andrew Rowan recorded fifty-three assists as UCLA finished with an offensive hitting percentage of .292 for the night—its lowest this season.
After splitting the first four sets between them, UCLA took an early lead in the deciding fifth set but was unable to hold it as Pepperdine came back from behind to win four out of the last five points and secure both the set (15-13) and match (3-2). The Bruins had won both the opening set (25-23) and fourth set (25-18), while Pepperdine claimed victory in sets two (31-29), three (25-22), and five.
UCLA will have another chance against Pepperdine when they return home to Pauley Pavilion for a rematch scheduled for Saturday evening at five o’clock Pacific Time. The upcoming game will be broadcast on B1G+.
