The University of California, Los Angeles men’s volleyball team won a 3-0 match against Stanford in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference game on March 28. The set scores were 25-22, 25-21, and 25-22.
This victory brings UCLA’s record to 20-0 for the first time since 1984 and maintains their perfect conference record at 7-0. The result keeps UCLA at the top of the rankings in collegiate men’s volleyball.
Zach Rama led all players with twelve kills while Sean Kelly contributed eleven kills for UCLA. Senior setter Andrew Rowan recorded thirty-seven assists during the match. As a team, UCLA posted a .380 hitting percentage and held Stanford to .292. Defensively, Rowan also had three blocks, while David Decker and Chris Connelly each made four digs.
In the opening set, Rama started strong with seven kills and two service aces. Kills from Cameron Thorne and Rama helped UCLA gain an early lead. After a timeout by Stanford late in the set, Kelly and Thorne combined for a block that secured the first set for UCLA.
The second set saw both teams trading points until it was tied at seventeen apiece. Decker’s kill followed by his ace put UCLA ahead before Kelly added another kill to extend their lead. Wong Diallo finished off the set with a kill to give UCLA a two-set advantage.
During the third set, Christopher Hersh entered as middle blocker for Micah Wong Diallo. A run of five straight points gave UCLA control midway through the final frame before they closed out both the set and match after an errant Stanford serve.
Looking ahead, UCLA will play No. 7 Pepperdine on Thursday, April 2 at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu.
