Setter Andrew Rowan (7), MB Merrick McHenry (13) and OH Ethan Champlin (20)
Photo by: UCLA Athletics
MVB Opens 2024 Season with Jan. 4 Matches
December 29, 2023 | Men's Volleyball
Bruins to Open 2024 Season on Jan. 4 — UCLA, which returns six starters, begins its NCAA title defense with a doubleheader in the HBCU SoCal Challenge against a pair of historically black universities Fort Valley State (Fort Valley, Ga.) and Morehouse College (Atlanta, Ga.) on Thursday, Jan. 4 in Pauley Pavilion presented by Wescom. Both visiting schools are members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and began men's volleyball programs in 2022. The Bruins will play Fort Valley State at 5 p.m. and Morehouse College at 7:30 p.m. UCLA played both schools in Georgia during that inaugural season and posted a couple of 3-0 wins (25-8, 25-9, 25-5 over Morehouse College and 25-8, 25-10, 25-11 over Fort Valley State).
Five Bruins were recognized by Off the Block in the 2024 Pre-season All-America Team selections -- MB Merrick McHenry, OH Ethan Champlin, S Andrew Rowan and Opposite Ido David were each named to the first team. OH Alex Knight, the 2023 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, was a second-team pick.
The Bruins captured the 20th NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship in the program's history last season with a semifinal win over Long Beach State (3-0) and a title victory (3-1) over two-time defending champ Hawai'i. UCLA also won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championship Tournament in 2023 with Coach John Speraw being named MPSF and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coach of the Year. Both championships marked UCLA's first titles since the 2006 season. The Bruins rattled off 12 straight wins on the way to the 2023 NCAA Championship.
2023 Milestones — Last season was UCLA's 27th appearance in the NCAA Championship match (20-7 record). It was the first appearance in back-to-back NCAA MVB Tournaments since 2005 and 2006. The total of 31 wins in a season was the most since 1995 (Coach Speraw was a player for the Bruins that season) when UCLA went 31-1. UCLA's 3-0 victory over Long Beach in the NCAA Semifinals was the 21st sweep of the season which was the most since the 1995 team established the school record at 25. The Bruins produced an unbeaten conference season (12-0) for the first time since 1995 (19-0). On the heels of a 22-5 2022 campaign, the Bruins registered the first back-to-back 20-win seasons by the program since 2012 and 2013. John Speraw won his 400th match as a men's collegiate head coach (he has also been head coach at UC Irvine where he won three NCAA titles 2012, 2009, 2007) and his 200th match as UCLA's head man earlier in the 2023 season in matches against UC Irvine. The AVCA named seven Bruins to its All-America teams which marked the most in program history. Coach Speraw became the first Bruin head coach to be recognized as the AVCA National Men's Volleyball Coach of the Year since Al Scates in 1998.
UCLA and Rankings — UCLA has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the AVCA poll at some point in seven of the last eight seasons (not in 2021) ... The Bruins have risen as high as No. 1 in the AVCA poll in four seasons under Coach John Speraw -- 2023, 2022, 2016, 2014 ... UCLA has ended a season ranked No. 1 in the AVCA poll a record 10 times (1987, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995,1996, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2023) over the years.
Team NCAA Ranking Notes — Last season, UCLA led the nation in hitting percentage (.382), blocks (2.80 per set) and set assists per set (12.64). It marked the second straight season in which the Bruins topped the nation in hitting percentage (2022-.374). The Bruins were second nationally in 2023 in aces (2.02) and kills per set (13.31). UCLA hit at least .400 in 17 matches last season. UCLA had seven matches a year ago with at least 10 aces, including the championship match against Hawai'i (UCSD-18, Ohio St.-11, UCI-10, CUI-13, Purdue Ft. Wayne-10, Stanford-11, Hawai'i-10). UCLA recorded double-digit total blocks in 14 matches a year ago with a high of 18.5 against Pepperdine.
MPSF — UCLA, which finished atop the 2023 MPSF standings with an 12-0 record, has been picked to repeat by the coaches in 2024 ... The '24 Pre-season MPSF coaches poll: 1-UCLA, 2-Stanford, T3-BYU, T3-Grand Canyon, 5-USC, 6-Pepperdine, 7-CUI ... this year's MPSF Post-Season Tournament, which determines the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament, will be held at USC.
Six Starters Returning — UCLA returns six starters in sophomore setter Andrew Rowan (27 starts in 2023), junior opposite Ido David (27), redshirt junior middle blocker Guy Genis (23), redshirt senior outside hitter Alex Knight (26), redshirt senior middle blocker Merrick McHenry (30), senior OH Ethan Champlin (30). The lone starter not back is libero Troy Gooch (33). Also returning are redshirt junior S/libero Ayrton Garcia-Jurado, redshirt sophomore MB Sean McQuiggan, redshirt sophomore OH Cooper Robinson (1), redshirt sophomore libero Matthew Aziz, redshirt freshman MB Christopher Hersh, redshirt junior OH/opposite Grant Sloane (4), redshirt freshman opposite David Decker, sophomore OH Zach Rama (4), redshirt sophomore MB Matthew Edwards (1) and sophomore libero Coleman McDonough.
New to the Mix — UCLA adds redshirt senior setter David Flores who made 22 starts at setter last season for Ball State. Flores ranked sixth in the nation in set assists and set BSU to the nation's fifth-highest attack percentage (.355). In addition, freshman opposite Jaidin Russell (Newton, Mass. South HS), outside hitter Luca Curci (Newport Harbor HS), middle blocker Thiago Zamprogno (Cardinal Gibbons Fla. HS), middle blocker Spencer Graves (Loyola HS), middle blocker Micah Wong Diallo (Marshall HS) have joined the Bruins for 2024.
Five Bruins were recognized by Off the Block in the 2024 Pre-season All-America Team selections -- MB Merrick McHenry, OH Ethan Champlin, S Andrew Rowan and Opposite Ido David were each named to the first team. OH Alex Knight, the 2023 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, was a second-team pick.
The Bruins captured the 20th NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship in the program's history last season with a semifinal win over Long Beach State (3-0) and a title victory (3-1) over two-time defending champ Hawai'i. UCLA also won the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) Championship Tournament in 2023 with Coach John Speraw being named MPSF and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coach of the Year. Both championships marked UCLA's first titles since the 2006 season. The Bruins rattled off 12 straight wins on the way to the 2023 NCAA Championship.
2023 Milestones — Last season was UCLA's 27th appearance in the NCAA Championship match (20-7 record). It was the first appearance in back-to-back NCAA MVB Tournaments since 2005 and 2006. The total of 31 wins in a season was the most since 1995 (Coach Speraw was a player for the Bruins that season) when UCLA went 31-1. UCLA's 3-0 victory over Long Beach in the NCAA Semifinals was the 21st sweep of the season which was the most since the 1995 team established the school record at 25. The Bruins produced an unbeaten conference season (12-0) for the first time since 1995 (19-0). On the heels of a 22-5 2022 campaign, the Bruins registered the first back-to-back 20-win seasons by the program since 2012 and 2013. John Speraw won his 400th match as a men's collegiate head coach (he has also been head coach at UC Irvine where he won three NCAA titles 2012, 2009, 2007) and his 200th match as UCLA's head man earlier in the 2023 season in matches against UC Irvine. The AVCA named seven Bruins to its All-America teams which marked the most in program history. Coach Speraw became the first Bruin head coach to be recognized as the AVCA National Men's Volleyball Coach of the Year since Al Scates in 1998.
UCLA and Rankings — UCLA has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the AVCA poll at some point in seven of the last eight seasons (not in 2021) ... The Bruins have risen as high as No. 1 in the AVCA poll in four seasons under Coach John Speraw -- 2023, 2022, 2016, 2014 ... UCLA has ended a season ranked No. 1 in the AVCA poll a record 10 times (1987, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1995,1996, 1998, 2000, 2006, 2023) over the years.
Team NCAA Ranking Notes — Last season, UCLA led the nation in hitting percentage (.382), blocks (2.80 per set) and set assists per set (12.64). It marked the second straight season in which the Bruins topped the nation in hitting percentage (2022-.374). The Bruins were second nationally in 2023 in aces (2.02) and kills per set (13.31). UCLA hit at least .400 in 17 matches last season. UCLA had seven matches a year ago with at least 10 aces, including the championship match against Hawai'i (UCSD-18, Ohio St.-11, UCI-10, CUI-13, Purdue Ft. Wayne-10, Stanford-11, Hawai'i-10). UCLA recorded double-digit total blocks in 14 matches a year ago with a high of 18.5 against Pepperdine.
MPSF — UCLA, which finished atop the 2023 MPSF standings with an 12-0 record, has been picked to repeat by the coaches in 2024 ... The '24 Pre-season MPSF coaches poll: 1-UCLA, 2-Stanford, T3-BYU, T3-Grand Canyon, 5-USC, 6-Pepperdine, 7-CUI ... this year's MPSF Post-Season Tournament, which determines the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship Tournament, will be held at USC.
Six Starters Returning — UCLA returns six starters in sophomore setter Andrew Rowan (27 starts in 2023), junior opposite Ido David (27), redshirt junior middle blocker Guy Genis (23), redshirt senior outside hitter Alex Knight (26), redshirt senior middle blocker Merrick McHenry (30), senior OH Ethan Champlin (30). The lone starter not back is libero Troy Gooch (33). Also returning are redshirt junior S/libero Ayrton Garcia-Jurado, redshirt sophomore MB Sean McQuiggan, redshirt sophomore OH Cooper Robinson (1), redshirt sophomore libero Matthew Aziz, redshirt freshman MB Christopher Hersh, redshirt junior OH/opposite Grant Sloane (4), redshirt freshman opposite David Decker, sophomore OH Zach Rama (4), redshirt sophomore MB Matthew Edwards (1) and sophomore libero Coleman McDonough.
New to the Mix — UCLA adds redshirt senior setter David Flores who made 22 starts at setter last season for Ball State. Flores ranked sixth in the nation in set assists and set BSU to the nation's fifth-highest attack percentage (.355). In addition, freshman opposite Jaidin Russell (Newton, Mass. South HS), outside hitter Luca Curci (Newport Harbor HS), middle blocker Thiago Zamprogno (Cardinal Gibbons Fla. HS), middle blocker Spencer Graves (Loyola HS), middle blocker Micah Wong Diallo (Marshall HS) have joined the Bruins for 2024.
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