The UCLA men’s volleyball team, currently ranked No. 1, will compete in the Outrigger Invitational this week, facing No. 14 Lewis on Thursday, Mount Olive on Friday, and concluding with a match against No. 3 Hawai’i on Saturday evening. The match against Hawai’i will be broadcast on ESPN+. This announcement was made on March 11.
The tournament comes as the Bruins continue an impressive run this season, having started with a perfect record of 16-0 for the first time since 1998. Their recent victories include two wins over No. 5 USC and a win over No. 2 Long Beach State, demonstrating their dominance in collegiate men’s volleyball.
UCLA’s matchup with Hawai’i is notable given their history; the teams have met 97 times, with UCLA holding a significant advantage at 66-31 overall and winning all three NCAA Tournament meetings between them since 1998. The Bruins’ success has been fueled by standout performances from players such as Sean Kelly—recently named AVCA National Player of the Week—and Zach Rama and Andrew Rowan, both named to the AVCA National Player of the Year Watch List.
This season has also seen UCLA set new records, including a historic second set against Ohio State that ended at 48-46—the most points ever scored in a single NCAA set. Senior setter Andrew Rowan leads the nation in assists per set while senior outside hitter Zach Rama is among national leaders in kills per set and hitting percentage.
Looking back at last year, UCLA reached its third straight NCAA Championship final appearance and returned several All-Americans for this campaign. The team was picked first in both the AVCA Preseason Coaches Poll and MPSF Men’s Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ poll.
With several returning athletes boasting championship experience and promising freshmen joining the roster, expectations remain high as UCLA continues its pursuit of another national title.
